eggynatey

Man, what a drive. Today was the day I drove over to Rishie's shop (AutoRnD) to pick up my new wheels for the FC. Here's a linky to me blathering about em:
https://www.mazda3club.com/off-topic-8/new-wheels-41201/

I was going over Hwy 17, which is the main hwy into Santa Cruz from San Jose/ the rest of the world. It was built a long, long time ago, and although CALTRANS takes good care of it, it's just too narrow and windey for all the cars that travel it everyday. There's a LOT of wrecks on 17, even in the summer. When it rains, there's at least 1 wreck a day.
Anyway, I was, clipping along in the P5 (which has stock wheels and Dunlops that'r pretty much like new), I hit some standing water... The Protege hydroplaned a little bit and kinda got sideways , but I just calmly let up on the throttle a bit and steered out of it. No worries, but I definately found that today was no time to be speeding. I turned on the music and put my mind into cruise mode.

About 15 miles later, I was going about 50 or so when I saw a Grand Cherokee in my rearview. He was going at least 60 (the speed limit on Hwy17 is 50...way too low to have fun on a dry, clear day, but just about right for a day when we're getting about 1/2" of rain an hour for 5-6 hours straight. I was just cruising, so I got over into the slow lane and watched him go into the corner that I was already halfway through.
I saw his headlights look right, then left, then right again, and I knew he was in trouble. He over-corrected and dorifted into the center divider between N & S lanes, bounced off of it --airbags and bumper exploding- -and SLAM!!ed into the side of the cliff on the insiode of the corner. As I went through the rest of the turn, I saw him roll at least 3-5 times. He was still rolling when I drove out of view. F-in gnarley how much momentum he had. I think I had 911 on the line even before he stopped rolling!
I haven't seen a wreck like that in a long time, and it scared the crap outta me. Please drive safley everyone. These first rains of the season are the most dangerous because not only are we not used to driving slower then normal, but the roads are EXTRA slippery. Remember, there's a summer's worth of oil on the road that's being rained on and brought to the surface.

Cliffs:
-Hwy 17 is dangerous, especially in the rain.
-Natey was driving sanely for once.
-Some guy rolled his SUV.
-Profit?

ghettopro

Around here, I have a tendency to not start slowing down fast enough and sliding occasioanlly, ive gotten better over time..

Ive only hydroplanned once, and the was with a drop off on one side of a road...great...

I wish it would rain some mroe around here so i can get some storm experience, b/c 80% of the time i come from a stop with a little tire spin...i want more precision...but it hasnt rained......poo...

tailland

you know...
it's been snowing heavily down here, weather is cold, wet etc.....
at the german community i wanted to make a funny post like "hey,for the people who will crash their BJs in the next 2 or 3 weeks, write me a pm,i'm always looking for spare parts"..i mean,it's always the same in the winter..people don't drive carefully and have accidents... i thought i could make them think and drive more carefully, but...

when i browsed the forum at that evening when i wanted to make that post, already 2 BJs have had a crash, both pretty bad (noone hurt, but several thousand euros of damage)..so i didn't make that post, it would've been cynical...

i really don't get it... why especially young people drive like idiots in bad weather conditions...
is it so hard to understand that you should drive carefully when the outside temperature is like 2C/35F, the road is slightly wet and air humidity is high?

kargoboy

Ppl are stupid in general, and ppl in SUVs are even stupider because they think they are indestrucable. Around here, in bad weather, there are bascially two kinds of drivers:
The one who drive dangerously slow and the ones who drive dangerously fast. I try to avoid them both.
And Natey--those stock Dunlops SUCK in the rain no matter how much tread is left.

macdaddyslomo

Yep...just had to check my tire pressures, as i was slip sliding too much myself in the rain....for sure i was quite a bit low...only like 17lbs !!!

Check your tires everybody....makes a huge difference

zerocover

How much psi you guys recomend for wet driving. Ive got some Michilin tires that handle some insane psi, I know that if I raise the tire pressure it will reduce hydo planning but drop normal preformance. Ive never actaully known the recomeneded pressure for us. I just always used to keep the tires at the max some 32psi. These however go to some 50+.

Route 17 around here is actually pretty safe (nice and strait) usually a speed fest too. with most driving at 70+. Its route 4 thats dangerous even though its a pretty strait road most people drive 40 on it and wind up flipping there suvs.

macdaddyslomo

i'd say keep it around 32...mine seems very good at that psi....

JDM-P5

Daaaaaaaaayum.

meGrimlock

were the kids safe? cuz you know, thats the reason everyone gives for buying an SUV! high rollover rate, heavy & awkward, feet & toe crushing frame, best excuse ever!

Anarchistchiken

You have dunlops on your P5? In the name of god, why man?

I was riding down to my friends lake house in the back of his suburban on a rainy day, when I looked into the opposite lane of traffic and saw a jeep liberty fly past us backwards. We never could figure out how he managed to spin around going up a hill with enough momentum to carry him up the hill a few hundred feet then off the road and into a grove of trees. It was pretty crazy to watch though.