Unplanned 100mph (160kmh) Elk test in Germany

[Jaddak]

Morning, no drama intended as a first post, but joined as have found useful threads addressing a few challenges with my new C300h Sport ride.

2am early morning of Tuesday 18th July 17, just outside Berlin at night on the Autobahn coming back to the UK, cruise @ 100mph, changing every so often to the fast lane to overtake lorries in middle/slow.

With only a dipped beam distance found a stationary car, all lights/reflectors heavily smashed suddenly appear ahead - no time for WTF!

Swerved violently round, fortunately in a gap between 2 lorries, than I ever thought possible, back into the fast lane somehow narrowly missing everything - wife who was asleep woke thinking was rolling the car.

YouTube shows the W205 C Class being pants in an 'Elk test'... I beg to differ...

What that C300h did at high speed on warm tyres belies belief & still don't believe I'm here to tell the tale. No the car didn't slew as thrown to the right, yes it slid gripping hard as turned back to the left and no I didn't touch the brakes - all thanks to the man upstairs & some German engineering.

Drive safe.

 

[renault12ts]

...and breathe.

 

[Doodle]

The capabilities of modern stability control sometimes beggars belief.

 

[st13phil]

The capabilities of modern stability control sometimes beggars belief.

I should think the ventilation system was tested to its limits too

 

[GeeJayW]

Scary one! Good job on avoiding everything. The ESP system could well have made a very important contribution to your day.

Artico Leather, wipe clean finish comes in handy too!

 

[Doodle]

I should think the ventilation system was tested to its limits too

Not to mention the stain resistant coating on the seats

 

[jfhuk]

Glad everyone is OK, that sounds like a brown trouser moment.

 

[tron]

Travelling at the Ton on dipped beam? I wouldn't.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Very similar happened to me one night on the A45 with a car-full, on our way out clubbing in Northampton. Music blaring and most of the passengers were ******/drinking... about to follow in the car in-fronts' lead to overtake a flatbed lorry coming up which was carrying some metal supplies

Just as I'm indicating to pull out I spotted a ratchet strap snap and I sh!t you not, saw hundreds of what I can only describe as metal brackets about 1Lm long just fall onto the road like we were starring in Final Destination Sliding down from their pile onto the end and sides of the platform like timber logs. I somehow managed to swerve the brackets coming from the rear and the side pieces were bouncing off the road flying over the car, I must have ran over one as my rear passenger tyre was flat by the time we parked up

Not as scary as (funnily enough on the exact same stretch of road, same circumstances) a few months later when somebody thought it would be clever to drive at full chat the wrong way on the dual carriageway with no lights on. One of those moments you spot it and initially think 'no, it couldn't be' so for a second you don't do a thing and then realise

Car was a classic-shape Impreza, luckily didn't lose traction neither time when suddenly swerving out the way at 70+. I guess watching silly films and playing video games can pay off

 

[Wheelsnuts]

The stuff of nightmares! Makes me doubt whether my reaction time would be adequate to cope with those situations.

 

[Doodle]

The capabilities of modern stability control sometimes beggars belief.

And to underline this, an hour after I wrote the above I get a call from a close friend, his wife had flipped their 15yo Land Rover after a tyre/wheel let go. Occupants ok if a little battered and bruised, I'm off tomorrow to help him clear out and close down ready for the insurance company to take it away to the scrapper.

 

[BTB 500]

Acquaintance of mine broke her neck (and survived) after the LR Disco she was in flipped and rolled down an embankment, this would have been a series 1 or 2 I guess as it was a good few years ago.

Modern stability electronics are astonishing and literally life-savers, particularly with high vehicles.

 

[tron]

Tyre grip and CofG will ultimately override the stability programme.


As a very famous mechanic will one day say:

"Ye cannae change the laws of physics."

 

[Doodle]

If you get to that point, then you were screwed from the very outset.

ESP can't save you from the inevitable, what it can do is manage the situations that still can be, but require more skill and control than the human can muster.

 

[BTB 500]

Precisely - ESP can brake each wheel individually to adjust yaw, which no driver can do ... no matter how skilled.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

And to underline this, an hour after I wrote the above I get a call from a close friend, his wife had flipped their 15yo Land Rover after a tyre/wheel let go. Occupants ok if a little battered and bruised, I'm off tomorrow to help him clear out and close down ready for the insurance company to take it away to the scrapper.

Doesn't surprise me!

I have a '66 Series 2a, the front passenger side tyre suddenly blew whilst I was doing a healthy 25mph and caused quite a serve

I wouldn't have liked to have been doing 60 like my series 3 will do

Because 4x4 have much higher profile tyres, the effect of sudden loss of pressure is disconcerting

I stick to about 75 in our discovery 4 because basically you can feel it's a pretty unstable piece of kit that also doesn't like to have its speed or direction altered quickly

Glad you're ok, good job you were paying attention

 

[GeeJayW]

Precisely - ESP can brake each wheel individually to adjust yaw, which no driver can do ... no matter how skilled.

Most drivers over control the car during incidents like this as in the main they/we have had no training and little experience. ESP, throttle by wire, traction control, ABS systems try to compensate for essentially poor driving.

On the test track, I've sometimes found ESP etc a little annoying as it interfered with what I was trying to do, and prevented the car from being driven right on the limit.

On the road and in a high-speed elk test situation, I want all the ESP ABS etc help I can get!