on the way home from a days ride

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Outside the beltway
Man O man, Brad and I are heading south on 270 and right at the weigh station this small SUV in front of me slid off the road and then slammed the guard rail back on and off the road and into the guard rail. My 1st thought the driver is having a heart attack but he was keeping the car off the road and in the grass. Then all I can see is dirt dust , at this point I figured he rolled it, which he did. Brad and I both backed off and let this all unfold infront of us which also keeped everyone else back. This all lasted over a half mile.
We pull over and a man and wife were very shook up but luckily not injured. His breaks had failed and gas peddle was stuck. A ambulance was heading north and saw the roll over so emergency treatment was there on the scene quick.
I always give the driver infront of me a good distance. Thank God it all worked out for the good no one was injured and no other vehicles were involved.
 
Yeah, glad all is OK. I want to know what kind of SUV is was so not to get in one. Man. Two failures at once. Not good. Not good. Hope my tractor never does that. That could get interesting.
 
I've been a fireman and rescue squad member most of my working life (now retired) and I've been to 5 very similar accidents.

If the gas pedal on a 300+ horsepower vehicle sticks down, you can't hold back the horsepower with just the brakes, yet people will try to do this instinctively when panic sets in. The brakes will overheat very quickly and become useless. Then a guard rail, tree, etc. becomes their next choice for stopping their runaway vehicle. In every one of these 5 accidents, the drivers all tried to stop the vehicle with the brakes before the crash, and every one of them failed to even try to do the best thing, "turn the ignition key to the off position." I found the key switches still in the ON position in every one of these accidents.

In 3 of these, the cause of the stuck gas pedal was the accessory floor mat that had worked itself forward, holding the gas pedal down and there was no mechanical problem with the gas pedal itself. The other two accident investigations were inconclusive as to the cause.

If this ever happens to you TURN THE KEY OFF !!!! Then apply the brakes. Some new cars have buttons to start the cars, but all have key switches.

If you use accessory floor mats, attach them to the floor, the front mount of the seat, or whatever it takes to keep them from working their way forward and into the pedal area. My present SUV is a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. There is a factory installed hook in the left rear corner area of the driver's side floor board that a metal grommet in the left rear corner of the accessory floor mat fits over, to keep it from moving forward. Not all vehicles have this, but some manufacturers have realized that it is a needed safety upgrade. If your vehicle doesn't have this, do something to anchor your accessory floor mat in place so this doesn't happen to you, but remember to turn the key switch OFF first, if it ever does.

Charley
 
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What you said, Charles, makes perfectly good sense. I guess that is why inadvertently I haven't used those extra mats. But, while a Marine for a special assignment I was sent to Quantico to the FBI Academy for an advanced tactical driving school and was taught that in an emergency, if all else fails, turn the key off. Stops the car pretty quick. And I salute you for being a fireman all those years. I know you guys do things as safe as you can do it, but I would much prefer being shot at than going into a burning structure. :salute:
 
Charley, That explains a lot as to why the brakes were not working. Any idea for the keyless cars if throwing the proximity key fob out the window will turn it off or is there an emergency switch in these?
 
Wow another reason not to get a car with one of those fob doo-dads. I never even thought of that problem.

People do funny things when they panic. I was driving with my dad down through the salt river canyon in Arizona, which while not the grand canyon is still hundreds of feet down. About 1/2 way down there's a pull out on the down side and a fellow had lost his brakes and tried to pull into there. Luckily he hit a large boulder which he had pushed out over the precipice so his car was stuck on top of it half suspended in mid air. We were the first people who showed up afterwards and (being the age before cell phones) gave him a ride to the Indian store at the bottom so he could call for help. I asked him why he headed downhill instead of running into the uphill side of the cliff, but he just didn't know, something along the lines of "seemed a good idea at the time". Looking over the edge there were a few previous cars scattered on pieces along the base of the cliff so I guess he wasn't the first one.
 
Interersting. Glad no one was hurt. In Cape Breton, many years ago we were driving down a steep hill with a switchback halfway down. There was a double tire streak heading off the side of the road. All the evidence was gone, but it couldn't have been too old. Drive safe.
 
Man O man, Brad and I are heading south on 270 and right at the weigh station this small SUV in front of me slid off the road and then slammed the guard rail back on and off the road and into the guard rail. My 1st thought the driver is having a heart attack but he was keeping the car off the road and in the grass. Then all I can see is dirt dust , at this point I figured he rolled it, which he did. Brad and I both backed off and let this all unfold infront of us which also keeped everyone else back. This all lasted over a half mile.
We pull over and a man and wife were very shook up but luckily not injured. His breaks had failed and gas peddle was stuck. A ambulance was heading north and saw the roll over so emergency treatment was there on the scene quick.
I always give the driver infront of me a good distance. Thank God it all worked out for the good no one was injured and no other vehicles were involved.

If he wasn't having a heart attack, that would probably have given me one... just remember, on a bike, usually the first thing that hits the ground is you.... sounds like you ride real smart and don't crowd traffic as some of the younger guys tend to do.... we see a lot of riders through here going up on the Cherohala and/or the Dragon's tail over on 129... we also loose about a rider a month, either going too fast, or not giving the cars their space... I haven't ridden a bike in 40 years, but have the utmost respect for them and their riders. Glad it worked out that no one was hurt.
 
I've been a fireman and rescue squad member most of my working life (now retired) and I've been to 5 very similar accidents.

If the gas pedal on a 300+ horsepower vehicle sticks down, you can't hold back the horsepower with just the brakes, yet people will try to do this instinctively when panic sets in. The brakes will overheat very quickly and become useless. Then a guard rail, tree, etc. becomes their next choice for stopping their runaway vehicle. In every one of these 5 accidents, the drivers all tried to stop the vehicle with the brakes before the crash, and every one of them failed to even try to do the best thing, "turn the ignition key to the off position." I found the key switches still in the ON position in every one of these accidents.
Charley

When I was 18 years old, I lost a vehicle in a similar accident... my problem was speed though not a malfunction... I was supposed to take my sister from my Grandfather's house to the bus station and over slept... I had a 25 mile drive to get to his house and jumped in the boss's vehicle, a '56 Chevy panel wagon - like a station wagon with no side windows - about half way to Gramps house I had a dog leg curve to go through and a small town... at 109 mph, I touched the brakes on early morning damp pavement and started fishtailing.... one of my side turns I slapped a culvert post out of the ground, then turn 90 degrees to the highway and laid it over..... I was still under the steering wheel and holding on for dear life when it settled on the passenger's side. Only thing I remember is the dirt from the floor mats falling in my face when I dropped on the the passenger door, then climbing out and then realizing I hadn't turned the ignition off.... I climbed back in and shut off the ignition.

I was standing in the road looking at the mess when a lady pulled up, rolled down her window and asked "Was there anybody in it?". I think I said "No" and she then said, "Well I'll tell the high patrol if I see them." Then she turned on the dirt road behind me and was the last I saw of her.

A local oil field truck came by a few minutes later and hook a chain to the frame, pulled it back onto it wheels and I drove on to my Grandfather's.... My sister had already caught a ride to the bus and even if I had got there without the wreck, would have missed her)
 
Check your statement reminded me of what happened one day in high school, I took auto shop and one day we are working on a carburetor and I took the car out for a test drive the carburetor was stuck open so I turn the car off. I've always had a calm head during tense situations.
 
Charley, That explains a lot as to why the brakes were not working. Any idea for the keyless cars if throwing the proximity key fob out the window will turn it off or is there an emergency switch in these?

Darren,

How do you turn the engine off in a car with a key fob?

I've never owned or driven one. But if I did, in an emergency situation like this I would just turn the engine off the way I was told to do it whenever I finished using the car. Don't you just remove the key fob to shut the motor off? There must be some way to shut the motor off. Everything I've ever driven, even fire trucks, had a switch to turn them off, even if they didn't use keys.

Charley
 
Charles, you make good points. I think my first reaction would be to take the vehicle out of gear then try to stop. Never thought about such a problem with a proximity fob. My son has a Tesla with a fob that does everything but unzip your fly when you need that done. I wonder what his emergency measures might be in such a situation.:dunno: I'll ask. My wife's Ford Focus has the accelerator pedal and brake so close together when I wear work boots I cannot raise my foot off the accelerator without catching it. I have to sorta twist and wiggle my foot off to brake. Not good.:eek:
 
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