S2000 Rollover Test - Results.....
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,979
Likes: 0
From: North Yorks
Your official rollover tester can now report his findings.......
Yep, I managed the worlds slowest roll on Sunday after hitting a patch of black ice - the story is this:-
I needed petrol for work on Monday, so Sunday morning I thought I'd better get some today as I don't want to be rushing around a 7 in the morning with all the ice on the roads. I waited until after lunch so that the sun would have been out for a while to help melt some of the ice.
I was driving down the road that leads from my village (narrow, ungritted) and indeed, where the sun had been, the road was clear and dry. I was approaching a section of the road which always has frost as it is through an avenue of trees so I slowed to around 20-25mph, sure enough it was icy, so, with no steering input and a balanced throttle I tiptoed onto the ice.
I'd managed about 50 yards when (I think) the nearside rear wheel hit a dry patch of road and the car 'twisted' slightly to the right, I stayed off the brakes and countersteered but as the car was now back on black ice, nothing I did had any effect and I braced myself to hit the verge and maybe crack a bumper.
To my great surprise, the front end rode up the (steep) bank, followed by the rear end, the car almost came to a standstill, then, to my even greater surprise, the car started to roll and I hear the sickening crunching sound of my passenger side panels meeting the road. Then the even more sickening feeling of the car going completely over, then onto the driver's side and back onto it's wheels in the fence back on my own side of the road.
The car rolled on the windscreen top and bonnet meaning that virtually every panel apart from the bootlid has been scratched and dented and the passenger side of the windscreen is about 2" further back than it was- but thanks to the low speed at which it all happened, I am absolutely fine, no whiplash, no cuts or bruises whatsoever. It all happened so slowly that I remember everything, which I believe is unusual in a crash.
The final insult was getting out of the car and falling flat on my arse on the sheet ice, which actually hurt more than the events preceeding it
The car wouldn't start after the accident as the fuel cut-off switch had tripped, but thanks to Keith's ESM I found the reset yesterday and drove my battered car home (roof down, one still has to maintain standards
) - it's being towed away today or tomorrow.
I don't want to speculate, but my feeling is that the LSD sensed the grip at one wheel and sent more drive to it, as the front end had no lateral grip this may have caused the sideways motion since I'm sure there was no throttle or steering input from me (I'd already managed 50 or so yards in a straight line).
So, take it from me, if you know the road has sheet ice on it, either don't take the car or drive over at 5mph. I have had about
Yep, I managed the worlds slowest roll on Sunday after hitting a patch of black ice - the story is this:-
I needed petrol for work on Monday, so Sunday morning I thought I'd better get some today as I don't want to be rushing around a 7 in the morning with all the ice on the roads. I waited until after lunch so that the sun would have been out for a while to help melt some of the ice.
I was driving down the road that leads from my village (narrow, ungritted) and indeed, where the sun had been, the road was clear and dry. I was approaching a section of the road which always has frost as it is through an avenue of trees so I slowed to around 20-25mph, sure enough it was icy, so, with no steering input and a balanced throttle I tiptoed onto the ice.
I'd managed about 50 yards when (I think) the nearside rear wheel hit a dry patch of road and the car 'twisted' slightly to the right, I stayed off the brakes and countersteered but as the car was now back on black ice, nothing I did had any effect and I braced myself to hit the verge and maybe crack a bumper.
To my great surprise, the front end rode up the (steep) bank, followed by the rear end, the car almost came to a standstill, then, to my even greater surprise, the car started to roll and I hear the sickening crunching sound of my passenger side panels meeting the road. Then the even more sickening feeling of the car going completely over, then onto the driver's side and back onto it's wheels in the fence back on my own side of the road.
The car rolled on the windscreen top and bonnet meaning that virtually every panel apart from the bootlid has been scratched and dented and the passenger side of the windscreen is about 2" further back than it was- but thanks to the low speed at which it all happened, I am absolutely fine, no whiplash, no cuts or bruises whatsoever. It all happened so slowly that I remember everything, which I believe is unusual in a crash.
The final insult was getting out of the car and falling flat on my arse on the sheet ice, which actually hurt more than the events preceeding it
The car wouldn't start after the accident as the fuel cut-off switch had tripped, but thanks to Keith's ESM I found the reset yesterday and drove my battered car home (roof down, one still has to maintain standards
) - it's being towed away today or tomorrow.I don't want to speculate, but my feeling is that the LSD sensed the grip at one wheel and sent more drive to it, as the front end had no lateral grip this may have caused the sideways motion since I'm sure there was no throttle or steering input from me (I'd already managed 50 or so yards in a straight line).
So, take it from me, if you know the road has sheet ice on it, either don't take the car or drive over at 5mph. I have had about
Registered User
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 25,255
Likes: 0
From: Cheshire
Bloody hell 
Glad you emerged unscathed, Mark. At slow speed or not, I'm sure it must have been a traumatic experience.
When I collected my car from the garage where it was repaired after its prang, they had an S in that had been rolled (and at substantially higher speed than it sounds like you were doing) - from the brief look that I had, the only panel that seemed to have escaped damage was the bonnet. It was eventually written off. Let's hope the damage to yours isn't so severe - fingers crossed on your behalf.
Glad you emerged unscathed, Mark. At slow speed or not, I'm sure it must have been a traumatic experience.
When I collected my car from the garage where it was repaired after its prang, they had an S in that had been rolled (and at substantially higher speed than it sounds like you were doing) - from the brief look that I had, the only panel that seemed to have escaped damage was the bonnet. It was eventually written off. Let's hope the damage to yours isn't so severe - fingers crossed on your behalf.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 8,208
Likes: 0
From: Bournemouth
Jeez Mark - sorry to hear about the accident but glad you're OK 
I hope its sorted out quickly and easily for you.
I know you've had a lot of training so it really does show how dangerous ice can be.
I hope its sorted out quickly and easily for you.
I know you've had a lot of training so it really does show how dangerous ice can be.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,885
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
I am feeling like I've done the right thing by using my wife's Audi this week and leaving the S tucked up the garage
glad to hear you are ok, that's two incidents recently involving loss of control in this winter weather
glad to hear you are ok, that's two incidents recently involving loss of control in this winter weather
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,979
Likes: 0
From: North Yorks
Originally posted by Mark Turner
When I collected my car from the garage where it was repaired after its prang, they had an S in that had been rolled (and at substantially higher speed than it sounds like you were doing) - the only panel that seemed to have escaped damage was the bonnet. It was eventually written off. Let's hope the damage to yours isn't so severe - fingers crossed on your behalf.
When I collected my car from the garage where it was repaired after its prang, they had an S in that had been rolled (and at substantially higher speed than it sounds like you were doing) - the only panel that seemed to have escaped damage was the bonnet. It was eventually written off. Let's hope the damage to yours isn't so severe - fingers crossed on your behalf.
I'm really happy to hear you are OK Mark! As you point out though - if this can happen to you it can most certainly happen to the best of us.... a sobering thought.