QLeo
Established Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2023
- Messages
- 269
- Reaction score
- 404
- Points
- 128
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
- Driving
- MG4 SE LR
We have just done a road trip south (well most things are south for us) and on our way to Inverness, along a road we know pretty well, we pass a four way junction that needs caution. A little way after that, there is a road to one side that also needs care as people may be waiting for a while and think they are due to take their turn. We approached this, and I saw a lorry cone around the bend, meaning a VW campervan may not see us, so I slowed down. I'm really glad I did, as we came around the corner, to find a blind junction that, frankly we didn't even know was there, and looks to be just a track. And someone was coming out. It's the first time in 45 years of driving (I started early, OK? 
) that I actually had to do a full emergency stop. I was convinced we'd hit the car, and, in that way your mind races in moments like that, I was wondering how I could influence where we'd hit it. But Goth Leo, our lovely car, came to an incredibly quick stop, leaving just our hearts racing with adrenalin. Video later, and you can see it took a few seconds of recovery time to before we were both OK to continue.
So many aspects about this, on reflection. One was Leah at the garage when Goth Leo had his first service, reminding us to use the brakes to keep the disks and pads functioning, which I've been trying to do. Another was that the old boy in the car that pulled out may have misunderstood gesticulating by the VW driver to stay where he was as an "go ahead." I am also glad I was aware of the VW and slowed for the junction. We were probably doing 40-45mph at the time, but my eyes were on the situation not the speedo. Finally, there was someone right on our tail earlier on that road, who was driving in such a way as to make us think they really didn't know the road, and I wasn't happy with their car behaviour - you know the feeling. There were some roadworks, so I waved them past. Just as well I did, or we would have been rear-ended, for sure.
I've been asked if the car did the braking. I don't think so, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. Usually the car beeps when it alerts to a potential AEB situation, but it didn't beep at all. But it may have done had I not reacted in the way I fortunately did. Someone also suggested that the car "knows" when the peddle is being pressed hard, so does its bit to bring the car to a halt as quickly as possible. That's possible. There was a smell of very hot disks briefly afterwards (I don't think the smell was a, er, personal reaction...) I was not aware of any skidding or tyre issues.
Overall, we were grateful we were in our MG4.
Here's the link of the dashcam footage. There's no audio.
Other than this incident, and one more on the A9 when a red Audi (need I say more) chose to invent some road rules of his own, it was a trouble free trip to Cumbria. It was the first time we have done extensive motorway driving as we usually just need to go to the Central Belt rather than further south, and it was very easy driving in our car.
) that I actually had to do a full emergency stop. I was convinced we'd hit the car, and, in that way your mind races in moments like that, I was wondering how I could influence where we'd hit it. But Goth Leo, our lovely car, came to an incredibly quick stop, leaving just our hearts racing with adrenalin. Video later, and you can see it took a few seconds of recovery time to before we were both OK to continue.So many aspects about this, on reflection. One was Leah at the garage when Goth Leo had his first service, reminding us to use the brakes to keep the disks and pads functioning, which I've been trying to do. Another was that the old boy in the car that pulled out may have misunderstood gesticulating by the VW driver to stay where he was as an "go ahead." I am also glad I was aware of the VW and slowed for the junction. We were probably doing 40-45mph at the time, but my eyes were on the situation not the speedo. Finally, there was someone right on our tail earlier on that road, who was driving in such a way as to make us think they really didn't know the road, and I wasn't happy with their car behaviour - you know the feeling. There were some roadworks, so I waved them past. Just as well I did, or we would have been rear-ended, for sure.
I've been asked if the car did the braking. I don't think so, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. Usually the car beeps when it alerts to a potential AEB situation, but it didn't beep at all. But it may have done had I not reacted in the way I fortunately did. Someone also suggested that the car "knows" when the peddle is being pressed hard, so does its bit to bring the car to a halt as quickly as possible. That's possible. There was a smell of very hot disks briefly afterwards (I don't think the smell was a, er, personal reaction...) I was not aware of any skidding or tyre issues.
Overall, we were grateful we were in our MG4.
Here's the link of the dashcam footage. There's no audio.
Other than this incident, and one more on the A9 when a red Audi (need I say more) chose to invent some road rules of his own, it was a trouble free trip to Cumbria. It was the first time we have done extensive motorway driving as we usually just need to go to the Central Belt rather than further south, and it was very easy driving in our car.
