Bad drivers! Cars that break down! Those with which we share the road Mk. 2

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Bad drivers! Cars that break down! Those with which we share the road Mk. 2

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Phanatic: Mar 13, 2007; Please don't forget that I am an extremely racist idiot who also has terrible opinions about the Culture series.

Baconroll posted:

Since the 11 foot 8 bridge got sadly neutered I now enjoy videos from the the Milwaukee Roundabout - Lots of great ones here,

Here, have a 10 foot 10:

https://jalopnik.com/an-infamous-low-bridge-in-pennsylvania-just-destroyed-t-1847645318

There's also a 9 foot 8 nearby but it's on a side street.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 00:02

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# ? May 20, 2024 13:26

nm: Jan 28, 2008; "I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

Baconroll posted:

Since the 11 foot 8 bridge got sadly neutered I now enjoy videos from the the Milwaukee Roundabout - Lots of great ones here,

https://www.youtube.com/c/milwaukeeroundabout

What gets me is that if you check the road on street view its really not a bad bend at all - I guess lots of people are just playing with the phone or expecting the road to be straight.

11ft 8 bridge is still pretty busy. It's almost funnier now.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 00:52

wolrah: May 8, 2006; what?

waffle iron posted:

I studied the road on street view a while back and it was changed to a roundabout 10 years ago at the same time the bridge was improved. Lots of people driving 50+ when it's posted for 30 or so. You can see a lot of skid marks on the approach.

The last time this one came up I recall looking at the street view and when you're coming over the bridge going south it really looks like the road just keeps going more or less straight down 6th until you come over the peak of the bridge and there's a curb in front of you for the jog over to the roundabout marked by a single small yellow chevron sign. Beyond that, the road leading up to it is wide, straight, flat other than the bridge, and has no significant obstacles. In other words regardless of how it's signed, this is a fast road.

A fast road leading in to a hidden turn is a recipe for exactly this. They need at minimum some much more significant signage indicating the upcoming turn and realistically some more aggressive traffic calming on that approach.

As always, whenever there's a mismatch between the posted limit and a significant portion of traffic that means either the posted limit or the road design needs to change. Usually I'm an advocate for the former, but this is definitely a case for the latter. The road design as it exists currently obviously creates a false sense of security for drivers heading south over the bridge, so those unfamiliar with the area (and/or impaired) are in trouble. Given what looks like three sports venues and a convention center just on the other side of the river I'm sure that's a significant chunk of the traffic along that particular route.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 16:31

Baconroll: Feb 6, 2009

So either better sinage/markings or better cameras so we can more clearly see the 'oh poo poo' expression on the drivers faces.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 20:52

Steakandchips: Apr 30, 2009

you ate my cat posted:

I think that a lot of people just don't have any idea how hard a car can actually brake. They half hit the brakes, lurch forward in their seat, and think that's about it. I'd be interested to know how many people have actually put their foot all the way to the firewall at highway speeds and ridden that all the way to an emergency stop.

I partially blame the lackluster driver's ed here in the US, and I think another part of it is somehow related to the switch to ABS. People who learned (poorly) to threshold brake but never had to do it taught their kids to drive an ABS car but didn't understand how much of a difference it makes, then they taught their kids, etc. Should you be careful not to lock up your tires in a car with ABS? Yes, absolutely, but chances are good that you probably won't die in a modern car if you lock the tires for a moment.

Plus, I bet ABS engaging scares the poo poo out of people and they let off.

In the UK we are taught to emergency brake, both in cars and motorcycles. For the car driving test, if you're asked to emergency brake, you are expected to mash the brake to the floor. You'll have been doing 30mph or slower, on an empty street, but yeah, it's interesting how quickly a car can brake. And yes, I've felt the ABS kick in (instructor had me try on a normal street as well as on a street with some slightly slippery bits on it as well).

For the motorcycle test, when you are first learning to emergency brake, it's scary as hell. I learned on a non-ABS bike, and learning where the threshold is on that Bandit 600, even in an empty parking lot was scary AF for a new rider.

# ? Dec 9, 2021 22:19

waffle iron: Jan 16, 2004

wolrah posted:

The last time this one came up I recall looking at the street view and when you're coming over the bridge going south it really looks like the road just keeps going more or less straight down 6th until you come over the peak of the bridge and there's a curb in front of you for the jog over to the roundabout marked by a single small yellow chevron sign. Beyond that, the road leading up to it is wide, straight, flat other than the bridge, and has no significant obstacles. In other words regardless of how it's signed, this is a fast road.

A fast road leading in to a hidden turn is a recipe for exactly this. They need at minimum some much more significant signage indicating the upcoming turn and realistically some more aggressive traffic calming on that approach.

As always, whenever there's a mismatch between the posted limit and a significant portion of traffic that means either the posted limit or the road design needs to change. Usually I'm an advocate for the former, but this is definitely a case for the latter. The road design as it exists currently obviously creates a false sense of security for drivers heading south over the bridge, so those unfamiliar with the area (and/or impaired) are in trouble. Given what looks like three sports venues and a convention center just on the other side of the river I'm sure that's a significant chunk of the traffic along that particular route.

Totally agree. They viaduct improvement widened the sidewalk/walking path and there are only two signs indicating the roundabout is coming up. Each sign is very small and mounted on the other side of the walking path so it appears even smaller.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 01:54

Saukkis: May 16, 2003; Unless I'm on the inside curve pointing straight at oncoming traffic the high beams stay on and I laugh at your puny protest flashes.
I am Most Important Man. Most Important Man in the World.

Wouldn't the american solution be to install a huge billboard at the curve, should give drivers a clue that something strange is ahead.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 12:43

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Phanatic posted:

Here, have a 10 foot 10:

https://jalopnik.com/an-infamous-low-bridge-in-pennsylvania-just-destroyed-t-1847645318

There's also a 9 foot 8 nearby but it's on a side street.

I know that road. Lived in St. Davids decades ago.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 16:24

PremiumSupport: Aug 17, 2015

Steakandchips posted:

In the UK we are taught to emergency brake, both in cars and motorcycles. For the car driving test, if you're asked to emergency brake, you are expected to mash the brake to the floor. You'll have been doing 30mph or slower, on an empty street, but yeah, it's interesting how quickly a car can brake. And yes, I've felt the ABS kick in (instructor had me try on a normal street as well as on a street with some slightly slippery bits on it as well).

For the motorcycle test, when you are first learning to emergency brake, it's scary as hell. I learned on a non-ABS bike, and learning where the threshold is on that Bandit 600, even in an empty parking lot was scary AF for a new rider.

I'm in the US and we weren't taught to emergency brake, but we were told it would be on our driving test. Unfortunately when I took mine, the tester just said "ok stop" so I slowed to a normal stop and got points taken off because I didn't emergency stop fast enough.

I still passed, but was more than a little pissed about it.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 18:29

wolrah: May 8, 2006; what?

Saukkis posted:

Wouldn't the american solution be to install a huge billboard at the curve, should give drivers a clue that something strange is ahead.

Nah, the American solution is what's already been done, put a speed limit on it that no one pays attention to because the road design doesn't fit the posted limit and then blame the drivers for "speeding". Actually solving the problem costs the locals money, doing this costs the out of towners money and sends some ticket revenue to the city.

# ? Dec 10, 2021 20:28

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

Wheeeeee

https://twitter.com/KiwiEV/status/1470253374134108160?s=20

# ? Dec 13, 2021 16:07

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Olympic Mathlete posted:

Wheeeeee

https://twitter.com/KiwiEV/status/1470253374134108160?s=20

QUATTRO!

# ? Dec 14, 2021 00:50

MisterOblivious: Mar 17, 2010; by sebmojo

KozmoNaut posted:

I've also seen people brace against the steering wheel, which is just no no NO.

Had a teacher that couldn't fully extend his arm because of that. Locked up his arm in an accident and got his elbow pinned in place to fix it.

Same thing happened to Les Paul, the guy that basically invented the electric guitar. Got his elbow pinned at a 90° angle, rather than amputated, so he could still play guitar. Coincidentally, it was my music teacher that hosed up his arm death-gripping a steering wheel.

# ? Dec 14, 2021 06:32

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

Olympic Mathlete posted:

Wheeeeee

https://twitter.com/KiwiEV/status/1470253374134108160?s=20

I wouldn't attempt water even remotely like that in my Jeep, and I've driven axle-deep in not-flowing-water without so much as a second thought.

# ? Dec 14, 2021 07:25

bigbillystyle: Nov 11, 2003; We have Drive to Survive at home

IOwnCalculus posted:

I wouldn't attempt water even remotely like that in my Jeep, and I've driven axle-deep in not-flowing-water without so much as a second thought.

To be fair he knew it was too deep to Ford that's why he tried an Audi.

# ? Dec 14, 2021 23:26

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Olympic Mathlete posted:

Wheeeeee

https://twitter.com/KiwiEV/status/1470253374134108160?s=20

Sadly too many people have died in similar situations in Australia the past month

# ? Dec 15, 2021 00:06

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

bigbillystyle posted:

To be fair he knew it was too deep to Ford that's why he tried an Audi.

# ? Dec 15, 2021 01:55

Dick Trauma: Nov 30, 2007; God damn it, you've got to be kind.

https://twitter.com/kreeger/status/1471635018216878081?s=20

# ? Dec 17, 2021 18:08

Rude Dude With Tude: Apr 19, 2007; Your President approves this text.

Some French soldiers are going to have to have A Meeting. Not the kind of meeting where you get biscuits.

https://twitter.com/LouisWitter/status/1472531601145872386

# ? Dec 20, 2021 20:11

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

Dick Trauma posted:

https://twitter.com/kreeger/status/1471635018216878081?s=20

https://twitter.com/kreeger/status/1471635890866954253?s=20

# ? Dec 21, 2021 16:09

Literally Lewis Hamilton: Feb 22, 2005

2021 supercut, some real winners in here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y5UwiSvtiA

# ? Dec 22, 2021 13:08

Blue Footed Booby: Oct 4, 2006; got those happy feet

Mr Tall posted:

This is definitely a thing. When you feel the ABS kick in it feels like something has gone wrong. I only really learned how hard you can brake and how much grip is there once I did a few track days.

Would that be wise for kids getting their licence though? Maybe teach how to do hard stops properly? When I got my licence, it was pathetic. Stomp on the brakes from about 15mph - cool, we're not dead, you passed.

My driver's ed had be panic brake from 60, and separately a "we'll tell you which way to swerve." But I have friends who got what you got, in the same drat county in the same years. We desperately need federal level standards.

# ? Dec 22, 2021 16:47

Olympic Mathlete: Feb 25, 2011

https://twitter.com/Zero2Turbo/status/1474277254012313601?t=Dutz4IOeGmlrkxcm3QRVqQ&s=19

# ? Dec 28, 2021 10:03

SlowBloke: Aug 14, 2017

Olympic Mathlete posted:

https://twitter.com/Zero2Turbo/status/1474277254012313601?t=Dutz4IOeGmlrkxcm3QRVqQ&s=19

Not so long ago a smart bumped a Iveco lince(the Italian equivalent to an humvee) and hosed the lince so hard they had to scrap it/salvage it for parts

# ? Dec 28, 2021 14:29

FilthyImp: Sep 30, 2002; Anime Deviant

We knew that wedge forms were powerful 20 years ago thanks to Robot Wars

# ? Dec 29, 2021 17:19

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

FilthyImp posted:

We knew that wedge forms were powerful 20 years ago thanks to Robot Wars

Back in the day (1990) at the video game company I was at, we would take RC10's (popular radio control car of the time and surprisingly still today) and do demolition derbies in the parking lot.

As in full speed frontal collisions.

I picked up a cheap rear end RC car that was some Nissan LeMans thing, that had a wedge front.

Used to see the RC10's launched into the air every-time they tried to run into it.

# ? Dec 29, 2021 17:25

BigPaddy: Jun 30, 2008; That night we performed the rite and opened the gate.
Halfway through, I went to fix us both a coke float.
By the time I got back, he'd gone insane.
Plus, he'd left the gate open and there was evil everywhere.

FilthyImp posted:

We knew that wedge forms were powerful 20 years ago thanks to Robot Wars

As soon as everyone saw the wedge/ram/self righting combo it just turned into a whole line up of those and 1-2 gimmick designs.

# ? Dec 29, 2021 18:13

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I always favored spinning designs.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 02:12

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

It was warm and dry today so I took the Miata out for a spin. Within 15 minutes of departing, I had one guy try to change lanes right into me and only stopped after I gave a good long honk, and big rear end SUV with a trailer ran a veeeery red light, to the delight of other traffic.

I only have one dashcam and it's in the Fit as I thought I'd be using it more in the lovely weather but now I think I need at least two in every car.

# ? Dec 30, 2021 21:08

StormDrain: May 22, 2003; Thirteen Letter

# ? Jan 6, 2022 17:52

Solar Coaster: Sep 2, 2009

So Washington State has been getting hammered by snowstorm after snowstorm, especially in the Cascades. We've already broken 20 year snowfall records and it's the first week of January.

As such, we are in the unusual predicament of essentially being cut off from the rest of the US at the moment, as all passes across the Cascades are closed until at least Sunday. Flooding in the south means that I5 is shut down in parts because its underwater.

WSDOT posted this today and I gotta say, this is some spectacular work:

WSDOT posted:

Road Closed signs apply to everyone. This is why. On Thursday evening this semi went through the road closure on White Pass and got stuck. Our crews had to rescue the occupants, take them to safety and then later today guide the truck down behind our blower. Our crews are working really hard to get things open, and things like this don't help. So please, if you see a road closed sign, don't ignore it.

# ? Jan 8, 2022 01:01

Humbug Scoolbus: Apr 25, 2008; The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, stern and wild ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.; Clapping Larry

Solar Coaster posted:

So Washington State has been getting hammered by snowstorm after snowstorm, especially in the Cascades. We've already broken 20 year snowfall records and it's the first week of January.

As such, we are in the unusual predicament of essentially being cut off from the rest of the US at the moment, as all passes across the Cascades are closed until at least Sunday. Flooding in the south means that I5 is shut down in parts because its underwater.

WSDOT posted this today and I gotta say, this is some spectacular work:

That is some primo truckfuckling

# ? Jan 8, 2022 18:41