Car slid down a hill and....

[callahan]

I got back from visiting my family in Northumberland last night to find my work hack (Fiesta Sportvan) had slid down the pavement and was blocking next door's drive....

I moved it straight away and went to see the lady next door to apologise and find out what happened. She told me that not only had my van slid down the hill, but it had come to rest on the bumper of an abandoned Mini and had been there since last wednesday thereby blocking her car in the drive

However, there are a couple of things that confuse me:

1. I am certain that I left my van parked on un-iced road, as the car had been there when it had been snowing - so how / why did it slip?
2. There is not a mark to the back of my van at all and the Mini has been moved

So, either: it did somehow slip on the ice (that it wasn't parked on...), the handbrake failed, or what? I'm confused.

Just to add to the fun, my sister drove into my C36 over Christmas, no serious damage, but a bumper hanger is broken and there's a few scratches to the paintwork

Apart from that, Christmas was good.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Maybe someone nudged it with their car or passing thug(s) pushed it by hand?

I once parked Mrs Ds Omega on an icey car park. I parked on the flatest area possible and when we left it all was well, and a few feet away from some bollards that protected pedestrians in the bus stop from cars on the car park.

When we came back to the car it was touching the bollards!! No damage done. Whether it was simply gravity on ice or otherwise we'll never know.

 

[callahan]

That's what I was wondering. I clearly remember seeing the nearside rear wheel on 'virgin' tarmac just before I left it, so surely the handbrake could / should have held it....

I know Ford handbrakes are known to be rubbish, but it's working now.

Drunken prank gone wrong, leaving me to argue with my neighbour over liability

Then again, I leave this job in two weeks and get a nice Volvo estate (V50 D5) with my new one, so it's not all bad. Although Volvo are still Ford owned, so maybe I should check the handbrake

 

[clk208]

Remember being back at school and some of the lads doing handbrake turns on the snow/ice in the car park. Needless to say somebody misjudged the angle and whacked into the bumper of a car that was parked with nobody in.

It was a fair whack and sent the parked car moving about 6ft but unexpected was the complete lack of damage to either car!

 

[Seamster15]

Although Volvo are still Ford owned, so maybe I should check the handbrake

Chinese now I think....

 

[jaymanek]

there was a massive recall with renaults a few years back... the handbrake mechanism would contract in the cold and brakes would therefore lose their grip... maybe something similar is happening...

always leave in gear on a hill..

 

[Sp!ke]

always leave in gear on a hill..

+turn your wheels into the kerb. (a legal requirement in San Francisco)

 

[CE230]

... leaving me to argue with my neighbour over liability ...

You may not have any liability as it may be classed as unavoidable.

 

[lynall]

Neighbour parked car on his driveway rx8 iirc and next day it had slid of the drive and gone down the hill over a cars length luckily missing verything.

In his case i think warm tyres on ice which then melted and when it refroze later the car went for a walk.

What liability if it didnt do any damage to anything and as the mini was abandoned so prob not insured, and best of all its not your prob as its no longer your car/responsibility so if there is any liability let the insurers sort it out, thats what they are paid for.



Lynall

 

[JumboBeef]

I got back from visiting my family in Northumberland last night to find my work hack (Fiesta Sportvan) had slid down the pavement and was blocking next door's drive....

So, this was you then?

YouTube - Icy road FAIL

 

[s88]

Seem to recall that my father used to park with wheels on full lock to kerb and even a brick under the rears on a steep hill in Sheffield when visiting years ago.

 

[callahan]

there was a massive recall with renaults a few years back... the handbrake mechanism would contract in the cold and brakes would therefore lose their grip... maybe something similar is happening...

always leave in gear on a hill..

I had left it in gear for three days beforehand, but was in a rush to leave and forgot this time

I was thinking along the same lines in terms of the cold affecting the handbrake, I had a Mondeo years ago that would fail at random times too.

Jumbobeef - great vid, rather more exciting than mine

 

[219]

So, this was you then?

YouTube - Icy road FAIL

Crass stupidity jumping out of the car and risking injury by contact with the icy ground/being run over by their own car/being crushed by the car against a wall or other object - they would have been FAR safer remaining in the car with seatbelts on .

I had a similar experience when up in Aberdeenshire the other day : parked on the slope outside my brother-in-law's house and left my car about 1 foot behind his - in Park and with the handbrake firmly on . When we came out after Christmas Dinner my car was touching the rear bumper of his Volvo (since I rebuilt the brakes in the summer with new disc/drums and shoes on the back and my car had passed its MOT only two days earlier I knew my handbrake was A1 - the car must have slid on the ice with rear wheels locked ) fortunately due to not having far to slide and little distance in which to pick up speed , no damage was done to either car . The entire road was icy and I had parked ( along with all the other cars ) half on the pavement to leave a wide passage in the middle of the road for anyone trying to get in or out , the area I was parked on was a mixture of compacted and uncompacted snow . The Volvo which had been there since before the snow fell didn't move , nor did nephew's 4x4 Subaru Imprezza which was behind me .

Other than that one incident , the W126 has performed faultlessly in the snowy/icy conditions .

 

[CE230]

Icy Road Fail

The people videoing have some responsibility IMO as they obviously knew the road was dangerous and were waiting to film for their 5 minutes of Youtube fame.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

So, this was you then?

YouTube - Icy road FAIL

That video is so funny.

 

[jaymanek]

With regards to leaving the wheels turned, i would advise against it... A car coming by too close may not see the wheel and then we have broken suspension arms etc etc..

there was a thread recently where something like this happened.

 

[crockers]

A Question...**

When I lived in Massachusetts - I was advised NEVER use a "parking brake" in winter (it can freeze on)** - use Park... it's a habit I have now gotten into.

I suppose carrying two wooden chocks in your boot may be a good backup in the winter... bound to drive off though and forget them (or get them nicked)..

** can a handbrake freeze on ?

 

[camerafodder]

A Question...**

When I lived in Massachusetts - I was advised NEVER use a "parking brake" in winter (it can freeze on)** - use Park... it's a habit I have now gotten into.

I suppose carrying two wooden chocks in your boot may be a good backup in the winter... bound to drive off though and forget them (or get them nicked)..

** can a handbrake freeze on ?

I thought that the Pawl that locks the transmission could be easily broken if relying on it purely to immobilise the car without the parking brake

 

[jaymanek]

the pawl can be broken and shouldnt be used alone, especially on a hill.
Also if the car is parked with handbrake on and someone knocks into it... new gearbox time.

 

[James Rothwell]

I was parked at a set of lights somewhere near Godstone and a truck went in the opposite direction at a rate of knots which caused my Discovery to slip sideways slowly but totally unable to stop, so I had to drive forwards partially through a red light. Made me jump as I totally wasn't expecting it!