Drive safely out there.....

[TPD211]

Here is a photo of a crash I was called out to on Monday to investigate as a traffic fatality.<br /> CRASH PHOTO <br />Mom & daughter driving on rain slick road, daughter is driving, she is pregnant, due in July.<br />Car goes off the road to the right, over corrects to the left, spins, goes into a 4 wheel drift, slams tree with right front side of car, comes to rest on roadway. Both flown out to Orlando ORMC Trauma Center.<br />Daughter has "c" section, baby ok. Daughter is in a coma. Mom is in critical condition.<br /><br />Speed 35-45 mph. <br />Not really a factor, but it is what we call "to fast for conditions". <br />Know your car and how it handles is the advise I can give. <br /><br />Post crash inspection revealed no real defects. The right front tire had low tread, it probably was the deciding factor that did not allow the driver to gain control of the vehicle on the slick pavement.<br /><br />Check your tires for treadwear & correct pressure. Dont assume they hold 32 psi. New tires are up to 45 psi and more, read the sidewall of the tire. If the tires are worn down to the treadwear indicators, replace them. The treadwear indicators are in the grooves of the tires, if the tread is worn down, you will see rubber ridges/marks where the groove/tread was.

 

[BrianFD]

Re: Drive safely out there.....

All good advice, T!<br />Last weekend, after retrieving the boat & in the process of wiping her down (the boat, not the wife, hehehe), the better half says, "Honey, take a look at the truck's right rear tire." It looks a little low, so I break out the tire gauge... 17 lbs!! I was wondering why the rear-end swayed a little when I applied the brakes. Hmm. Got out the mini-compressor and took 20 minutes to get it back to 40.5 lbs pressure. Doesn't sway now when I hit the brakes.<br />I usually do a 360* walkaround before every trip, regardless if it's to the lake or down to the corner, checking things like the tires, turn signals, anything behind me I might need to avoid, anything under the wheels... etc. Missed this tire, though. Found out that the wife parked that tire on a curb a couple days prior. Must have broken the seal for a while. Hasn't been any trouble since.

 

[PW2]

Re: Drive safely out there.....

Thanks for the reminder.<br /><br />While it is of course important to maintain your vehicle in a safe condition, I suspect that traffic accidents are much like industrial accidents. While lots of time and energy is spent on unsafe equipment and conditions, the vast majority of accidents are caused by unsafe acts of drivers.<br /><br />Two or three days a week, I drive hiway 17 on the north shore of Lake Huron, which is the cow path they laughingly call the Trans Canada hiway. Most days are reasonably ok, but every now and then you will have a day where everyone, including large transport trucks, seem to feel the need pass other drivers--who are mostly driving at or above the posted 90 km speed limit- at every possible opportunity. Mostly they succeed, but occasionally they don't.<br /><br />On that hiway, they allow transport trucks to carry gross weight of up to 160,000 lbs, which is kind of like a small rail car going down the road.<br /><br />Fender benders are pretty rare on the trans canada, but I have seen more than I care to of one of these transports running head on into a passenger car. It is not a pretty sight.<br /><br />The ministry of transportation even felt the need to post signs on the roadway on particularly bad stretches, saying "If you can't see, don't pass"<br /><br />I've got a better idea. If you can't see, don't drive!!<br /><br />But thanks again for the reminder!

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Drive safely out there.....

Was driving somewhere in a blinding rainstorm last week and came across a wreck in which a new pickup truck had rolled over and was in the middle of the road. Emergency people were just pulling up.<br /><br />It was at the bottom of a hill. The best place to hydroplane is coming down a hill, cause all the rain is rushing down the hill with you.<br /><br />I have had everyone of my accidents in the rain. Two I rearended somebody (fender benders only cause I was following too close (STUPID!!!)), and one, someone hydroplaned next to me while coming down a hill (we were both doing 55 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, she had bald tires).<br /><br />Lesson is, SLOW DOWN IN THE RAIN!!!!!<br /><br />Ken