30/08/2012
Hair-raising highway ordeal
Driving can sometimes be a frightening business, but one woman driver in the United States recently had a particularly terrifying behind-the-wheel experience.
While driving along the highway, her car suddenly accelerated and could not be slowed down.
Over the course of 58 miles, she consistently reached speeds of 120 mph.
Initially police thought that they had a speeding car in their hand and tried to get the driver to pull over – and although they were right about the speeding, they were wrong about having a criminal driver on their hands.
Understandably alarmed that she could not get her KIA 4WD to stop or slow down, the woman called her husband and the emergency services in the hope they would be able to help.
First she was told that she should put her car into neutral, but that didn’t help, so police then cleared the highway while clearly preparing for the worst.
Finally, she was told to lift her stuck accelerator pedal while simultaneously braking. Relief all around: it worked.
What an astonishing and hair-raising ordeal! Certainly a far cry from the more humdrum motoring dilemma of looking for the cheapest car insurance quote!
Photo © The Tire Zoo via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
While driving along the highway, her car suddenly accelerated and could not be slowed down.
Over the course of 58 miles, she consistently reached speeds of 120 mph.
Initially police thought that they had a speeding car in their hand and tried to get the driver to pull over – and although they were right about the speeding, they were wrong about having a criminal driver on their hands.
Understandably alarmed that she could not get her KIA 4WD to stop or slow down, the woman called her husband and the emergency services in the hope they would be able to help.
First she was told that she should put her car into neutral, but that didn’t help, so police then cleared the highway while clearly preparing for the worst.
Finally, she was told to lift her stuck accelerator pedal while simultaneously braking. Relief all around: it worked.
What an astonishing and hair-raising ordeal! Certainly a far cry from the more humdrum motoring dilemma of looking for the cheapest car insurance quote!
Photo © The Tire Zoo via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: accelerated, braking, car, cheapest car insurance, driver, driving, highway, motoring, pedal, police, quote, speed, wheel
20/08/2012
Ignoring sun-soaked pedestrians
In the summer it’s only to be expected that people will stop wearing their scarfs, trousers and long-sleeved tops, and start enjoying the sunshine.
However, for some drivers this is causing a bit of a problem, because they get distracted by pedestrians when they should be paying attention to the road ahead.
Apparently, according to some research undertaken by a provider of car insurance, 60% of men and 12% of women have been distracted while behind the wheel due to an attractive pedestrian.
Furthermore, an astonishing 21% are even distracted by billboards which have good-looking models on them.
Distracted driving can lead to traffic accidents, so it’s important that drivers avoid staring at pedestrians and re-direct their attentions to the highway.
One moment of inattention could result in a motorist running a red light, colliding with a vehicle, or even clipping a cyclist.
So – everyone just take a cold shower and remain focused on driving safely!
However, for some drivers this is causing a bit of a problem, because they get distracted by pedestrians when they should be paying attention to the road ahead.
Apparently, according to some research undertaken by a provider of car insurance, 60% of men and 12% of women have been distracted while behind the wheel due to an attractive pedestrian.
Furthermore, an astonishing 21% are even distracted by billboards which have good-looking models on them.
Distracted driving can lead to traffic accidents, so it’s important that drivers avoid staring at pedestrians and re-direct their attentions to the highway.
One moment of inattention could result in a motorist running a red light, colliding with a vehicle, or even clipping a cyclist.
So – everyone just take a cold shower and remain focused on driving safely!
Photo © GrrLash via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: billboards, car insurance, colliding, distracted, driver, highway, pedestrians, red light, road, safety, summer, traffic accident, wheel
16/03/2012
Camouflage doesn’t always work
Imagine this – you are a very wealthy Italian playboy and your family is well-known and followed about by paparazzi.
You’re driving down the motorway in your garish camouflage-pattered Ferrari 458, looking at everyone else’s mediocre vehicles with a pitying look as you fly past, when suddenly you roll to a standstill because your car has run out of fuel.
Embarrassing? Wait – it doesn’t end there!
Due to your notoriety as one of Italy’s richest men and your family connections to car manufacturer Fiat, people driving past recognise you and start taking photos on their phones and tweeting about your misfortune.
Furthermore, you and your fancy vehicle have to be saved from the roadside by a pick-up truck.
This all recently happened to Lapo Elkann, grandson of the founder of Fiat, despite there apparently being a petrol station around every 20 miles down that particular stretch of highway.
I bet he’ll pay more attention to his fuel gauge from now on!
You’re driving down the motorway in your garish camouflage-pattered Ferrari 458, looking at everyone else’s mediocre vehicles with a pitying look as you fly past, when suddenly you roll to a standstill because your car has run out of fuel. Embarrassing? Wait – it doesn’t end there!
Due to your notoriety as one of Italy’s richest men and your family connections to car manufacturer Fiat, people driving past recognise you and start taking photos on their phones and tweeting about your misfortune.
Furthermore, you and your fancy vehicle have to be saved from the roadside by a pick-up truck.
This all recently happened to Lapo Elkann, grandson of the founder of Fiat, despite there apparently being a petrol station around every 20 miles down that particular stretch of highway.
I bet he’ll pay more attention to his fuel gauge from now on!
Photo © fry_theonly via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: camouflage, car, Ferrari 458, Fiat, fuel, fuel gauge, highway, Italian, Lapo Elkann, misfortune, motorway, paparazzi, pick-up truck, roadside, vehicle
09/08/2011
Hitchhickerssssss
Here’s a scenario Indiana Jones wouldn’t have enjoyed one bit!
While travelling along an American highway at 65mph, a family from Memphis, Tennessee, were shocked to see a snake emerge from the windscreen wiper vents on the bonnet of their car before looping itself round one of the wing-mirrors and dropping itself onto the road.
The family were stunned – so naturally they videoed the whole event and uploaded it on YouTube. As you do.
It’s had more than 120,000 views since the family put it on the site last week.
Would you like to add to that number? Well, we’ve embedded the video for your entertainment.
Mostly you can just hear the mother screaming and saying “Oh, my God, Oh, my God”, the young son singing “Snaky, snaky, snaky”, and the dad having a good laugh.
The family think that their reptilian hitchhiker must have been enjoying the heat under their car bonnet, and was disturbed by the vehicle’s movement.
We just hope that the snake made it across the tarmac to safety – because despite how scary they can appear and the father’s short chant of “kill it” at the end of the footage, snakes are largely misunderstood animals who’d rather be left alone than go around biting people.
While travelling along an American highway at 65mph, a family from Memphis, Tennessee, were shocked to see a snake emerge from the windscreen wiper vents on the bonnet of their car before looping itself round one of the wing-mirrors and dropping itself onto the road.
The family were stunned – so naturally they videoed the whole event and uploaded it on YouTube. As you do.
It’s had more than 120,000 views since the family put it on the site last week.
Would you like to add to that number? Well, we’ve embedded the video for your entertainment.
Mostly you can just hear the mother screaming and saying “Oh, my God, Oh, my God”, the young son singing “Snaky, snaky, snaky”, and the dad having a good laugh.
The family think that their reptilian hitchhiker must have been enjoying the heat under their car bonnet, and was disturbed by the vehicle’s movement.
We just hope that the snake made it across the tarmac to safety – because despite how scary they can appear and the father’s short chant of “kill it” at the end of the footage, snakes are largely misunderstood animals who’d rather be left alone than go around biting people.
Labels: bonnet, car, highway, road, windscreen wiper vent, wing-mirror
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