Friday, 12 April 2019
Parked on the wall
The other day found us tootling along a familiar road with lots of gentle bends and some pleasantly scenic views. A pavement runs by the side of the road and on the other side of the pavement is a low stone wall.
Towards the end of a bendy stretch there is a gentle right hand bend and on the bend was a fairly new car straddling the stone wall. It was broad daylight, the road was dry and no other vehicle was involved. Yet somehow the car had recently left the road, hit the stone wall and ended up on top of it. A number of vehicles had stopped to help and fortunately the driver seemed okay although the car was obviously a write-off.
There are a number of possible causes one could guess at such as mechanical failure or a puncture. As the speed limit on that stretch of road is 50 mph and that equates to about 73 feet per second, a brief distraction could also cause such an accident.
I've no idea what actually did cause this particular accident and maybe it wasn't the driver's fault at all, but modern cars have at least three significant ways by which drivers can be distracted for that crucial second. Or in this case that crucial 73 feet. Sat nav, mobile phone or music system would do it.
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4 comments:
"Sat nav, mobile phone or music system would do it."
"Where the road gets bendy and the scenery pleasant, leave the road at the kerb, and continue along the footpath. After eight metres, leave the footpath and join the wall. Proceed along the top of the wall for ten metres.. You have now reached your destination."
Ther distraction element is about to get a whole lot worse, VW in their announcement of the new Gofor 2020 states it is a 'digital vehicle, all is touchscreen, no buttons or knobs and extra screens to accommodate all this as this is what the purchaser wants.
All of which is stark staring mad, TV is not allowed in cars but they can put in sat nav, 'infotainment' systems and now controls for the car on a touchscreen plus of course you can still legaly use a hands free phone which will now also be incorporated.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-geneva-motor-show/new-volkswagen-golf-launch-delayed-report
Well, I blame the wall! It must have jumped out just as the car was passing, then hopped back!
You were lucky, it could have been your car!I'm glad you're both safe anyway...
Sam - our previous sat nav once took us along a road which was little more than a footpath. Grass growing down the centre suggested it wasn't a frequently used road.
Wiggia - sounds crazy to me too. Screens surely need more eye contact than buttons and knobs. I think everything done via a screen is a feature of the Tesla.
Scrobs - that's a thought - it may have been due to wall boredom, standing there all day with nothing to do but watch the traffic.
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