How do people wipe out on dry roads?

[jasonaries]

Here in Rochester, NY, we've had a rash of accidents lately. The news blurbs indicated that the drivers lost control of their vehicles due to excessive speed and crashed, in all cases killing the driver.

I was astute in noticing that the weather has been dry and clear, up until just yesterday, and realized that these accidents happened on dry roads. I have to ask myself: How does that happen? No blowouts. No deer. No drunk drivers. Just 3 people who didn't know how to drive.

I guess this is just a rhetorical thread. While I'm a newbie to racing, I've taken great pride and care in learning the limits of my cars. Even before beginning real training, I always knew that I could make a 90 degree turn at 35 mph and not sweat it for a second. I just paid attention to my car.

I can't imagine how people can blow it in a corner in everyday driving, considering the huge margin for safety that is commonly maintained. Duh, I know they obviously did not maintain that, but can't fathom what went through their minds:

"Oh, I'll just floor it."

"hmmmm, wonder how this baby corners at 95?"

"gee, that girl's bedroom window was open and the shade was up...."

"I'm in-VEEEEN-see-bell!"

???????

[f8ldzz]

"driving beyond limits of the driver"

[SilverGhost]

you pretty much covered it bro...they didnt know how to drive. in my opinion, there are people that can operate a car, and there are people that can drive. the difference means avoiding an accident, rahter than being killed or injured in a wreck.

[AusStreetRacer]

I think it often has things to do with in-experience.

I honestly can't understand how people get killed in road accidents as they do. For example - a car down in Sydney was recently involved in a road accident when two mates were racing. A Skyline R32 and a Honda Prelude. The Skyline somehow went out of control and wrapped itself around the pole, killing the two backseat passengers, and severely wounding the driver and front left passenger.

It was on a long, slightly curved stretch of road. The driver was young, about 18. Daddy probably bought him the Skyline. How does he put it into a pole sideways on a straight stretch of road? Go figure. The police were trying to ascertain if they were drag racing. But even under hard acceleration, a car (especially with 4 people in it to hold it back) shouldn't just 'lose control' like that.

It pisses me off, because then they try to bring in curfew for Provisional Licence holders. A few kids write themselves off, so they want to ban all kids from driving between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am. They also wanted to limit the number of peer passenger to 1, so you weren't allowed to carry your mates around.

The annoying thing is that it's usually the rich kids that write themselves off - cause daddy bought them their car.

I think half the problem is that daddy buys them their FR car, plus the new exhaust, air filter, high-flowed turbo, and has it nicely tuned, so they hop straight into a hotted up car after learning to drive in a stock 1.6 L FF hatch.

They can't handle the power - so they write their car, their mates, and/or themselves off.

So then someone like myself, who's been learning to drive for a long time, gradually improving my skills and am planning to slowly upgrade my car bit-by-bit so I don't have any major jumps in power, has to be restricted because of some dickhead kid.

So much for *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*in' civil liberaties.

[WeirdOddity]

Something like this happened when I was walking home from school. Some *Censored**Censored**Censored*got with his music blaring full blast (aftermarket subwoofer...shaking everything) was going down a residential road at about 80-90kph. The car was a pre-2003 model Neon. The guy turns a boot-leg, (for no reason) and goes up the curb and about 10 meters into some guy's lawn, barely missing a tree.

That's one lesson that guy learned, and the one guy who got his liscence plate copied and probably reported by a bunch of soccer moms.

On a different topic, I guess the rich kids and their powerful cars are most likely to crash because they're not used to the FR drivetrain and the power-over sliding that can happen.

[Tercel_Drifter]

Some people think just they're car has alot of power they suddenly become the greatest driver on earth. These kids get throttle happy and loose it.

[GRiDRaceTech]

Don't forget variables such as falling asleep while driving.

Simple inexperience is responsible for 80% of single car accidents, with the other 20% being inattention. (Those are my numbers... no one knows the true numbers)

[SilverGhost]

Originally posted by AusStreetRacer
I think it often has things to do with in-experience.

I honestly can't understand how people get killed in road accidents as they do. For example - a car down in Sydney was recently involved in a road accident when two mates were racing. A Skyline R32 and a Honda Prelude. The Skyline somehow went out of control and wrapped itself around the pole, killing the two backseat passengers, and severely wounding the driver and front left passenger.

It was on a long, slightly curved stretch of road. The driver was young, about 18. Daddy probably bought him the Skyline. How does he put it into a pole sideways on a straight stretch of road? Go figure. The police were trying to ascertain if they were drag racing. But even under hard acceleration, a car (especially with 4 people in it to hold it back) shouldn't just 'lose control' like that.

the same sort of thing happened here. my friend was on the hwy and saw a guy cooking pretty good in an Impreza STI and then, when there werent any cars in front of him or anything like that, just took a very sharp turn into the car he was passing then back across the lane into the median and rolled like 4 times.... all on a stright stretch of hwy....its just sad really that such nice cars have to get *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*ed up by rich asshats that dont know how to drive.

[jasonaries]

*nods in agreement to all*

[Raziel]

Cold tires?

[Sideways Spanky]

My uncle's next-door neighbor's house got trashed with over $200,000 in damage. Two teenagers, one in a 4 day-old supercharged Camaro, the other in a Ford Lightning went racing through a neighborhood at 120 mph at around 10:00pm. The Camaro took out two trees, a septic tank, two fences, half a house and the house's foundation. The Lightning didn't hit anything and got away unscathed. On account of it being a "competition", insurance won't cover any of the damage. All funds will come from The Bank of Mom and Pop, just like the money for the Camaro SS and the aftermarket supercharger. It's bad descisions like these that cause so many accidents, not to mention all the businesspeople who feel the need to drive around with lead feet and cell phones glued to their ear in big, heavy sedans and carbon-fiber sports cars. So they can get there a minute faster. Add on drunk drivers, and it's dangerous just to go out on the road anymore. And still the cops want to go after the early-morning parking lot drifters, like many of us here.

[GRiDRaceTech]

SS, amen.

That's my gripe, too. With all these other offenders actually among the driving populace, why ticket some kid for sliding around in an empty parking lot?

[-=Zero Drift=-]

Originally posted by SilverGhost
you pretty much covered it bro...they didnt know how to drive. in my opinion, there are people that can operate a car, and there are people that can drive. the difference means avoiding an accident, rahter than being killed or injured in a wreck.

What he sead. On the side of town I live in is the rich part of town but my family is well off but not like other people here making more money than i will ever see in my life. Well one of my friends is a rich mofo who parents got him a supra and he got on this huge power trip taking on everyone who wanted to race. Well one day he took a coner way to fast and ran into a pole he was ok but the car was gone and here is the kicker his parents got him another one. He hasent crashed it yet but i wouldent hold my breath.


P.S.
Is it just me or have you noticed that the good cars go people who should not get them?

[SaintDrift]

Does wet pavement somehow make it understandable? Crashes happen because they exceed the limits of their tires. Does having lower grip somehow make it more acceptable to crash? Have you guys never been in an accident? If you say yes, I say your not driving your car hard enough. Even the best crash.

[djwhiplash2001]

I've not yet crashed, but I blame that mostly on luck as opposed to skill.

People like me wreck on dry roads simply beceause I am a jackass. I do 100+ in a 35 mph zone. My van shakes violently and it wouldnt surprise me if if just fell apart sometime :-P. I also do it with one hand, recording my spedometer/tach with the other. 2-lane road, swerving around cars. I live for this stuff .

But eh, faulty equipment could be the case. My sister managed to get her rotor inside her tire. How? I'm not sure. But wow was that funny :-P.