Wacked by a W202 on the M40 / M25 Junction yesterday

[Ian Donkin]

Minding my own business yesterday afternoon travelling at about 70mph on the nearside lane where the M40 / M25 exit splits clockwise / anticlockwise when some eejit in the outside lane at the side of me suddenly veers left and hits the rear offside wheel / bumper area of my car sending me skidding down the carriageway.

Look in my rear view mirror I watched them continue onto the clockwise section of the M25 seemingly oblivious to what has just happened. Luckily it appears to be only paint damage to the bumper & wheel although I'm going to get it properly checked out for suspension damage. Needless to say I have reported it to the police and hopefully the cameras will have picked the whole thing up.

The scariest part is that I was in my smart ForTwo, not the E-class; Mercedes clearly have a very good ESP system as without it I'd not have been able to control events (regardless of how capable I might believe my driving capabilities are).

So to the owner of a dark blue V-reg C200 saloon, may the police come knocking at your door very soon...

 

[trapperjohn]

Live long and prosper.

And in this case thank God or motorway cameras.

 

[developer]

I hope they get him.

 

[Sp!ke]

You span a smart at 70mph on the Motorway?

My god that must have been frightening.

 

[A210AMG]

70mph on a motorway in a smart must be scarry.


Wifes parents have a Brabus smarty and its tiny, even doing 30 feels like your zooming.


Glad your ok thats all that matters

 

[mika]

Glad you are ok
the Cars must come second , although i would be very angry too
some poor quality people about
but hey ho hopefully you are still in good condition

 

[c63chris]

Scary Glad you're ok which is the main thing. Really winds me up that people will not even stop if they think they can get away with it. Whatever happened to responsibility

 

[Ian Donkin]

You span a smart at 70mph on the Motorway?

My god that must have been frightening.

Thankfully more sideways sliding than a spin - that would have been really scary!

 

[Ian Donkin]

70mph on a motorway in a smart must be scarry.


Wifes parents have a Brabus smarty and its tiny, even doing 30 feels like your zooming.


Glad your ok thats all that matters

The previous 450 models were a not the best form of motorway transport, but the 451 is much more grown up (and in Pulse trim, very stable due to much fatter tyres).

They are a hoot to drive, but not when this happens!

 

[Ian Donkin]

Live long and prosper.

And in this case thank God or motorway cameras.

Amen to that. I had seen them perform the same last minute lane change exiting the M40 onto the first part of the slip road (it is a long junction) and hence why I knew the exact model (and most of the registration).

I can only assume they were distracted (phone etc) or didn't know where they were going and never saw me. Pity I never saw the driver...

 

[dulayj]

glad to know you are physically unhurt-scum like this get away with it all the time-hope the miscreant get caught

 

[davethemus]

Glad you weren't injured.

Let us know if they catch the guy.

 

[Sp!ke]

The previous 450 models were a not the best form of motorway transport, but the 451 is much more grown up (and in Pulse trim, very stable due to much fatter tyres).

They are a hoot to drive, but not when this happens!

I have a 451 CDI and it'll happily cruise at 90 on the Autobarn. The twisties get interesting if you are pushing on a bit, the steering really tightens up when you are entering a corner a bit too hot and if you've left it in auto, it has a habit of shifting when you least expect it which has the same result of lifting off on the apex resulting in comical oversteer.

Quite civilised on motorways at speed though but the thought of sliding one sideways at 70 would worry me for fear of it toppling over.

 

[John]

Autobarn

Where the cows live with electronic doors?

 

[Ian Donkin]

I have a 451 CDI.

Quite civilised on motorways at speed though but the thought of sliding one sideways at 70 would worry me for fear of it toppling over.

We have the same variant, but being a Pulse means I don't have the automatic changes unless it's revving out or going too slow for the gear it's in... I prefer it this way as I have more control; I'm also pretty sure toppling it over would be quite a feat unless you hit a curb or similar - they have a very low centre of gravity.

I'm even quite tempted to take it on a track day (I've done lots in various 911's) to be able to push it in a safe environment...

 

[Charles Morgan]

Hate that junction, paradoxically I think the longer people have to split into the two sections the more they forget to do it til the last second, or think they have much more time to do so.

Glad to hear you are ok!

 

[Stratman]

I know that junction well. There seems to be a lot of the 'pass one more car before leaving' syndrome there.

 

[Dieselman]

It was probably a W202 driver showing what he thought of "diluting the brand"...

 

[Ian Donkin]

It was probably a W202 driver showing what he thought of "diluting the brand"...

Probably jealous of the fact his will rust (I had a '99 W202 myself for several years) whilst mine won't!

 

[bedwards1966]

It was probably a W202 driver showing what he thought of "diluting the brand"...

Is now the correct time for me to own up then?

Probably jealous of the fact his will rust (I had a '99 W202 myself for several years) whilst mine won't!

Hmm, a bit of filler and paint every now and then, couple of hundred quid every year or two - or a Smart car?
Hmm, tough choice...