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Lucky Escape - Ever Had One?

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anaxcrosswords | 13:38 Wed 20th Jan 2016 | Motoring
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I've had two. Driving down the M6 for some motor racing show at Silverstone in early Feb, must have been 20 years ago, it was freezing. Inside and middle lanes weren’t too bad, but the outside had long stretches of ice. Somewhere near Stoke, I was in the middle lane, overtaking, when a large black saloon came past. Not that fast, to be honest, but too fast for the conditions. He caught the ice, swerved right in front of me, over onto the embankment and into a roll. For a split second I got the oddest image. In mid-roll, the car’s nose was on the ground and I was effectively looking down into the car – the passenger’s hands were clasped in his lap (I imagined he’d be trying to hold onto a door handle or something).
The other, only a few years later, happened while driving into Buxton from the Dove Holes side. On a straight stretch, by the golf course, something caused everyone to brake suddenly. I managed to stop without hitting the car in front. The guy behind me stopped too, but he got hit from behind. It was a nose-to-tail job involving about a dozen cars and mine was the only one that didn’t get hit.
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Close call on the M1. Car in middle lane pulled into left hand lane obviously not realising the difference in speed and hit the car in front. Luckily it was just at the end of a slip road so got round it without being hit myself. I would have been able to stop in time but couldn't say the same for cars behind.

One time my uncle and family were hit by a lorry. Obviously in the lorry's blind spot. It clipped the car which span and the lorry was dragging it down the motorway sideways. Very very lucky.
Yes I had a lucky escape once.

I was travelling anti-clockwise round the northern part of the M25 before it was completed. At that time it finished either at South Mimms (Bignalls Corner) or possibly London Colney, can’t quite remember. All traffic had to use what was to become the slip road for the junction when the motorway was completed. You went over the brow of a hill to be confronted fairly immediately by a roundabout. I was in the outside of two lanes. I’d made the journey regularly and was aware of the hazard so I usually slowed down before the brow of the hill to slow the traffic down behind me. On this occasion there was no traffic but I slowed nonetheless and joined the queue waiting to negotiate the roundabout.

Fortuitously I glanced in may mirror and saw, just having topped the hill, a red MG Metro with all four wheels locked and tyres smoking. Guessing he had little chance of avoiding me (being so out of control) I swiftly moved to the gravel on the offside and passed a vehicle or two in the queue to my left. A second or two later the Metro collided with one awful crunch into the rear of the car that I, a second earlier, had been behind. That car was pushed into the one in front and both of them into the one I was now alongside.

The driver of the Metro suffered minor injuries and everyone else was unhurt. There was extensive damage to the Metro and the car it had collided with. I had planned to simply drive off but decided not to in case anybody was injured. Police were called (the road was almost blocked) and I gave a witness statement.

The Metro driver blamed me for moving out of his way. He suggested that he was going to steer to the offside (where I had moved to) to avoid the collision. The driver he collided with also blamed me (his argument being that I should have remained where I was and shielded him from the Metro!). The traffic officers had a good laugh at both these arguments.

The Metro driver was charged with careless driving to which, incredibly, he pleaded not guilty. I had to give evidence in court and he was convicted. Had I remained where I was and the collision had been with me (one car length earlier) I fear the outcome (especially for the driver of the Metro) may have been far more serious. So a lucky escape indeed.


Sorry to hi-jack thread
NJ did you see Flying Scot schedule posted today in Travel ?
Slightly different lucky escape, Anax......but car related.

My boyfriend and two friends were picking me up for a night out.....as I got into the car I had a feeling that I shouldn't be going out that night....strong enough for me to refuse to go....

I returned to my house....followed by a cranky boyfriend and our friends left.
On their way home a tyre blew.....they crashed.....killing one and injuring the other.

The father of our friends told the police we would have been with them and some time was spent searching the area for us....so....my lucky escape I think....x
Yes I did, thanks retro.

I believe in late Feb it is to make a run from Kings Cross to York. I have a number of favoured viewing spots on that route (as does my nephew who is a fellow (but much more junior) gricer. We're going to try to see it then as the Frozen North, where it is at the moment, is a bit out of the way for us.

Sorry anax :-)
I was driving up the M1 once in heavy fast traffic, I looked in the rear view mirror and there was nothing in view behind me. I've no idea what happened and as it preceded the internet I was unable to find out. I can only assume it was a lucky escape.
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Had a similar one, jomifl. Daughter and I were having lunch at services, the café being on the bridge – at Keele I think. Hadn’t really been watching the traffic but I suddenly noticed the southbound (our direction) was empty.
By the time we finished we were treated to an almost deserted motorway for at least 50 miles, the only other traffic being whatever joined at junctions on the way down. Unheard-of for the M6 even at night!
I was driving to Glastonbury six years ago, proceeding down the middle lane in a fast-moving line of traffic.

The car in the outside lane swung across in front of me without warning, into a gap that wasn't there and braked sharply to avoid hitting the car that was in front of me.

The only way to avoid rear-ending him at seventy miles an hour was to swing into the left lane, with no time to look and see if anything was there.

There was no car there, but the shock of what could have been a fatal accident saw me driving in the left lane at forty miles an hour for the forty minutes, quietly saying "Oh God .... oh God ...." to myself and shaking. I pulled over at the next services and sat for another half an hour calming down.

I have never forgotten it - in forty-four years of driving, it's the closest to death I have ever been, or would ever want to be.
I was driving the company transit van in Somerset one day, following at a respectful distance a lady driver in a saloon car. All of a sudden she braked hard and turned right. I also braked hard and swerved to avoid her (successfully). When the dust had settled she had vanished and I was facing back the way I had come.
And some bright spark within the transport system has come out with this statement, " Allow learner Drivers on the UK Motorways" another clown that's on Thousands of pound per year coming out with crank Ideas.
They would have approved supervision TWR

http://www.motoring.co.uk/car-news/learner-drivers-to-be-allowed-to-drive-on-uk-motorways_67085

///The proposals would see learners allowed to take motorway driving lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor in a dual controlled car.///

Not only supervised but.... ... .. .

///The Automobile Association has applauded the initiative that Learner Drivers will be allowed to practise and hone their driving skills on the UK motorway network prior to taking their test///.
That would work very well down your end Baldric & especially around Heathrow.

Then it won't be a problem, especially if you think that as well
The Motorway are bad enough with accident with so-called experienced drivers, so what chance have you got with L. Drivers.
So, TWR, you think it's better that people teach themselves to drive on a motorway rather than e given instruction by a qualified instructor in a dual control vehicle?
The L Driver can travel for a period of time as a passenger to observe the running of traffic, or do you not value your life on a fast traffic flow, I have seen too many accident in my previous course of employment with fateful results, or it seems you think differently.
Motorway driving is easy. It's the speed that's dangerous. And it's no different really than driving on a dual carriage which is included in driving lessons.
All the accidents you have seen TWR will have involved people who taught themselves to drive on the motorway after having passed their test and have probably travelled many miles as a passenger on motorways. Sitting in the passenger seat is NOT the same as driving yourself.
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Talking of which, anyone ever been hijacked? ;o)

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