Saved by VSA once again
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,452
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From: Northeast Jersey
Saved by VSA once again
So... yesterday I went out for a cruise because one, it was like 80 degrees out with hardly any humidity and two, both my battery packs for my wireless Xbox 360 remotes were dead, so I couldn't play Forza 2... lol.
Well... I was out on my usual spirited drive, doing the same route that I always do, and I come upon a 2-lane on-ramp (for the local NE Jersey people... it's the on-ramp onto Rt 3 East from 21 North) that could comfortably be done at about 50 mph.
So I enter this ramp and out of no where... there it is spilled all over the 2-lane ramp about 3 - 4 feet wide... the greasy liquids that fall out of Garbage Trucks all the time. I was doing the out-in-out on the ramp since no one was around me and this spill was on the outside part of the inside lane. Now this ramp is a left turn ramp, so when I was in the apex of the turn, my right side tires were in the grease. Well the front part of the car let loose first which instantly put me in the right lane. Once I first hit the grease, I tried to straighten out the wheel, but it didn't matter at all. It felt like I was turning tires on ice. Then once the front tires caught traction, the rear end started to whip out of place and that's when good old Nurse VSA started to tend to my needs. It instantly kicked in and kept me from going into a spin and hitting the guard rail.
For all those that think it is not needed because of driver skill... this is a perfect example of how you never know what's in the road in front of you when you're not expecting it. I don't care how good of a driver you are... you hit anything slippery on the road... Coolant, oil, Garbage Truck grease deposits... you will lose all control of the car.
Andre
Well... I was out on my usual spirited drive, doing the same route that I always do, and I come upon a 2-lane on-ramp (for the local NE Jersey people... it's the on-ramp onto Rt 3 East from 21 North) that could comfortably be done at about 50 mph.
So I enter this ramp and out of no where... there it is spilled all over the 2-lane ramp about 3 - 4 feet wide... the greasy liquids that fall out of Garbage Trucks all the time. I was doing the out-in-out on the ramp since no one was around me and this spill was on the outside part of the inside lane. Now this ramp is a left turn ramp, so when I was in the apex of the turn, my right side tires were in the grease. Well the front part of the car let loose first which instantly put me in the right lane. Once I first hit the grease, I tried to straighten out the wheel, but it didn't matter at all. It felt like I was turning tires on ice. Then once the front tires caught traction, the rear end started to whip out of place and that's when good old Nurse VSA started to tend to my needs. It instantly kicked in and kept me from going into a spin and hitting the guard rail.
For all those that think it is not needed because of driver skill... this is a perfect example of how you never know what's in the road in front of you when you're not expecting it. I don't care how good of a driver you are... you hit anything slippery on the road... Coolant, oil, Garbage Truck grease deposits... you will lose all control of the car.
Andre
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,452
Likes: 6
From: Northeast Jersey
Me too.
When I saw that strip of grease, all I can really do was brace myself cause there was nothing I could have done with that. And luckily there was no one next to me.
Lesson learned, try to only be agressive on ramps that you can see ahead of you.
Andre
When I saw that strip of grease, all I can really do was brace myself cause there was nothing I could have done with that. And luckily there was no one next to me.
Lesson learned, try to only be agressive on ramps that you can see ahead of you.
Andre
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Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Ottawa On, Gatineau Qc
Another good example of why one should never drive even close to 100% on the street.
A wise man once told me, a good driver gets himself out of any situation, by being smart enough to not get into it in the first place.
That being said, he is a wiser man than I, since I manage to find myself in situations often enough.
A wise man once told me, a good driver gets himself out of any situation, by being smart enough to not get into it in the first place.
That being said, he is a wiser man than I, since I manage to find myself in situations often enough.
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From: Ottawa On, Gatineau Qc
Originally Posted by 8kGoodENuff,Jul 25 2008, 08:56 AM
With a car like this... it's hard to not play with it. I mean that is one of the reasons we bought it in the first place or else I'd be driving a Toyota Prius or something and getting 50 mpg... lol.
Just because I don't follow the teachings, does not mean that I am incapable of remembering the lesson.
In my youth, I just figure that I must be smarter than the wise old man.
