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I had a near-death experience today

S

SWScorch

Diamond Member
So I'm taking drivers ed in school. Today the parking lot was icy and slick, so the teacher had us do skids. I got behind the wheel, and she had do a couple power skids, which were nothing. Then she had me drive down the lot at about 20mph and push down on the emergency brake (its a pedal instead of a lever). It started fishtailing but I regained control quickly. Then she had me do the same thing, except going about 35 mph. I pushed down on the e-brake and when I lifted my foot off, it popped back up, so I pushed it back down, and the back end of the car swung to the right. I corrected, steering to the right as well, and then back end suddenly swung to the left, and the car was going completely sideways. There was nothing I could do to control it. Since it was sliding perpindicular to the wheels, brake gas and steering had no effect. So I was at the mercy of inertia...... which was bringing me in the direction of a fire hydrant surrounded by four concrete pillars. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one pillar loom directly in the path of the car. I saw it come closer and closer in slow-motion, and willed the car to miss it. But the front left part of the car collided with it full force, right in front of the tire. As soon as it hit I yelled out "F**K!" The teacher had me back it out and shut it off and she got out to check the damage. I saw her mouth the words "Holy Sh|t!" and got out to see for myself. The pillar had hit behind the lights but in front of the tire, and had caused the brake line to disconnect. Bits of car were left behind; the pillar was tilted at a 15 degree angle or so, and yellow paint from the pillar was embedded in the paint of the car. Needless to say I felt like quite the dumbass, but she kept saying "Dont worry, its not your fault; its mine"

So the car had to be towed away to be repaired. I dont think it was too bad; mostly body damage, but still. Sheesh. It was quite an interesting day.
 


<< Today the parking lot was icy and slick, so the teacher had us do skids >>



What the hell kind of teacher is that!?!
 


<<

<< Today the parking lot was icy and slick, so the teacher had us do skids >>



What the hell kind of teacher is that!?! >>


LOL, a cool one. 😎
Well, except for if and when I have kids and then it'll be a different story. 😀

 
wth kinda of drivers ed makes u do powerslides at 35 mph? Is it even necessary? Sheesh, out here in southern cali our little drivers ed consisted of driving to Taco Bell and back. To gain the most experience, just drive your parents on your normal everyday errands and that way you will get a good feel for the kinda driving that you will be doing most often.
 
well you see, its good to get this sort of practide because here in rural NY, roads are often very bad. So if you learn how to control slides in a fairly safe parking lot, hopefully you wont do the wrong thing when you go into a slide going down the road with 4 foot ditches and trees on either side. Of course, when you're going completely sideways, not much will help you, as I found out :Q
 
but if you are dumb enough to drive 35mph on icy roads, you deserve to be in the ditch wrapped around a tree. I grew up learning to drive in Minnesota, there is no worse place in the US. never had an accident or ended up in the ditch, you just learn to use common sense and NOT slam the brakes and/or parking brake.
 
I agree with SWS on that one, it's a great way to learn on how to cope with icy skids but it works better on a prepared track or course.
 


<< I agree with SWS on that one, it's a great way to learn on how to cope with icy skids but it works better on a prepared track or course. >>



Not to mention it's pretty phat to be able to do stuff like that and be getting a grade for it. Besides, I like sliding and skidding and stuff, but I'm sure it's far more fun when you know it's not your car you're smashing...
 
Dude, you need to learn how to drive better then. When your car is going like that, you turn the wheel to the right, so it spins your car back around. And didn't the car have Anti-lock brakes. If you slammed on the brake, the anti-lock system would have detected the slippage and kicked in the anti-lock pumping for you!

 


<< Dude, you need to learn how to drive better then. When your car is going like that, you turn the wheel to the right, so it spins your car back around. And didn't the car have Anti-lock brakes. If you slammed on the brake, the anti-lock system would have detected the slippage and kicked in the anti-lock pumping for you! >>



Yep yep. And heres some more advice. Drive Better.
 
gogeeta, my first instinct was to turn the wheel so it would turn the front end back around, but if I did that I would have hit the pillar right in the center of the car, and I was hoping that by some miracle I would miss the pillar if I just let it go where it wanted to. But I do agree I need to learn to drive better. I'm still a newbie 🙂
 


<< Then she had me drive down the lot at about 20mph and push down on the emergency brake (its a pedal instead of a lever). It started fishtailing but I regained control quickly. Then she had me do the same thing, except going about 35 mph. >>


Your teacher should be fired. Pulling e-brakes on ice is not teaching someone how to drive... it's teaching someone how to crash.
 
I agree with gogeeta on the correct course of action. the feds pratice that kind of swing skid. its called a J-turn (if you got a fat end on the turn, does that make it a J-Lo-turn? hmmmm.)

But I have to comment on the power brakes. if you are on ice, assisted power braking is useless. that what these dumb @sses down here in NC believe in. they think going 35-40 and tailgating on powdered covered ice is okay as long as have they have their anti-lock brakes. I've seen too many wrecks today...

SWS: wow, you get some neat driver's ed. All I had to learn was driving switchbacks (very sharp turns), and driving around farm equipment (I lived in the Appalachian mnts).
 


<< gogeeta, my first instinct was to turn the wheel so it would turn the front end back around, but if I did that I would have hit the pillar right in the center of the car, and I was hoping that by some miracle I would miss the pillar if I just let it go where it wanted to. But I do agree I need to learn to drive better. I'm still a newbie 🙂 >>



Oh, I must have skipped over that part of your post, whatever.

My advice still stands though, learn to drive better😉

Oh yeah, and next time, tell that teacher of yours to take you do a parking lot that is more open, lol.
 
SWScorch,

You gave an excellent description of what it's like to see or be in an accident, it seems like slow motion and there ought to be time to do something, but the reality is it usually happens very quickly.


 


<< SWScorch,

You gave an excellent description of what it's like to see or be in an accident, it seems like slow motion and there ought to be time to do something, but the reality is it usually happens very quickly. >>



Automated response:
PICS/MPEGS!! Sorry force of habit 😱 Don't worry, you're not the only one with a near-death experience around here. I was on the freeway with bumper to bumper traffic and I fell asleep. *CRASH* /me wakes up... Ahh what a kodak moment.............
 
OUCH


reminds me of the stories my room mate tells me of her wild days long ago



Jen
 
I've never heard of any drivers teacher letting you practice power slides or recovering from skids. I took drivers ed a year ago and they only briefly mentioned how to recover from a skid, but thats about it.
 
I practice powerslides in my Mustang, but no one has ever given me formal training. 😀

Consider yourself fortunate that your teacher is a moron. That maneuver will help you evade police later in life. 😉
 
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