Saturday, Mid-Day. I consider myself extremely lucky to not be injured or dead. Just a short while ago, I was driving home from the gym. I was exiting a major highway onto the final road leading to my home. There was light rain. I wasn't exceeding the speed limit and was probably only 10 miles over the recommended speed limit for the exit. The exit was curving to a road 90 degrees to the highway. Suddenly I lost control; the car wouldn't continue turning but went straight ahead. I turned the wheel and probably tapped the breaks (I do have anti-lock brakes, which are brand new, and fairly new tires). The car swerved all over. I was sure I'd be in an accident. WHen I didn't think I'd hit any cars (fortunately not many were around), I felt sure I'd hit the guard rail head on. The car spun around 180 degrees, off the road onto the grass (which was level with the road). I was facing traffic, but safely on the grass.

I was puzzled as to the cause. Had I been going too fast on a wet road? If so, was it due to listening to "Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch" too loud? (Recall that Dalton almost got in an accident listening to the soundtrack.) Was there something faulty about these new brakes? Then I remembered putting air into my front tires a week ago. Had I put too much into them? I borrowed my Dad's tire guage, and he watched as I checked the pressure. He went nuts when seeing that my front left tire had 50 lbs of pressure when it had a max recommended of 35! The other 3 tires were a little low. I didn't realize that you're supposed to check the pressure after putting air in; thought that if it looked right, it would be okay. (D'oh, as Emma would say)

I still hadn't told Dad anything about my incident, but he said that when tires that overfilled get hot, they can explode. And if that happened on a two way road, I would have gone into oncoming traffic.

Let this be a lesson to anyone else who didn't know about tire science!

-- BobG (rgregorio@ibm.net), November 08, 1998

Answers

P.S. Correction: it was actually Sunday, which may account for fewer cars. I assume that the overinflated tire caused the incident. If Dalton reads this, I am certain he will have the best explanation.

-- BobG (bob@bob.bob), November 08, 1998.

"All life is a matter of luck" ... although sometimes "a real man makes his own luck."

In fact, the "Take her to sea, Mr. Murdock" track is a very relaxing one, in which man is supreme (with or withought that cup of tea). That could be, too. But it must have been the tire.

"But this tire cannot explode ... it is unexplodable!" "I can assure you it can, sir." "It is made of" synthetic rubber. "It's a mathematical certainty" (with a low probability, though).

And Emma would also say: "Hooly-Dooly, Bob!" :-)

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), November 08, 1998.

Sorry for "without." I guess w/o is easier, but highly improper and corrupted :-)

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), November 08, 1998.

I am thankful you are still with us. *phew*

DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!!!! People will think I'm so horrible that you'd kill yourself to be rid of me...

-- Gilded Age Junkie (gildedagejunkie@yahoo.com), November 08, 1998.

As Dan has already said Hooly Dooly, I'll just say crikey BobG, that was very close. That has happened to me once back in 1995, I took a corner too fast and swung into the other lane but luckily there was no-one there. It sure shook me up though.

Also, my dad wouldn't let me out in the car until I knew how to change the spare tyre and how much pressure to put into tyres when refilling. So at age 18 I knew that tyres (or my tyres anyway) were only to be blown up to 35psi. 50psi is WAY too full, as you obviously learned.

-- Emma (dilemma76@hotmail.com), November 08, 1998.

PS. I'm really glad that you're okay :-)

-- Emma (dilemma76@hotmail.com), November 08, 1998.

glad you're still with us, bobg

-- Allison (allisonelizabeth@mb.sympatico.ca), November 08, 1998.

"You have a gift, Emma... You do... You see tires!" Ha-ha, couldn't resist the temptation.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), November 08, 1998.

BobG is both unsinkable and unexplodable!!!

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), November 09, 1998.

All I can do is shake my head laughing, Bob. I remember in the olden days when I sold tires to people like you who had no clue how to take care of them! I am glad to hear that you are okay, but let this be a lesson to you. Don't go out with 50 psi in one tire and less in the others. It is very bad for you and the tires!

-- Misty (HiRver@concentric.net), November 09, 1998.

Hmm...could it be that you had lit the last boilers and were under-ruddered and couldn't corner worth a damn?

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), November 10, 1998.

Ha-ha, Peter!

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), November 10, 1998.

Ambition over adhesion my friend.

-- Alex Zanardi (a_zanardi@williams.co.uk), November 12, 1998.

Wow...you people can turn ANYTHING into a metaphor for Titanic. :)

-- Gilded Age Junkie (gildedagejunkie@yahoo.com), November 13, 1998.