Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
I've just done a 453 mile round trip to Norfolk visiting for Christmas. I almost didn't make it there in one piece.
This morning I was driving along a single carriageway, at 60mph in a national speed limit. There are a few cars ahead and a few behind. The car ahead is 3 seconds ahead of me and a blue car behind is about 2 seconds behind me, all well and good. On the other side is a line of nose to tail traffic at about 40mph facing me and slowing for a roundabout.
I see a side road on the left with a pedestrian island in the mouth of the junction and a right turn lane in the hatching in the centre of the main road feeding into it.
Quick scan around, no one coming out of the side road, no one going into it. No pedestrians or other road users about, just us cars.
T-3 sec. The car ahead of me safely passes the side road.
T-2 sec. A black car on the right indicates and pulls into the right turn filter facing me. I cover the brakes, check mirrors and scan around for an escape route just in case.
T-1 sec. The black car doesn't stop and crosses my path slowly to carry out the right turn. I am pressing the horn and hard on the brakes. The ABS is hammering under my right foot. Time slows down. Decision, do I steer to the front or the back of the car or hit it square on killing the passenger? If I go to the rear I will be facing on coming traffic so I go for the front to take my chances with hitting the engine.
T-0.5 sec. I flick my car into the mouth of the junction, miss the kerb but hit the gravel, grit and rubbish, catch the back end fishtailing. Stability control lights flashing on the dashboard, ABS releasing the brakes as there is no grip. I see the island and the black car still closing towards it. Need to get control, start working the steering to counter the fishtailing.
T-0 sec. At 50 mph I aim for the gap between the island and the front bumper of the black car and breathe in. If I hit the island my car will flip over, if I hit the front of the black car I will probably die with its engine in my lap. Grit is scattered all over from the dead spots of the junction and the tyres are fighting for grip. I just make it through the gap. No contact.
T+0.5 sec. Running out of tarmac in the junction, kerb ahead. I make a quick flick back out of the junction onto the carriage way before I hit the kerb and glance in the mirror. Through the dust and grit in the air I see the black car is still driving into the junction. The blue car following me is carrying out the same moves as me but using the right turn filter in the centre of the carriageway to clear the back of the black car. The blue car is now heading straight for me.
T+1 sec. I grab first gear and full throttle my car to get up the road out of the way of the blue car behind me. The black car is in the side road and driving off oblivious. Time catches up again.
I get that sudden thought. Am I really still here driving or am I dead and my body is in a pile of crumpled metal in that junction?
Seems it wasn't my day to die. Two good drivers managed not to kill the idiot in the black car today. Idiot and passenger owe us their lives.
I am exhausted now having done my visits and got home safely. It is only just dawning on me how close it came.
This morning I was driving along a single carriageway, at 60mph in a national speed limit. There are a few cars ahead and a few behind. The car ahead is 3 seconds ahead of me and a blue car behind is about 2 seconds behind me, all well and good. On the other side is a line of nose to tail traffic at about 40mph facing me and slowing for a roundabout.
I see a side road on the left with a pedestrian island in the mouth of the junction and a right turn lane in the hatching in the centre of the main road feeding into it.
Quick scan around, no one coming out of the side road, no one going into it. No pedestrians or other road users about, just us cars.
T-3 sec. The car ahead of me safely passes the side road.
T-2 sec. A black car on the right indicates and pulls into the right turn filter facing me. I cover the brakes, check mirrors and scan around for an escape route just in case.
T-1 sec. The black car doesn't stop and crosses my path slowly to carry out the right turn. I am pressing the horn and hard on the brakes. The ABS is hammering under my right foot. Time slows down. Decision, do I steer to the front or the back of the car or hit it square on killing the passenger? If I go to the rear I will be facing on coming traffic so I go for the front to take my chances with hitting the engine.
T-0.5 sec. I flick my car into the mouth of the junction, miss the kerb but hit the gravel, grit and rubbish, catch the back end fishtailing. Stability control lights flashing on the dashboard, ABS releasing the brakes as there is no grip. I see the island and the black car still closing towards it. Need to get control, start working the steering to counter the fishtailing.
T-0 sec. At 50 mph I aim for the gap between the island and the front bumper of the black car and breathe in. If I hit the island my car will flip over, if I hit the front of the black car I will probably die with its engine in my lap. Grit is scattered all over from the dead spots of the junction and the tyres are fighting for grip. I just make it through the gap. No contact.
T+0.5 sec. Running out of tarmac in the junction, kerb ahead. I make a quick flick back out of the junction onto the carriage way before I hit the kerb and glance in the mirror. Through the dust and grit in the air I see the black car is still driving into the junction. The blue car following me is carrying out the same moves as me but using the right turn filter in the centre of the carriageway to clear the back of the black car. The blue car is now heading straight for me.
T+1 sec. I grab first gear and full throttle my car to get up the road out of the way of the blue car behind me. The black car is in the side road and driving off oblivious. Time catches up again.
I get that sudden thought. Am I really still here driving or am I dead and my body is in a pile of crumpled metal in that junction?
Seems it wasn't my day to die. Two good drivers managed not to kill the idiot in the black car today. Idiot and passenger owe us their lives.
I am exhausted now having done my visits and got home safely. It is only just dawning on me how close it came.