A Land Rover Disco 2 saved our lives!

[AnthonyVJ]

Around 60 mph approaching the turning to cefn coed on the Merthyr side of the Brecon Beacons you look down a longsweep of about 1/4 mile or so and then a slight uphill again before the road ends at a roundabout. Some stupid woman overtook coming towards me and I suppose because the road was empty I was a bit unworried -she had plenty of time to get back in - but she didn't- she stayed on my side of the road for 200yds or more I had to make a hard left onto the scruffy bit at the side of the road at well over 50mph to avoid a head on collision -and then she just carried on going while I skidded back over to the oncoming side of the road with an over correction and back onto the grass again with that ravine and the crash barrier coming up fast. Finally the car spun 180 and ended up facing towards Brecon on the wrong side of the road -I think anything else would have turned right over, we nearly went over on the 180 anyway! Had my elderly mother in the passenger seat and 14 stone son in the back!All belted in of course. My advice - don't ever assume someone is going to pull back over in time get your hand on the horn and blast!!The cornering enhancing system definitely saved us.

Helen

 

[mcghee]

I had a Peugeot written off a few years back in a similar situation. Faced with a Vectra negotiating a double bend towards me half on my side I took the action of mounting the verge to avoid a head on smash. This had the effect of flipping my car onto its side. Surely the driver of the Vectra must have seen this in his mirror?but took the option to keep driving. I'll probably be criticised for saying this, but if I'd been in a LandRover I'd have let the b*st*rd hit me.

 

[AnthonyVJ]

I have to say it wasn't really a conscious decision just instinct really. We have a galaxy now which I gather from the forum is quite a good tow car just waiting for the van to arive-another 4-5 weeks!

Helen

 

[colin(bridgend)]

In the Auto express this wek they have carried out a head on crash test at 50mph between a Renault Espace and a LR Discovery. Which came off the better? ......... The Renault. The report stated that the effect on the driver and passengers in the Renault was far less life threatening than the Discovery. Obviously they used dummies for the test with recording devices fitted.

 

[CliveV]

Whatever the various merits of this car or that - if we ALL drove within the rules and with safety in mind, we could all be driving in upholstered roller-skates as there would be no need for expensive safety devices.

But hey! we all live in the real world and know that this particular bit of utopia will never exist.

BUT - the latest move in the world of insurance is to have cameras in the car recording the last rolling 30 min.

Just a thought Anthony, but like you having been nearly wiped out by others stupidity and being angry with myself because instinct takes over and no Reg number noted, I wonder if having a recording of the incident would have enabled a prosecution and your insurance company to recover monies for any damage incurred.

Latest idiotic driving I have experienced was a young lad in a Corsa, driving so close to my rear bumper that he did not realise that I was slowing for people at a Zebra Crossing. Before any of us realised what was happening he had pulled round me and was overtaking me!

Had a child been running across the crossing he would have hit it.

What I would have given for a camera to have caught this idiot!

 

[AnthonyVJ]

Mornin'

I'm not usually a fan of big brother type stuff but something not too intrusive for the motoring sector would be good!

Anthony

 

[CliveV]

Yes I have a few concerns myself. But I think it will come.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

In the Auto express this wek they have carried out a head on crash test at 50mph between a Renault Espace and a LR Discovery. Which came off the better? ......... The Renault. The report stated that the effect on the driver and passengers in the Renault was far less life threatening than the Discovery. Obviously they used dummies for the test with recording devices fitted.

This has been discussed in another thread Colin.

 

[MONKEY1]

I think it will come too, some anecdotal evidence I have seen when I worked for one large supermarket chain and we fitted data loggers to the trucks. Funny thing was that the drivers fought really hard not to have then fitted (major union issue) eventually we compromised and we could have the info of the truck by position with a 30 minute delay.

More than once we had allegations of hit and a run by our drivers - what was great was saying to the other party can you give me the exact location and time. More than once we were able to say ."that Ok yes we our contesting it.

What really stuck me was one incident - we had some trucks fitted with the system real time - (wrongly configured was our excuse) and there was a driver a fit guy of 45 doing 50 mph along the A12 near Colchester - he suffered a massive heart attack at the wheel (heroically he managed to bring his truck to a stop and hit his emergency button) . Although sadly he could use his phone

Due to mix up between the Police and ambulance control there was a delay and the driver sadly died. However his colleagues not knowing the full facts nearly lynched the Shop steward at the depot. Immediately we had a petition saying the drivers wanted their trucks tracked in real time and the device which does this; as well as call the police - and gives out loads of information including the temperature of the load real time mpg, range etc is the size of half a domestic house brick

MH

 

[CliveV]

Not surprizing that MH - My Father was a manager within the Post Office and fought a long battle in the 60's I seem to remember with the unions on the use of bicycles - YES! bicycles!! to speed mail delivery.

The unions were dead against it, saying that it was a management ploy to cut down hours etc.

Problem was solved when a worker who wanted to have a bike filmed the Union Rep on his own bike delivering mail and sent it to Management!

The format? - Super 8 cinyfilm - I know because as a youngster we sat and watched the film in our living room has my Father wanted to see what was on it!

This same union guy objected to clocking in and clocking off (the average hard working guy did not as he got paid for what he did rather than others who did "not a lot"

He said every time he heard the bell sound when a clock card was enterred in the machine "he felt a pain of indignation".

So my Father had the bell removed.