Bugger....that about sums it up really

Derby ring road, doing the 40 speed limit (well actually, slightly under), wet road. Came round corner, think I hit a drain cover (though not sure), back end started to go. Managed to avoid ploughing into the woman on the inside of me thank god. Over corrected and car spun back t'other way into the barrier, spinning 180 before stopping.

Car is now sporting a remodelled front end and slight bump in rear. Should be getting phone call tomorrow from insurance garage to sort out details.

Mightily peeved and somewhat shaken, but both me and the missus are OK. No glass broken, no airbags deployed, seatbelts didn't even tension. Police officer was very helpful as was the use of Subaru Assist. Apart from the inconvenience should be OK (I think). No courtesy car on my policy, but I can cycle the 4 miles to work (just hope it doesn't rain).

Sorry for the rant, need to get this out of my system

All sympathy greatly accepted

Now I'm off to cry and reassess my driving (in)ability. Missus thinks I did very well to avoid the other car....still think that I could have avoided crashing altogether if I was a better driver

Steve

Trouser, thanks for the words of support/advice and concern for myself and the good lady, you are a true gentleman

[Edited by Hanslow - 1/20/2002 4:07:54 PM]

 

We live and learn Steve. Glad you and the misses are OK, thats the main thing.

Did the police make any remarks about driving too fast or anything like that?

(I hope that doesn't sound patronising - it isn't supposed to, just wondering how the police reacted)

[Edited by Rikki 95WRX - 1/20/2002 4:13:40 PM]

 

The Polica chap did make a comment about it being a notoriously bad corner and that, in his opinion, I was probably going too fast for the conditions. As I have seen in another post, just because you are under the speed limit is no reason to think that you are safe.

I could have been going slower, I wasn't, I paid the price. I'll certainly be a lot more wary of the conditions in the future. To me, it was just one of those things, but I think it will take me a long time to recover fully.

Another accident happened slightly further up the road between when I crashed and the low loader picked us up. I consider myself very fortunate, as the ambulance and fire service were required at that one

I'm not a perfect driver ,I never will be, I'm just glad we both managed to walk away from it.

 

Dude, I wouldn't judge your driving skills too harshly. Personal experience, one afternoon wet/near freezing near guildford. I have the nasty potenza standard fit deathtrap tyres fitted. Had been cursing them lately for dangerously low levels of grip in the wet, such as turning into a sideroad from a standstill in traffic. Anything more than a hair on the accelerator and the fronts turn into ice skates with the rears driving me towards the kerb![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]. Guess what? coming off the A3 for the A31, I take the tight line for the bend-straight and the back end steps out, as I do in my other cars, I simply let off the power a tad and correct(which has worked perfectly in all of the others). Big mistake, she fishtails and then proceeds to throw me into a 720 spin which goes on down the dual carriageway slip road for a 100 yards or so before depositing me in the brambles. Thank god there were no other cars coming off the sliproad with me and it was dead, as it could have been nasty...
Suffice to say that I swore blind to change those tyres on the spot and was shortly about to do so, but a lovely lady sorted that out for me by driving into my stationary car a few days ago at 50Mph

My theory is that the tyre choice makes the world of difference with these cars. The standard fits are an accident waiting to happen in the wet and cold....
This of course may not be the case with you, but I am trying to make you feel better

Cheers,

Nick

[Edited by Mr Footlong - 1/20/2002 4:20:51 PM]

 

Sorry to hear (read) about your mishap, it is always bad to hear of another scooby owner having this sort of bad luck, but as you say, it could have been so much worse !

Hope you get it all sorted ok.

Kind regards and good luck, Moles Dad.

 

I've also had a crash today on my scooby. I was sitting on the traffic lights, queing behind a few cars waiting for the light to go green when a woman in a Renault Espace people carrier slammed to the back of my WRX. The bumper seemed bent and I fear that if the chassis is twisted it may end up being a write off. If her insurance company replaces my car, will I get another import or am I going to have to make do with a UK spec?

Oh did I mention that I have only been driving this car for a week thanks to the delays in the SVA (DVLA's money making scheme) and registration delays by the DVLA? My luck can't get any worse....

 

Katana, look on the bright side (I know, it's still dim). You were in an accident and (hopefully) are alright. Shame you haven't been able to enjoy the car though

I'm finally coming to terms with it just being a piece of machinery and it can be repaired/replaced. I am thankful neither myself or anyone else was hurt in my incident.

Strange really how people are quite happy to put themselves into a car and drive without a thought of what could happen. But then, I suppose if you did you wouldn't get in the car in the first place.....

I'm over most of the shock, the emotion is out of me now, just got to deal with the impracticalities. Hopefully it can be repaired quickly, doesn't look enough to be a write off but you never know.

Either way, I'll be behind the wheel again soon, albeit a little more respectful of the road and vehicle.

 

Hanslow I got to admit but you are really lucky there and, 4WD are more difficult to control when it does starts spinning. Yes I'm quite thankful that neither me, my wife or baby was hurt in the crash. The thing that gets to me most is that the woman also had two of her child in her car and this is the second time that she had an accident (her husband told me).

Do you think that my car is still okay to drive or has the chassis been damaged due to a 10mph accident. The bumper is okayish, just cracked and bent towards the left. I think I may have a bit of a slight drift to the right (could be my imagination).

 

Must be the weekend for it, i got hit and pushed into a van on friday on the m6.

Bad luck chaps, your not alone though.

 

Sympathies to your good self chap i had a nasty 360 similar sounding moment today as posted on http://www.scoobynet.co.uk/bbs/threa...threadid=66420
I iz lucky & in the full picture i guess you were also but still dont make u feel any better no doubt.
Anyway im off 2 watch rally & here how important tyre choices were?!?!?!?!!?!?!?
Si

 

Steve,

Know how it feels ... If you take it into beechdale then it will make good company for my lonely motor. Otherwise, hope there is not too much damage and you be back to good soon. Glad you are ok, thats the main thing, but it does frighten you.

Mine looked bad enough but the assessor said it was miles off a write off.

Seems to be two or three accident rolling around at the mo

PS you get a choice of where it is repaired do not accept the insurance's choice if you ain't happy with them.

Dave.



[Edited by DemonDave - 1/20/2002 8:40:58 PM]

 

Real bad luck Steve...you have my sympathy
As the good folk on ScoobyNet have pointed out, the important thing is you and Kath are OK. The scooby is just an off the shelf item, unlike the occupants.....it takes years to create someone as 'unique' as you Steve

If you've identified the cause of the crash then this should help you regain your confidence sooner.
Just remember mate, even the professional WRC & F1 drivers get caught out by surface conditions.

 

Hanslow

Sorry to hear about your accident.
I'm sure most of us at some point have lost a car.
I came very very close to death in a VR6. Was trapped in it upside down - with the thing about to go up in flames.
I am still here - YES

We all drive quick cars. I always check the road surface. I think this is key. But we are all human, make mistakes or something unexpected happens.

Most people lose cars when they least expect it and some times cars go so quickly that you're suddenly spinning. Been on lots of courses blah blah - but you are expecting to lose the car under controlled conditions. Big difference.

Having driven RWD for years. I still have to concentrate hard in the scooby. Not lifting off feels so unatural.

So, glad to hear that you are unhurt. Get back in the Scoob when it is fixed. Go for it. Be careful

Best wishes
Steve

 

**** it dude, You only do 6 miles a week in ya scoob anyways

Glad you and kath are ok

Mikey (Supportive as ever )

 

Guys sorry to hear about your bad luck

I know what that feels like, best of luck on getting it sorted!!

Andy W

 

For the gruesome amongst you, I have posted some piccies of the incident here : http://www.scoobynet.co.uk/bbs/threa...ThreadID=66545

 

Spun my van then rolled it on tuesday night, bloody animal darted across a dark country road (just by the exit of a bend) and instinctively i swerved... oooooooooooops walked away from that one thou so pretty lucky meself (van rolled 360 degrees and landed back on its wheels!)

Tony

 

Hanslow after looking at the pics, I feel sorry for you. Do you think its repairable though because if it is, you get to keep your baby and take her for another spin once you fix her up. Mine doesn't look half as bad as that so I'm rather grateful of that.....well wait till I get the engineers report anyway once my insurance company answers my calls.

[Edited by Katana - 1/21/2002 12:41:35 PM]

 

I'm dying to see the insurance bill

Apologies to everyone else for probably boosting your premiums

Don't know what I would do if they write it off though. I was looking at changing a while back for something a little more sedate Ironic isn't it, I was worried about high speed incidents, and have a low speed one

Like everyone has said though, we are OK and that's what counts. I'm irreplacable as is the missus.

My other concern is that they repair it properly. I've let the insurance company deal with it as TSL were booked up and then I couldn't be arsed with the hassle of transporting it somewhere and then quotes being given to insurance, them not happy, etc., etc.

As long as it is back to how it was before the incident, then I will be happy and the slowest driving scooby owner in the country

 

No change there then mate

I can't believe it happened to you and Kath dude!! Possibly the nicest couple in England.

Haven't looked at the pictures, make me gutted they will

Speak to you soon dude

Mikey

 

Sorry to hear that dude.

which part of the ringroad were you on...its very very greasy at the moment round derby. There are quite a few manhole covers that need to be replaced too.

I was driving round pentagon island the other day and had a bit of a slippy moment (within the speed limit)... our roads are just too greasy

hope you get it sorted out soon m8

regards

Ian.

 

Thanks for the kind words Mike

Ian, we were just starting to go round Darwin Place, we'd come from the train station as my mate lives right near it.

There are two nicely placed manhole covers in the lane I was in and Kath thinks that it started to slide whilst we were over one

Both the policeman and the recovery bloke said it was a bad spot. So why the hell are there no slippery road signs OK it was raining so it was probably worse. If I get me motor back and you see a silver scoob doing 5 mph round Derby ring road...wave, it's me

 

Well the car has been picked up and is heading off to the assessors. Quite sad it was really, but I'm a bloke and I can't cry in public

Good turn around from the insurance company. May well be writing letters of thanks to all concerned (Police, Subaru Assist, Insurance) if it all gets resolved to my satisfaction. So far so good.....

Will keep you all updated and let you know when I'm mobile again so you know when it isn't safe to go out for a drive

 

Hanslow,

Completely gutted for you mate!! Hope it all goes well.

Cheers Phill C

 

I saw your car & police volvo on Sunday - must have been 10 mins or so after the incident.

Good to see you're OK - lucky there wasn't much traffic about when it happened.

- it's quite a tight bend there, & gets tighter as you go round into it. Having experienced a major lift-off oversteer moment (off backwards at 80mph) at Cadwell last year, I wondered if that was the cause?

Ed

 

Ed, I didn't lift off at all, particularly when the back end went. Well I say I didn't lift off, once I caught the initial slide, I tried to ease back off the throttle slowly to slow down. Having had a lift off experience before, I knew not to do it this time.

At the point where the back end snapped back, with the new tyres on and the pendulum effect on the water, all I could do was hold the skid the other way after it had already gone.

Like Trouser said to me, it was like driving on ball bearings

It's all ifs and buts with me at the moment on how I could have avoided it. Nothing I can do about it though. I want to find me a good wet airfield and try it in safety to see what I should have done.

Quite a few folks actually stopped and asked if we were OK which was very nice of them

 

Hanslow,

Sorry to hear about your little incident. But it is only a car and your both OK. Been there, done that, felt stupid, attended a driving course, felt better....

As for how much, it will be inexcess of £4k. My mate has just had a quote for his which is not as bad as your's and it is £3800. £2600 is for parts. At least its not an EVO as it would be closer to £10k just for parts !!

DaveW