Level crossing stupidity...

[PhilJ W]

The air bags hadn't deployed, you can see that clearly in one of the photographs. Probably they are only set to deploy in a frontal collision. Just as well as air bags go off with quite a bit of power and could have momentarily stunned the driver enough to stop her getting out in time.

[boxbrownie]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The air bags hadn't deployed, you can see that clearly in one of the photographs. Probably they are only set to deploy in a frontal collision. Just as well as air bags go off with quite a bit of power and could have momentarily stunned the driver enough to stop her getting out in time.

You’d definitely see than had they gone off indeed, it may have had just frontal airbags if it was an older model and as it wasn’t the right kind of impact you could well be correct.

 

 

[boxbrownie]

25 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Looks like a fairly basic Fiesta so probably only had front bags as standard.

 

If the lady took the key out as she scarpered, would they have activated anyway?

 

Alternatively, by the time the photo got taken, the driver's one had been deflated ready for recovery?

If she had turned the ignition off no they wouldn’t go off, but I read it as if she had seconds to get out after seeing the train, I wouldn’t have bothered taking the bloody key! 

[boxbrownie]

30 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Looks like a fairly basic Fiesta so probably only had front bags as standard.

I believe it is a SEAT.

 

ps, Fiesta (new) has all airbags, as does virtually every new car* nowadays otherwise they’d never get a NCAP crash rating.

 

* mainstream, not sure about the bargain basement Sandero type though.

Edited December 12, 2021 by boxbrownie

[Dunsignalling]

9 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

I believe it is a SEAT.

That's the trouble with cars these days.

 

Knock the badge off and you haven't a clue who made it.

 

Pity, though, the Ibiza used to be by far the best looking car in its class, the Mk5 just looks like all the other bargain basement models.

 

John

Edited December 12, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Dunsignalling]

6 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

If she had turned the ignition off no they wouldn’t go off, but I read it as if she had seconds to get out after seeing the train, I wouldn’t have bothered taking the bloody key! 

Me neither, well not consciously anyhow. One of those things one tends to do automatically, though. 

[boxbrownie]

7 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Me neither, well not consciously anyhow. One of those things one tends to do automatically, though. 

Not had an ignition key for years…….just a fob in my pocket…….easier to get out and run if a train is coming 

[LMS2968]

Never have to worry about these things with the Ford Prefect . . . 

[Dunsignalling]

3 minutes ago, LMS2968 said:

Never have to worry about these things with the Ford Prefect . . . 

My old Popular didn't need a key. A bit of lolly stick was good enough!

 

John

[boxbrownie]

8 minutes ago, LMS2968 said:

Never have to worry about these things with the Ford Prefect . . . 

All you had to worry about was getting to your destination 

[LMS2968]

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

All you had to worry about was getting to your destination 

Only failed twice in forty-nine years!

[rab]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

All you had to worry about was getting to your destination 

Especially if you it was raining and you were going uphill

 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, rab said:

Especially if you it was raining and you were going uphill

 

 

Only people who have lived it will know 

[LMS2968]

Which is why I always fit electric wipers. And in an attempt to return to the topic, this allows me to better see the level crossings!

[johnofwessex]

4 hours ago, LMS2968 said:

Never have to worry about these things with the Ford Prefect . . . 

 

Wot, him?

 

[Nick C]

5 hours ago, LMS2968 said:

Never have to worry about these things with the Ford Prefect . . . 

I suspect if some of these modern plastic trains hit a prefect, the car would probably win! Not so sure about it's occupants though...

[Ben B]

1 hour ago, johnofwessex said:

 

Wot, him?

 

There's a frood who always knows where his towell is

[Titan]

53 minutes ago, Ben B said:

There's a frood who always knows where his towell is

 

A hoopy frood me thinks!  On one of the more recent HHGTTG radio series I was in stitches after Ford started to babble on a tangent and Arthur exclaimed "Ford, Focus!"

[rab]

3 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Only people who have lived it will know 

Even less than those who understand double declutching

[jcm@gwr]

5 minutes ago, rab said:

Even less than those who understand double declutching

 

Not forgetting, when things go wrong, clutch-less gear changes!

[jcredfer]

21 minutes ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

Not forgetting, when things go wrong, clutch-less gear changes!

 

...  as well as clutch-less for faster changes...      

 

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Only people who have lived it will know 

 

1 hour ago, rab said:

Even less than those who understand double declutching

Double declutching? on a Ford Prefect its a case of first catch your gear lever.

[durham light infantry]

1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said:

 

Not forgetting, when things go wrong, clutch-less gear changes!

 

My Dad taught me to drive a crash gearbox and clutch-less changes on a Daimler CCG5 with a David Brown gearbox. An unforgiving mistress but a valuable experience.

Many years later when driving a curtain sided lorry I fell (3 inches!) and tore the ligaments off the outside of my left ankle. By driving nearly 90 miles clutch-less I was able to recover myself and the vehicle back home. 

[melmerby]

Ashland VA gets it's crown back:

 

[101]

11 hours ago, melmerby said:

Ashland VA gets it's crown back:

 

 

Strange recovery - surely it would be easier and cause less damage to just reverse back to the entry point, then all that would be needed would be a couple of ramps - which as it happens so regularly the recovery trucks could carry.