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Car Forum / Australian Car Forums / General Car Topics (Australian group) / May 2006Rollin Rollin Rollin
I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. She decided to take our relationship to the next stage by rolling and writing off my car on the first day of the trip. Fortunately we were both quite unscathed for a ~90km/h crash, with only a few bruises and bumps. We managed to avoid any hard objects, missing a tree by about a foot. This occurred on route B57 in SA, about 20km or so north of Bordertown. It had been raining a fair bit, but was clearing up, the road was still quite wet when a wombat meandered out in front of us. This was the first time my girlfriend had ever had to avoid an animal, and unfortunately it happened while she was driving an unfamiliar car, on a wet road. Unfortunately her gut reaction was to swerve, at which point she lost control of the car, ended up going sideways and into sand on the side of the road. The car had *almost* stopped when it hit a largish bush and rolled. If it hadn't been raining, I reckon we would've been fine. We got out fairly quickly by reclining the front passenger seat all the way back and winding down the back window. We were waiting on the side of this fairly desolate road for all of 2 minutes before another car arrived and stopped to help us. They took us to Bordertown hospital where we were kept overnight for observation but released the next day. http://i4.tinypic.com/112536q.jpg The car did fairly well. That picture shows pretty much all the damage, except for a dent in the roof on the passenger side where the car landed. No glass was broken, and the motor was still running when we had stopped. The car was towed to Keith, about half an hour from Bordertown. The people who picked us up drove us to Keith so we could get our stuff out of the car, which was really good of them. The car was then towed to Naracoote, where it was inspected and written off. We hired a car and drove home. So it wasn't really the best holiday, but on the bright side, if that's the worst car accident the missus or I ever get ourselves into, I'll consider us quite lucky. Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. SL. >I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to >see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. >It had been raining a fair bit, but was clearing up, the road was still >quite wet when a wombat meandered out in front of us. This was the >first time my girlfriend..... Make up your mind - was it your missus or your girlfriend ? >>I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to >>see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Make up your mind - was it your missus or your girlfriend ? Lol. She's a long term girlfriend, effectively making her a missus :-) > Unfortunately her gut reaction was to swerve :-( My missus hit a wombat on Sunday night, but thankfully I've been able to convince her not to swerve, or at the very least, make sure you have no lateral Gs at the point of impact. > at which point she lost control of the car, ended up going > sideways and into sand on the side of the road. The car had > *almost* stopped when it hit a largish bush and rolled. Glad to hear the roll came at slower speed than 90, and that you're all okay. > If it hadn't been raining, I reckon we would've been fine. Likely. > We got out fairly quickly by reclining the front passenger seat > all the way back and winding down the back window. Just curious, was it power windows? > We were waiting on the side of this fairly desolate road for all of > 2 minutes before another car arrived and stopped to help us. Excellent. So your missus didn't go into any kind of shock then? > http://i4.tinypic.com/112536q.jpg > > The car did fairly well. I thought so too. > The car was then towed to Naracoote, where it was inspected > and written off. Does that work out better for you or would you have preferred to have it repaired? >>Unfortunately her gut reaction was to swerve > > :-( > My missus hit a wombat on Sunday night, but thankfully I've been able > to convince her not to swerve, or at the very least, make sure you have > no lateral Gs at the point of impact. I had told her about not swerving for animals many times, but unfortunately this was the first chance she had to put these lessons into practice, she failed miserably. >>at which point she lost control of the car, ended up going >>sideways and into sand on the side of the road. The car had >>*almost* stopped when it hit a largish bush and rolled. > > Glad to hear the roll came at slower speed than 90, and that you're all > okay. Cheers :-) >>If it hadn't been raining, I reckon we would've been fine. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Just curious, was it power windows? Yep front power windows. There was a strong smell of petrol pretty much straight away, so I didn't want to operate any electrics just in case it ignited something. >>We were waiting on the side of this fairly desolate road for all of >>2 minutes before another car arrived and stopped to help us. > > Excellent. So your missus didn't go into any kind of shock then? Don't think so. She was naturally upset that she'd wrecked my car, but other than that she seemed quite alright. >>http://i4.tinypic.com/112536q.jpg >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Does that work out better for you or would you have preferred to have > it repaired? All up having it written off worked out better. Given that it landed on it's roof I don't think the car would've ever been the same again. I got nearly 8 grand from the insurance, which is a fair bit for an EF. I must say that I was dreading claiming from NRMA after hearing many horror storys, but I had the money within 4 weeks. With that money I'll be able to replace the car with an EF/EL of similar spec, convert that to gas and still have a bit of change left over to send someone on a defensive driving course :-) >>> Unfortunately her gut reaction was to swerve Sad that she killed you car , but your ok and still about to inflict a suitable punishment , now remember spank her until she squeals :) Whats the replacement going to be ? On Tue, 30 May 2006 16:38:55 +1000, atec77 <atec77##@hotmail.com> > Sad that she killed you car , but your ok and still about to inflict a >suitable punishment , now remember spank her until she squeals :) > Whats the replacement going to be ? A newer model missus/girlfriend ? > All up having it written off worked out better. Given that it landed on > it's roof I don't think the car would've ever been the same again. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to gas and still have a bit of change left over to send someone on a > defensive driving course :-) I saw a 96 EF Olimpic Classic in Redcliffe(QLD) Monday night for sale $2450 was the beige metalic colour so I'd say they $8000 was a great outcome Just unfortunate that it was you and your partner in it at the time no money makes up for that glad your ok Kev >> All up having it written off worked out better. Given that it landed >> on it's roof I don't think the car would've ever been the same again. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Kev One of my bosses mates bought an EF or EL wagon, apparently in very good nick, plenty of rego and a second set of mags for 2k a few months ago. I was also surprised the other day when I saw an AU Ghia V8 for just under $8k. So I'd be pretty happy about getting $8k back too. Adam > I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to > see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > SL. I know the place well. Born in Bordertown and lived 21 mile out from Keith on the Naracoorte. Small world, glad you were both okay. Ron >It had been raining a fair bit, but was clearing up, the road was still >quite wet when a wombat meandered out in front of us. I was coming home from a bushwalk back of Oberon several years ago in a group when the leading car (an old Subaru) collected a wandering wombat and killed it. Examination showed it was a female with a still-live joey (?) in the pouch, so we loaded the whole lot in the back of someone's car and took it to a vet in Oberon who extracted the youngun' and arranged for those people who look after orphaned native animals to look after it. A collection was taken up and forwarded to them to help it along. The mum was ceremoniously dumped over an embankment on the road back to the Jenolan road. > So it wasn't really the best holiday, but on the bright side, if that's > the worst car accident the missus or I ever get ourselves into, I'll > consider us quite lucky. hmmm, appears to have lost front tire pressure at some point. I'm really not into tubeless, run tubes, however have a phobia about losing a front tube. Can't really win on that.  Signature-------------------------------------------- 4x4 Hilux Auto Service Centre, BP 106 Timbuktu, Mali (West Africa) Tel: 292 91 52 Specialising in turbo diesel and R290 aircon -------------------------------------------- > I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was > to see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make > it. Judging by that photo, I reckon you should have just got it pushed back onto the wheels change the flat, and take your trip on the great ocean road ;-) You did remarkably well to come out of that with only that much damage (to both car and yourselves). Lucky! SignatureTonymy01 -- http://tonyspage.abock.de for Topfield info > I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to > see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. Bugger, glad both of you are ok. I hope she has learnt that swerving hard to avoid something at that speed is a very bad idea. Daryl >> I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan >> was to see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I hope she has learnt that swerving hard to avoid something at that > speed is a very bad idea. I usually avoid animals, but whack on the brake hard before trying to go round them. So far so good except for that stupid roo.... it was converging with me, I was desperately on the brakes, on the gears, trying to point out of the way.... by the time I hit him I was doing walking pace just about. He disappeared under the front, I had the horrors, then he thrashed and heaved his way back out again, glared at me, and flogged off. Bull bar wasn't even scratched. Signatureant > I> > http://i4.tinypic.com/112536q.jpg > > Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. > > SL. How much do you want for the car?? >>I> >>http://i4.tinypic.com/112536q.jpg [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > How much do you want for the car?? The letter I got from the insurance company was along the lines of "The car is now the property of NRMA insurance". You'll have to speak to them :-) > I went on a road trip with the missus a few weeks back. The plan was to > see great ocean road over a few days... but we didn't quite make it. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > unfortunately it happened while she was driving an unfamiliar car, on a > wet road. Unfortunately her gut reaction was to swerve, Pretty normal gut reaction. When i was training to be a coach driver years ago we were taught if any type of animal gets in front of you, hit it. The minute you swerve you are out of control, the passengers may not like it but at the end of the day 1 dead animal is better then 53 tourists. Only animal I ever hit was a 6ft roo on a dirt track at dusk, I have just told the international tourist to look out for roo as they come out at that time of night. I hit it in the middle of the drivers windscreen while in full hop. Did did about 4 spins into the bush. I didn't get spoken to for 2 days. One very dark night in the wee small hours of the morning a few years back, I was travelling well ver the speed limit on a deserted stretch of the Ouyen Hwy when I came across a truck wheel slap bang in the middle of the road. Fortunately I was NOT driving a Falcodore but a very well set up nimble Itallian sports sedan. I was easily able to swerve around the wheel. stop, reverse up and remove it from the roadway. Hitting the wheel was not an option as the resulting accident would have been horrendous. I learned a lesson that day and have adopted a strategy of making sure the suspension on cars is capable of such direction changes without loss of control. Oz1...of the 3 twins. I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you. "I learned a lesson that day and have adopted a strategy of making sure the suspension on cars is capable of such direction changes without loss of control." And yet, people continue to buy mediocre-handling cars and fit them with the cheapest tyres they can buy...I really don't understand people who cut corners with their own safety. > "I learned a lesson that day and have adopted a strategy of making sure > the suspension on cars is capable of such direction changes without [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > with the cheapest tyres they can buy...I really don't understand people > who cut corners with their own safety. One of the biggest crimes is the "family" car getting cheap tyres.. mine has good ones as we carry grand kids now and then .. no kids no future >> "I learned a lesson that day and have adopted a strategy of making sure >> the suspension on cars is capable of such direction changes without [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > One of the biggest crimes is the "family" car getting cheap tyres.. mine > has good ones as we carry grand kids now and then .. no kids no future Agreed, fitting good tyres to the EF we had transformed the car, the OE Dunlop Monzas were bloody aweful. Daryl >>> "I learned a lesson that day and have adopted a strategy of making sure >>> the suspension on cars is capable of such direction changes without [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Daryl Whats even more amazing is the idiots that go out and put great rubber on a car but don't replace the shocks which have done 100000km plus and wonder why the handling is still lousy, then blame the tyres. The sprint is on it's fourth set of shockies in 240000km with a new set of Kyb's replacing the lousy monroes which had only done about 25000k's before being stuffed. Had some Tokicos on it at one stage, but they were a bit harsh for round town. The Kyb's seem like they are a nice balance between performance and a reasonable ride. (only done a couple of hundred k's on them so far.) Xr8_Sprint >And yet, people continue to buy mediocre-handling cars and fit them >with the cheapest tyres they can buy...I really don't understand people >who cut corners with their own safety. > > Like the people who buy small cars knowing the road is full of trucks and much bigger cars that could wipe them out if t-boned - something that does happen. Or the people who ride motorcycles, or even regular cyclists. People are wierd. Poor driver education is to blame. And so is our societies every increasing greed. SignatureBen Thomas, Melbourne, Australia "Red Bull tastes like canned carbonated concentrated evil." > Fortunately we were both quite unscathed for a ~90km/h crash, with only > a few bruises and bumps. We managed to avoid any hard objects, missing > a tree by about a foot. This occurred on route B57 in SA, about 20km or > so north of Bordertown. Aggghhh!!! You've just (I hope) unwittingly aided and abetted the AR's determined to get a 90Km/Hr DEFAULT open road stupid arbitrary limit. But thanks for the piece anyway, and I'm very glad you avoided the injuries that while serious and usually f.ck you over for life, don't make the headlines. SignatureToby. quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur >>Fortunately we were both quite unscathed for a ~90km/h crash, with only >>a few bruises and bumps. We managed to avoid any hard objects, missing [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > You've just (I hope) unwittingly aided and abetted the AR's determined > to get a 90Km/Hr DEFAULT open road stupid arbitrary limit. Did I say 90? I meant 190... :-) > But thanks for the piece anyway, and I'm very glad you avoided the > injuries that while serious and usually f.ck you over for life, don't > make the headlines. Cheers :-) I'm just glad I the accident didn't happen in my old TP magna. We mightn't have been so lucky in that. > Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. You should have pursued it and beaten it to death with a wheel brace! Wombats are crap. Most bush junk, if you blast it with the horn, gets off the road. Not wombats, no, they stand up and put their fists up. Actually, many Canberra drivers might be related to wombats. Signatureant >> Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. > > You should have pursued it and beaten it to death with a wheel brace! > Wombats are crap. Most bush junk, if you blast it with the horn, gets off > the road. Not wombats, no, they stand up and put their fists up. Problem is althought they might come off second best you are pretty lucky if your average sedan is still mobile after hitting one square on, worse than roo's IMO. Muscle mass density on them watermelon sized critters is like hitting a cannonball. >>> Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > on, worse than roo's IMO. Muscle mass density on them watermelon > sized critters is like hitting a cannonball. I got one in the Charade outside Tamworth many years ago. Just saw the shape briefly in the glare of all the other traffic. Charade got it at about 100 or so, on the car's corner, and it was fine. The car, not the wombat. The wombat was completely buggered. They are pretty solid though, and they won't get off the damn road! Signatureant >They are pretty solid though, and they won't get off the damn road! And if they're not got the mange and are blind, they've all got sh.t for brains..... > Problem is althought they might come off second best you are pretty lucky > if your average sedan is still mobile after hitting one square on, worse > than roo's IMO. Muscle mass density on them watermelon sized critters is > like hitting a cannonball. They don't call them bleeding rocks for nothing. >>> Before anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the wombat was Ok. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > than roo's IMO. Muscle mass density on them watermelon sized critters is > like hitting a cannonball. In country Victoria we used to call them bleeding rocks. Because it was like hitting a rock in your car that would bleed a little bit and waddle off while you waited for a tow truck. Fraser Do wombats turn to water when they drive in Sydney too? >Do wombats turn to water when they drive in Sydney too? Dunno about that, but they root shoot and leave..... > Dunno about that, but they root shoot and leave..... Do you mean "eats roots and leaves"? >> Dunno about that, but they root shoot and leave..... > >Do you mean "eats roots and leaves"? Even more correctly : "eats, roots, shoots and leaves....." > Even more correctly : "eats, roots, shoots and leaves....." Reminds me of the "Nut screws washer and bolts" cartoon I once saw drawn in a bushwalking hut log book. John |
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