crash at dufferin and steeles

[thgear]

about 5 minutes ago i witnessed an 18wheeler fall asleep and lock up his brakes comming upto the interstection of Dufferin and Steeles

he catapulted the camry in front of him into an X5 doing a left turn, there was a black pick up somewhere in the mess that somehow ended up flipping on to its side, two other cars seemed to be hurt in the process, a van and something else.

no one was hurt

toe truck driver was first on the scene, cops came second and then a fire truck arrived

i then had to walk for all of 3 minutes back to the office because my car was now in the mall parking lot opposite this whole mess.

i bet this is gonna be on the next edition of "TRUCKS GONE WILD< STREET RACING EDITION"

[AndrewR]

Street Racer.. Crush the truck.

[Keith-02Accord]

Did he have an airbrush paint job?...If so, must have been street racing! :rolleyes:

[miataboi]

A trucker falling asleep and running an intersection almost took the life of one of our very own several years ago...

It was only because of his auto-x vision and skills that he was able to take some evaisive action and prevent being completely run-over / t-boned...

No doubt this saved his life.

With huge amounts of vehicular mass, comes great responsibility.

[feds]

Funny, I just had the scariest day on the road in a while.

Played a little hookey from work, and ran some errands in Hamilton:

1: Travelling West on king street (4 lanes, 1 way) 150 year old man in a buick tried to make a left turn from the middle lane. S-Drives and Greenstuffs save me and the P5.

2: 723 year old man on the Link, travelling 87kph in the left lane, decides that the precise moment I get beside him is the optimum time to weave out of his lane. Not change lanes, mind, just assert his control of the entire paved surface. With 2 wheels in the marbles, massively close to the curbing, and one hand halfway into the steering column, in a vain attempt to get his attention via the horn, he realizes what is going in, jerks his land yacht back left, and slams on the brakes.

Technically, since my car is modified (tires and brakes) odds are good i would have been charged for not avoiding these rolling fossils.

The day manditory, in vehicle, retesting is implemented (for EVERYONE) in 5-year or better intervals, I will gladly crush all of my vehicles and buy a camry in a show of solidarity.

[DEK]

Almost 5 years ago I changed professions. I now have an Ontario "B" class licence that allows me to drive anything in Ontario except a semi or anything with air brakes(going to be working on both of these). To get the "B" licence I was tested in a 40 foot long BIG school bus, and have since been retested as part of my job requirements. I am thoroughly convinced that at least half the drivers I see found their licence in a cereal box. Yesterday I saw a semi on the 401 following a car so closely I thought the semi actually touched the bicycles hanging on the back of the car. The problem with retesting is a lot of people could actually behave during the test.
I think there should be a Province wide data based that people can enter electronically to post instances of stupid driving. After a certain number of reports from different people in different or the same area, the reported driver gets a letter telling them their driving needs to be improved. If more reports come in, they get called for an interview. Just getting the letter may help some to smarten up.
DAVE KING

[Cap'n Pete]

I think there should be a Province wide data based that people can enter electronically to post instances of stupid driving. After a certain number of reports from different people in different or the same area, the reported driver gets a letter telling them their driving needs to be improved. If more reports come in, they get called for an interview. Just getting the letter may help some to smarten up.
DAVE KING
Heck no!! :eek: If it were left up to "opinion", I'm sure I'd have lost my license a few times over by now!! :rolleyes: (with letters from friends & family included!! :D)

..... although, if people would follow the basic RULES OF THE ROAD (drive right, pass left) then I wouldn't be forced to pass on the right, and get pulled over for doing it!? :mad: (the basis of my last speeding ticket, on the 401, in October 2002).

[John Powell]

The problem with drivers about my age and older is that all that was required to pass the test then was to drive around the block once without hitting anything or anyone, and successfully parallel park within about five to ten minutes with the car no more than a foot from the curb. :rolleyes: Most of us who were car nuts actually learned to drive properly after we got our licences, but the vast majority just kept stumbling along. :eek: It's not age that makes older drivers so bad, it's that they never actually learned how to drive properly in the first place! :mad:

[thgear]

The problem with drivers about my age and older is that all that was required to pass the test then was to drive around the block once without hitting anything or anyone, and successfully parallel park within about five to ten .....

THEN?

nothing has changed John, nothing at all :)

[John Powell]

THEN?

nothing has changed John, nothing at all :)

Oh? I thought the test now was more involved, but then I haven't had an MOT test for (mumble, mumble) years. :p

[thgear]

Oh? I thought the test now was more involved, but then I haven't had an MOT test for (mumble, mumble) years. :p

on my 16th birthday i went in and paid 100 dollars to write a 40 question multiple choice test, while the questions.. (some) were tricky on purpose, anyone with half a brain should figure it out, in fact reading the booklet is hardly even necessary, i knew the answers to most of the questions simply from driving as a passanger half my life.

The passing grade is 80%.. so you are allowed to make EIGHT mistakes. If you answered "on a yellow light you: c) step on the gas and try to make it", you will still pass the test.

now i can drive with someone who has 4 years experience pretty much anywhere!

8 months later i went in for a G2 test, the cost of which was included in the G1 examination.

i took this test in Aurora, i drove out of the building, stopped at a stop sign, drove for 1km, turned into a convenience store, did a 3 point turn, parked uphill (had to do that tricky wheel turning bullshit, those bastards always get you on the technicalities) i was also tested on the whole "turn key off before taking off seatbelt blah blah blah" or some BS like that, all very important stuff you know!

BAM, G2, i'm not even 17 yet... now i can really cause havok

8 months later i wake up on a Tuesday with a day off and no classes, i'm eating peanuts and watching MuchMusic's top 10 while trying to fight a hangover.

I put on some clothes and drive to the Aurora station again which now happens to be within 3 minutes of my house, i sit in "stand by" for 4 hours reading a book until i'm called.

i go outside and wait for my instructor, i see 4 guys standing by the entrance smoking and talking... 10 minutes later it turns out one of those guys is my tester.... at this point i want my 10 minutes back.

all of a sudden fear strikes me as i remeber that one of my tail lights is out (VW signature malfucntion) cuz the testers are supposed to check the condition of the car.

John Doe approaches my car and says "you waiting for a tester?" i give him a friendly nod, he hoppes in the car and i start the engine.

we drove silently through the streets of Aurora at 50/40kmh, i nearly fell asleep, with no traffic at all (2 in the afternoon) and clear roads i didnt even know what it is that i was being tested on

i nearly broke my neck "visibly turning my head" left and right checking all 3 mirrors every 8 seconds, i mean, how am i going to explain to this shmuck that i can do all that without really turning my head...

we get on the highway.... no one on it.... i do a couple of mock lane changes "when you feel its safe make a lane change"... it was so freaking safe that day that i could have done nascar style 3 lane sweeps at 200kmh... but again, i'm not there to prove anything. We drive back to home base and he tells me i passed

"your biggest issue is that you dont seem to take your hand of the shifter until you get into 3rd gear"

.... apperantly i'm supposed to put my hand back on the steering wheel after every shift.

TADA i'm not even 18 yet and i have a fully liscened G....

scary thought... :cool:

[John Powell]

Well, it is a little more "in depth" than mine was in 1957. :rolleyes: