On "near death experiences"...

There is a small item over at TF's place about traffic offences, speed limits, red-light cameras etc.

I dropped the note that (amongst other relative but more mundane things) I have had three "near death" experiences while driving. I thought that I would give a brief description of each, not to brag at all about any aspect but to illustrate just how much on a knife edge we are on the roads.

First, going sideways on a gravel road in a Mini (the original 1960's style). Cause? Poor observation on my part. We had been following another car on a gravel road for some 20 minutes. I knew the road well and knew exactly where I could get past and out of the dust. The problem was that I did not notice as I pulled out to overtake that there was a ridge of gravel about 8" deep up the middle of the road - left by the road grader. Minis being what they were, the front wheels went through the ridge but the back wheels didn't. Going sideways at 60mph within 2 feet of another car is not exciting...

Second, losing traction at speed on a lifting corner. You know the kind of thing, you are going round a bend where the road is going uphill then as you go round the road starts going downhill. Cause - stupidity, driving far too fast for the corner.

Third, skating through four lanes of heavy traffic with no rear suspension. Cause - bad luck. Driving at 65mph and I hit a 3/4" square bar, probably about 2ft long. The bar got tossed into the rear suspension, bending the lh suspension arms into a "U" shape and causing the car to turn violently to the right (we drive "Keep left" so guess where I was heading). I managed to get the car to turn left when I had already crossed one lane of opposing traffic - there was no centre barrier - and heading back to the correct side of the road. Someone was looking out for me as I passed into the only gap in the opposing traffic and out again without hitting anything or anyone. I think that TF would say "Praise the Lord" but I was just far too busy getting the car onto the side of the road and stopping it to think much past the original Aussie/Kiwi cuss-word...