What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? - Car Talk - Nairaland
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| What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by logo77: 4:14pm On Sep 21, 2012 |
Please guys what is the best approach/decision to make when a driver suddenly sights a pothole "Death Trap" while travelling at a high speed. Suggestions please..... |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by LongOne1(m): 4:22pm On Sep 21, 2012 |
Slow down? 100km/hr is not that fast, 100mph, now you are talking. 4 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by azpekuliar: 4:47pm On Sep 21, 2012 |
If you SUDDENLY sight it, drive right into it while slowing down. Seen avoidable accidents and needless deaths occur just because the driver tried to dodge a pothole he sighted late. Better to end up with damaged rims, suspensions and shocks, than end up in the morgue. 89 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Wallie(m): 8:11pm On Sep 21, 2012 |
logo77: Please guys what is the best approach/decision to make when a driver suddenly sights a pothole "Death Trap" while travelling at a high speed. Depends! It depends on (1) what you see in front of you, (2) your car's ability to stop and/or swerve, (3) what's behind you, (4) how fast you're going, and (5) if you have enough time to react. If you are traveling at a high rate of speed, at times the best course of action is to make sure your steering wheel is straight and just run through the hole except if the hole is the size of a carnal, then you better slam on the brakes, brace yourself and pray that you don't get rear-ended by the trailer behind you.  Swerving a car at a high rate of speed demands a lot of skill from the driver and even more from the car’s suspension and tires because your steering input is inversely proportional to your speed (the faster you're traveling, the smaller the change in steering required). You also have to worry about unsettling the cars suspension which might cause the car to slide. Lastly, people mostly get into avoidable accidents because they panic and stop thinking or end up doing something totally irrational. 23 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 8:35pm On Sep 21, 2012 |
logo77: Please guys what is the best approach/decision to make when a driver suddenly sights a pothole "Death Trap" while travelling at a high speed.this is tricky. its either u apply ur brake and then enter the pothole or u check ur mirror, if both sides re free, then u can swerve to either side. just as stated above, trying to avoid traps like that has caused several more fatal accidents than anticipated. my two experiences i would share. sometime in 2003, i was returning from vgc via the lekki epe expressway. just before the chevron roundabout around 9pm i didnt sight the gallop on time at a speed of 120km/hr, i applied my brake softly and then passed over at high speed. thank God nothing happened but may if applied a forceful brake, something might have happened. only God knows. The other happened same yr just by the MRS filling station along the owonronsoki expressway whilst going to ikeja. the guy in my front saw a pothole, decided to apply his brake all of a sudden and stopped completely. i had no choice than to hit him from behind and the commercial bus behind me also hit me. it was some how fatal but no casaulties. lesson: applying brake isnt the solution 3 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 3:07pm On Sep 22, 2012 |
[quote author=Wallie] Depends! It depends on (1) what you see in front of you, (2) your car's ability to stop and/or swerve, (3) what's behind you, (4) how fast you're going, and (5) if you have enough time to react. If you are traveling at a high rate of speed, at times the best course of action is to make sure your steering wheel is straight and just run through the hole except if the hole is the size of a carnal, then you better slam on the brakes, brace yourself and pray that you don't get rear-ended by the trailer behind you. Swerving a car at a high rate of speed demands a lot of skill from the driver and even more from the car’s suspension and tires because your steering input is inversely proportional to your speed (the faster you're traveling, the smaller the change in steering required). You also have to worry about unsettling the cars suspension which might cause the car to slide. Correct! 1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 4:22pm On Sep 22, 2012 |
Try as much as possible to always wear your seatbelts.  No matter how deep the hole is; you would live to fix the part. Safety first6 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by CHIMCO(m): 7:57pm On Sep 22, 2012 |
To be safe-Dont be above 80kph in an unknown terrin so as to use ur brake no matter what you see ahead. 15 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by LongOne1(m): 3:09pm On Sep 23, 2012 |
All this do's and don'ts you guys are saying here, I'm sure the OP will first of all shout to his village Gods, then do all what you say he shouldn't.  Where is he anyway, no contribution from him since he started the thread. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 3:24pm On Sep 23, 2012 |
CHIMCO: To be safe-Dont be above 80kph in an unknown terrin so as to use ur brake no matter what you see ahead. The most sensible response here. If I know a route I take has random potholes, I wouldn't be driving fast. 100km/h though may be only 62mph, but there've been fatal, or close to trying to avoid obstacles at this relatively modest speed. Worse when the car has had the suspension artificially jacked up, any sudden change in direction can unsettle the ride. toba: i had no choice than to hit him from behind and the commercial bus behind me also hit me. it was some how fatal but no casaulties. Fatal means there was loss of life. Your case can hardly be described as fatal, if there were no casualties can it? 10 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Denn(m): 6:31am On Sep 24, 2012 |
Fatal can also mean " causing destruction, misfortune, ruin, or failure: The withdrawal of funds was fatal to the project." The guy ruined some expensive vehicle parts and it could have been "fatal" to his pocket Source: dictionary.com 6 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 9:57am On Sep 24, 2012 |
Denn: Fatal can also mean " causing destruction, misfortune, ruin, or failure: The withdrawal of funds was fatal to the project." As in the death of a project, yes... ...But in the context in which the word "fatal" was used here, it was incorrect. 11 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by logo77: 8:02am On Sep 25, 2012 |
Long One: All this do's and don'ts you guys are saying here, I'm sure the OP will first of all shout to his village Gods, then do all what you say he shouldn't. @ Long One....... I like your sense of humor (Sure there will be a loud shout of "JESUS!!!"  . I am very much here. I just want to be on the side lines. The topic is aimed at educating "not too" experienced drivers and to remind "the road masters" of what they already know. I really wish it makes front page. For the benefit of some NL'ders who may be driving to their towns and villages for the first time in their own cars this festive period......and you know how "smooth and lovely" our roads are. Above all the topic is to the remembrance of a friend who lost his life while trying to avoid a pothole Abuja/Okenne "Express" at about this time last year. And many of the carnages on our roads are also as a result taking the wrong steps (eg: swerving dangerously or applying the brake suddenly). I (and I am sure many NL’ders) have learnt from all the tips/suggestions and experiences shared 3 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Ikenna351(m): 12:06pm On Sep 25, 2012 |
If you are here to learn how to drive on highway, then you should go back to driving school and start from there. The topic simply means how to drive on highway. You dont learn driving by reading. Its a skill you learn by frrquent practice. The more you drive in the city as a beginner, the more you become skilled enough, an expert. A non expert behind the wheel or an inexperienced driver has no business with highway motoring. I can understand why number of half baked drivers is increasing in Nigeria, since the introduction of auto transmission in today driving school. A learner will buy a car today, drive it in the city the next two days, and drive the car on highway the 3rd day. After all, he can accelerate, brake and steer the car from an object. Isn't that what driving is all about? Learning driving with manual transmission forces one to actually imbibe the driving skill. A lot of learning takes place when a leaner is driving a manual tranny car, subconsciously. It will force you to drive as a leaner for a very long time in the city, which involves a lot of brain activity: mastering clutch engagements, when to shift to a higher and lower gears, when to use wheel brake or engine brake, etc. Unlike the auto trans that you will have only the accelerator and steering wheel to control, leaving you as dummy. The two weeks you spent in driving school are not enough to master these things. Dont expect an instructor to teach you skill he learnt after 20 years of driving in just 2 weeks. Highway is not some exams where you read and write. It takes minutes to act on city roads, but it takes seconds for highway. You dont think on highway, you just act. Because you dont have that time to think, unlike the city driving. Its your subconscious that makes you do whatever you find yourself doing in any eventuality on highway. Its something you find yourself doing, without knowing how. Because its skill. Trust me, if you see a deep pothole on top speed, you wont remember what your instructor or someone has taught you to do in such circumstances. Everything happens in seconds. Poor judgement leads you to death or hospital. Good judgement keeps you going. All the theories you gathered as a learner ends mostly on the city roads. How you perfect your driving in the cities, is what will keep you alive first time you drive on highway. Now to the question. Not all cars will behave the same way if you jump a deep pothole or swerve out of a pothole on top speed. Some cars are designed for highway and some are not. Likewise, the unique nature of Nigerian highways are not meant for everything on 4 wheels. What i would do if i see myself in such situation, depends on how far or close it is, the speed am doing, and most importantly, what i am driving. Not all cars can take swerving on speed more than 100 km/h. Likewise, not all cars can maintain stability/balance when it jumps a deep pothole on speed more than 120 km/h. This where the body weight, tire sizes, suspension & ground clearance come in. This is why am strongly against people altering the factory suspension of their cars, and still expect the car to perform as designed when it meets such situation. Such things are put into considerations when designing highway cars by the manufacturers. Altering any of it, means the car is no longer safe or fit for high speed driving. It is that simple. If you must drive on Nigerian highway as an inexperienced driver, dont speed upto 80 km/h. If you must drive a city car (a non handler) on Nigeria highway, dont speed beyond 80 km/h. With that speed, you can easily, brake or steer out of the pothole, without finding yourself and the car in the bush. Ikenna. 21 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by LongOne1(m): 1:05pm On Sep 25, 2012 |
logo77: Yeah, it is definitely a great topic. I wish the government could come up with laws for new drivers, as they do in the UK where you have to take a theory test and practical test before you get your licence. As Ikenna351 rightly pointed it, it takes a lot more than reading to get the skill. Even after that, you need awareness all the time, like using your three mirrors before each manoeuvre including swerving and braking. Maintaining the right speed is also important, as you can receive fines for driving too slowly. 3 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Wallie(m): 2:29pm On Sep 27, 2012 |
Ikenna351: ... I understand what you're trying to say but your comment should have been phrased differently. The greatest thing manufacturers think about when it comes to components in mass produced cars is cost. PERIOD. And when I say cost, the difference between competing parts could be as little as a few cents (less than a dollar). You have to realize that the differential cost will either come out of their profits or added to the cost of the car. Performance becomes a driving factor only when you're talking about true sport cars. I would even go as far as saying that cars like Camry and Accord are designed with reliability and cost as the driving factors that determine which parts to use. Performance doesn't even come into the picture until parts are already chosen. However, altering your suspension by just blindingly changing one of the components can result in a dangerous car. A properly designed aftermarket suspension will almost likely improve the performance (braking, body roll, handling) of your car. |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by ba7man(m): 12:56pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Pls, note these points carefully: (1) Know your car's handling capabilities. A BMW can sucessfully avoid the pothole but a Honda or Toyota might crash. (2) Press your breaks to slow down but never hold it into the pothole. Release it just b4 u enter to reduce d impact. Some potholes are less felt when enterd with speed. (3) Never break and turn ur steering wheel sharply at the same time. (4) B aware of traffic behind u. 14 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by lumideezle(m): 5:13pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
It is always safer to run into the pothole than any other course of actio. That of cause depends on the speed you are traveling. I remember taking safe and defensive driving lessons in my former company and emphases was laid on this particular issue. They said run in2 the pothole. You are better off fixing your car than in the morgue 2 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Okijajuju1(m): 5:17pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
When you are on top speed and you see a pothole, step on the brakes gently, quickly scan the size, depth and orientation of the pothole to determine if; 1. You can swerve around it and avoid it without an accident, 2. You can stride it (Drive over it.. i.e the pothole is under your car) 3. You can manuver your way through it without much impact.. 4. You are physically about to get an[a]lly f[u]cked.. Now if you are faced with scenario 4, then you have no other option but to step on your brakes hard and pray that you stop before you hit the hole or that the impact doesnt rip your vehicle to shreds.... 1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Yacubes(m): 5:18pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
If undodgable, wil speed over it. So God helg me |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by SisiKill1: 5:20pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
I have to say that I admire the accepting spirit of Nigerians. No matter what is thrown at us, we accept it and figure out ways to live with it. What do you if you see a pothole at 100km/hr speed or above? Since you are driving on a road at 100km/hr, it is safe to assume the road is a Major road. . .a highway even. Which begs the question - why should there be a pothole on a road where people can drive 100km/hr? Why should there a pothole on a road/major highway in a country with an FG, SG and LG? What do you do if you see a pothole at 100km/speed or above? How's about we make sure we don't see a pothole when driving at 100km/hr speed and above by calling the people in charge to task?! How's about we start demanding more for ourselves? At what point are we gonna start saying enough. . .enough with the senseless deaths caused by accidents? Enough with the flushing of money down the drain because you have to change your car ever year? Ah! Don't mind me, just musing out loud. @ Topic Do not Swerve!! 9 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Okijajuju1(m): 5:23pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Sisi_Kill: [size=14pt]I have to say that I admire the accepting spirit of Nigerians. No matter what is thrown at us, we accept it and figure out ways to live with it. My dear..That ship sailed and drowned a long time ago.. Wait till you see a thread titled "what would you do when faced with a 6 ft deep pond between you and your destination".... 2 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by SlyIg(f): 5:23pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Simply project and take off like a plane into the air. But remember to land at the tamac. 3 Likes |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 5:23pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Abi U no go driving school? People go kak for house, drivers license go come meet dem for house... Some body is about being a "mythbuster" on a Nigeria road  1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by chucky234(m): 5:24pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
I thought most of these modern cars come with ABS,for a car running 80mph you can successfully apply your break without having to swerve the car. All you have to do is apply the break slowly then full break if the pothole is bigger/larger what you initially assumed,with ABS car you will surely come out smoking,Rambo style. |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Sgtkoselupa: 5:25pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
I have expereienced this severally at Sagamu-Ore Expressway. I match the brake once and release, to reduce the speed, i enter the pothole like that. 1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by SisiKill1: 5:26pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Okija_juju:Lmao! Dude, don't make me laugh abeg, this is a serious matter.  1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Okijajuju1(m): 5:26pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
chucky234: I thought most of these modern cars come with ABS,for a car running 80mph you can successfully apply your break without having to swerve the car. DUDE!! What do you know about ABS?! .. 1 Like |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Nobody: 5:28pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Ikenna351: If you are here to learn how to drive on highway, then you should go back to driving school and start from there.this is a wonderful piece. Highly instructive |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by Okijajuju1(m): 5:29pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Sisi_Kill: Laugh ke?! I entered a pool of water one evening that was so high, my headlights were fully submerged.. All I kept praying was, 'LORD, DONT LET HER (my car) DIE IN THIS WATER'.. I cried when I got home that evening.. |
| Re: What To Do If You See A Pothole At 100km/hr Speed Or Above? by moodswing(m): 5:39pm On Sep 28, 2012 |
Confess your sins and say your last prayer. Jump to the back seat and continuously shout Chinekeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!. Till you blank out...................... Next question........ 4 Likes |
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