Very nearly crushed by a 40 tonner

[billywhiz]

Good reaction - saved a crash for sure.

A 'KitKat marks on the drivers seat' moment for sure ....

 

[Richak]

You showed fantastic foresight, pleased everyone was ok.

Imagine if you would Diesleman, how ironic it would have been had the truck had been carrying a load of winter tyres. Crushed by your own nemesis

 

[Bellow]

Well done for noticing what was about to happen, and taking avoiding action. Not many drivers these days take notice of what is happening in their surroundings, most would not have even looked in their mirrors.

Plus one for the above. Well done DM for having your wits at hand when needed.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Along with everyone else, I'm delighted you managed to survive the brown trouser moment. Checking your mirrors may have saved more than just your life. Well done.

BUT, and I'm only going by your description of the incident here, I don't see why you had to brake heavily enough to activate ABS initially. Were you already too close to the CLK for the circumstances (that could have included the CLK being too close to the vehicle in front), or was your mind drifting to other things and you didn't spot all the traffic stopping suddenly in front of the CLK? I had you down as one of the more observant drivers who stayed aware of everything happening about him all the time, not just in emergency situations. And under your heavy braking, did you cadence brake to make your lights flash to provide extra warning for the lorry driver?

Whatever the answers, we can all learn from this to leave even more space in front.

 

[Rashman]

Stop it Rash or you`ll be accused for trolling

Crikey!

Righto.

 

[st13phil]

And under your heavy braking, did you cadence brake to make your lights flash to provide extra warning for the lorry driver?

Two observations:

1. You should never cadence brake on a car fitted with ABS as it considerably lengthens the stopping distance
2. The current range of MB cars automatically pulse the brakelights to draw the attention of following vehicles when the Emergency Brake Assist is activated

Maybe it's because I'm a biker as well as a car driver, but in an emergency braking situation I'm always (nearly) as interested in what's going on behind me as what is going on in front. DM's experience illustrates why. Also (another biker habit) I always plan an escape route if I'm stationary or near stationary on a fast-moving road. As someone wise told me many years ago "you don't want to become the meat in a metal sandwich".

 

[Satch]

Have you checked the back of your car recently for one of these....

View attachment 32769

Mrs S clearly has one of those. Called to tell me that whilst going through a section of the M50 where it was single lanes with a 40mph limit enforced by average speed cameras, despite going a GPS 40mph was tailgated by a large vehicle which proceeded to flash headlights and blow horn.

*******.

 

[wemorgan]

best way to handle the above situation is to slow down even more and tune in to classic FM

 

[Howard]

best way to handle the above situation is to slow down even more and tune in to classic FM

and then boot it to triple figures the moment you come out of the restriction !

 

[jaymanek]

and then boot it to triple figures the moment you come out of the restriction !

My mate Dave says you really shouldnt do that... those unmarked vectra's are everywhere with nothing better to do... even at 3am on a Sunday morning.

 

[Mr. B]

My mate Dave says you really shouldnt do that... those unmarked vectra's are everywhere with nothing better to do... even at 3am on a Sunday morning.

Vectra's ????

 

[Colin_b]

Vectra's ????

Cost cutting

 

[jaymanek]

them funny american things... whatever they are called nowadays..

 

[Mr. B]

them funny american things... whatever they are called nowadays..

Big Macs ?

 

[Rashman]

lol!

 

[BigSilverEstate]

[*]The current range of MB cars automatically pulse the brakelights to draw the attention of following vehicles when the Emergency Brake Assist is activated

I didn't know this. What does it look like and is this common on other modern cars? Not sure I would know what it meant if I saw it on the back of another car.

It gives me the absolute heebie-jeebies the way that motorway traffic can go from flowing at 80mph to a standstill with very little warning and for no apparent reason. You are often reliant on the person behind you realising what is happening, and resort to just jabbing at the emergency warning lights as there is not always a safe escape route.

 

[HB]

Thank god you're ok.
I also have no commercial tie in with this truck driver

 

[Dieselman]

BUT, and I'm only going by your description of the incident here, I don't see why you had to brake heavily enough to activate ABS initially. Were you already too close to the CLK for the circumstances (that could have included the CLK being too close to the vehicle in front), or was your mind drifting to other things and you didn't spot all the traffic stopping suddenly in front of the CLK?

Whatever the answers, we can all learn from this to leave even more space in front.

As an observation test I'll refer you to the previous post answering that question.
The traffic slowed very suddenly as well.
If I hadn't seen the brake lights of both the Clk and the cars in front, immediately they activated, I wouldn't be writing this now.

No offense taken, I had moved closer to the CLK to give a greater stopping distance for the lorry if it should be necessary.

 

[Dieselman]

Thank god you're ok.
I also have no commercial tie in with this truck driver

What about just being tied up with him...can get lonely on those overnight stops.

 

[st13phil]

I didn't know this. What does it look like and is this common on other modern cars?

From the W212 E-Class manual:

Adaptive brake lamps

If you brake sharply from a speed of more than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic travelling behind you is warned in an even more noticeable manner.

If you brake sharply from a speed of more than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light up continuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard warning button

Having seen it (on the track at Brooklands) it's pretty attention grabbing, and it's pretty obvious what's going on when you see it.

I'm not aware of the system on other manufacturers' cars, but that doesn't mean no one else fits something similar.