Board logo

An incentive to wear head protection in a Locost!
David Jenkins - 3/12/08 at 12:19 PM

EADT

This was in an ordinary tin-top, and I don't know how big the piece of metal was - it did go through a windscreen - but a Locost driver with a crash helmet would have a better chance of survival than one without any protection at all.

Mr Whippy - 3/12/08 at 12:28 PM

hmm not sure really tbh, takes a fair force to punch through a windscreen and I can't see a crash helmet being any better at stopping it. They're not really designed to work with point loads as most are just thin plastic shells with some foam inside, rather they are meant to save your head if you land on the ground, not stop large projectiles. Have used a pick once on a windscreen and their tougher than you'd think.





[Edited on 3/12/08 by Mr Whippy]

paul the 6th - 3/12/08 at 12:44 PM

F**K me! Bit grim

final destination springs to mind...

A1 - 3/12/08 at 12:52 PM

dunno, helmets used to have to pass a test where they dropped a pointy metal spike from (i think) 3m onto them.
for some reason theyve stopped doing it...

poor sod...

Mr Whippy - 3/12/08 at 01:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by A1
dunno, helmets used to have to pass a test where they dropped a pointy metal spike from (i think) 3m onto them.
for some reason theyve stopped doing it...

poor sod...


don't think my one would have stopped it, though its not an expensive one and she's said I'm getting a proper one for christmas

this one seemed be doing quite well then failed quite suddenly and fell to pieces. clearly once fractured they lose most of their strength...

tube linky

[Edited on 3/12/08 by Mr Whippy]

02GF74 - 3/12/08 at 01:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Have used a pick once on a windscreen and their tougher than you'd think.



agree. I was once on M25 when beery lorry whoosed into the middle lane and it was only the conrete barrier taht stopped it tipping into the opposite lane - it sheds its load - I was but one car behind it.

we we all stopped to take a looksee, on the opposing lane, there was a silver Porsche (aren't they all?) 911 or boxter with a beer barrel wedged in its windscreen! it almost ceratinly saved the driver from instant death.


oh, in case you were wondering, no one was injured just a few dented cars and beer spray everywhere.

[Edited on 3/12/08 by 02GF74]

Mr Whippy - 3/12/08 at 01:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74

beer spray everywhere.



oh the senseless waste...

Alan B - 3/12/08 at 02:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74

beer spray everywhere.



oh the senseless waste...


The only question was who'd be first with that comment...it was never IF someone would make it...



[Edited on 3/12/08 by Alan B]

iank - 3/12/08 at 02:12 PM

There are some things windscreens/visors won't stop, worse in a 7 as in a harness you can't even duck.

But I agree with David's basic point if you aren't wearing protection then you're definitely dead, with it then you have a chance. For example I have a fair sized stonechip from a lump of gravel thrown up by a lorry at about eye height in the tintop. Wouldn't have wanted to catch it with my face!

iank - 3/12/08 at 02:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74

beer spray everywhere.



oh the senseless waste...


The only question was who'd be first with that comment...it was never IF someone would make it...



[Edited on 3/12/08 by Alan B]


I'd have put money on who would be first

02GF74 - 3/12/08 at 02:12 PM

^^^ LOL - it was lager so no great loss.

(the thought of snucking a barrel into the back of my volvo did occur though!)

scootz - 3/12/08 at 02:25 PM

I remember as kids we would break the ceramic surrounds off spark plugs and crush them with bricks. You could then flick tiny pieces of the ceramic at windscreens and they would smash (my mates dad had a scrapyard... just in case you were wondering what kind of delinquent I was ).

Mr Whippy - 3/12/08 at 02:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
I remember as kids we would break the ceramic surrounds off spark plugs and crush them with bricks. You could then flick tiny pieces of the ceramic at windscreens and they would smash (my mates dad had a scrapyard... just in case you were wondering what kind of delinquent I was ).


never heard of this before, how can a tiny piece break a windscreen? how fast are they going??

Peteff - 3/12/08 at 03:43 PM

I was following a lorry up the M1 sheltering behind him when a silencer that must have fallen off something else caught between his rear tyres and was thrown up and over me in the locost. There was nothing behind me so it landed back on the road but If I'd been further back or in a taller car it would definitely have hit me. Although I had my helmet on I don't think I would have been conscious or able to control the car if it had hit me.

02GF74 - 3/12/08 at 04:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
I was following a lorry up the M1 sheltering behind him when a silencer that .......



^^^^ there lies he error of your ways.

I like to hang back to see not only a vast expanse of road in front of me but also what is ahead in front of anytihg in front of me. Someone I worked with had similar experience of exhaust come flying at him and missing him.

I also tend to look at how the exhaust is attached to the car in front, how loosely tied on are bikes to any rack or anything dodgy carried on trailers and either overtake or hang well back.

stevebubs - 3/12/08 at 04:28 PM

The links underneath are interesting..

Rape suspects re-bailed by police
Cannabis plants seized in drug raid
'Save ambulances for real emergencies'
Fire breaks out at business park
Man loses leg in port horror
Man hit by debris on A12 dies
UFO spotted above Cathedral
Conjoined twin dies after op
£100k needed to make historic park safe
Villages oppose wind farm project

[Edited on 3/12/08 by stevebubs]

skydivepaul - 3/12/08 at 05:55 PM

to reiterate the importance of head protection whilst driving your open top car around.................................if you have ever been alongside a lorry travelling on the motorway when they have a tyre blow out you will know.

I was in an MG midget when this happened to me. luckily they have a full windscreen and the side windows were wound up at the time otherwise i would have been wearing the contents of the trucks tyres (shit, dust, debris and old rubber)

dhutch - 3/12/08 at 06:37 PM

Going down the A50 to a uni openday before i had passed my test got a bit of a shake up.
- The my dads 306, about 100ft behind a lorry, inside land.
- All of a sudden an 8ft lenght of bend scaff bar comes out from under the wheels and jumps up 6ft high.
- Had cars overtaking but not much behind so ended up slamming the anchors on and going over it at about 30 seconds have it had landed down.

In the end the only damage was a slight dent in the leading edge of the engine tray.
- But that would have come through the window if it had happened diffrently.
- Or failing that, half an inch higher and it would prberbly have holed the sump.


Daniel

David Jenkins - 3/12/08 at 07:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by skydivepaul
to reiterate the importance of head protection whilst driving your open top car around.................................if you have ever been alongside a lorry travelling on the motorway when they have a tyre blow out you will know.


I've been walking along a pavement when a lorry tyre has burst about 20 metres in front of me... nearly required a change of undies!

When you see the remains of lorry tyres on the side of motorways you can see how 'destroyed' they are.

lococost - 5/12/08 at 08:22 AM

Mythbusters once did an episode on exploding truck tires. Watch from 3:10 in the vid to see what a tire launched at 40mph can do to you... No helmet is going to help you with this

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/mythbusters-semi-tire-decapitation/1035024470

Vindi_andy - 18/12/08 at 02:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
I remember as kids we would break the ceramic surrounds off spark plugs and crush them with bricks. You could then flick tiny pieces of the ceramic at windscreens and they would smash (my mates dad had a scrapyard... just in case you were wondering what kind of delinquent I was ).


never heard of this before, how can a tiny piece break a windscreen? how fast are they going??


Its to do with the chemical reaction between glass and ceramic i think. Its also the reason some ceramic plate when dropped onto ceramic tile floor survive but anything Pyrex wont.