Showing posts with label ACCIDENTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACCIDENTS. Show all posts

Video: Policeman Attempts to Hit Moving Motorcyclists

We know for a fact that motorcyclists face many dangers on the road and are far more exposed to risks than people driving cars and trucks. Nevertheless, we didn't think that a police officer could pose a threat to the well-being of a biker…
If you watch the following video carefully, you'll see a NYPD Chevrolet Impala squad car pulling up in the middle of the road in an attempt to stop the oncoming motorcyclists, with the officer then jumping out and trying to hit the bikers with what looks like a police baton.
Needless to say, we don't know if something had occurred before this scene was shot to incite the officer to take such actions.
There are some other videos on the Youtuber's page showing a large group of motorcyclists fooling around on the highway, but again, we have no way of knowing if they're related in any way to the baton incident.

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Video: A Very Bizarre Incident

It’s a crazy, crazy world we live in. Don't believe us? Just take a look at this incident that took place somewhere in Asia, possibly in China if Google Translation did its work (visit the comment section to correct us if we're wrong).
While we can't be certain of the details surrounding this bizarre episode since the description on Youtube doesn’t make much sense after we translate it into English, through the dash-mounted camera we see someone who is driving a small green Toyota being chased by two men, one holding a baseball bat.
Two minutes into the video, we find that the man with the bat has jumped on the moving car and is trying to smash the window before it collides with the vehicle filming the scene... Watch it for yourself in the clip after the break.


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25% of Americans Couldn’t Afford a US$2,000 Car Repair Bill

The former American Automobile Association, now known by its acronym AAA, is probably the most recognisable organisation of its type in the world.
And with some 52 million members, it’s also one of the world’s largest if not the largest automobile associations in the world.
Suffice to say, when the AAA speaks, the world listens. In a recent telephone survey of 1,009 adults in the continental United States, the AAA found that 12.5% couldn’t cover a US$1,000 (€701) car repair bill and 25% couldn’t cover US$2,000 (€1,402) car repair bill.
Additionally, 50% of those surveyed are holding on to an older vehicle until the economic climate improves and 25% have neglected repairs or basic maintenance on those vehicles over the last twelve months. Doing so, the AAA says, can greatly increase the risk of major and costly repairs.
Marshall L. Doney, AAA’s VP for Automotive and Financial Services explains:
“Economic conditions have taken their toll on many Americans resulting in them neglecting their cars and leaving them at increased risk for very expensive repair bills. Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood and losing access to them could be financially devastating during an already troubling economic time."
"It’s important for drivers to not only continue to maintain their vehicles, but also have a financial emergency plan in place should they be faced with a sudden unexpected auto repair bill,” continued Doney.
Of those who can afford the US$2,000 repair bill, 38% said they would pay with their savings account, 20% said they would pay by credit card and 11% would have to borrow money from friends, family, their retirement fund or home equity to pay it.
Things are a little less grim for those can afford the US$1,000 bill. 46% said they would pay with their savings account, 22% would pay with their credit cards and 14% would need to borrow money.
Such bills are not unheard of with older vehicles, especially those that have been mistreated or improperly maintained. A transmission repair can cost anywhere from US$2,000 (€1,402) to US$4,000 (€2,804) and engine repairs can exceed US$5,000 (€3,506).
Similarly, major brake repairs or a new set of tires can pull US$300 (€210) to US$1,000 (€701) depending on the make and model.
All in all, the AAA survey should give owners of older vehicles something to think about in the coming months or years of ownership.

 















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Video: Man Sinks Porsche Boxster into a Lake

Now here is something you don't hear about every day. A local businessman's new Porsche Boxster was discovered paritally submerged in a lake at the Parque Ecológico (Ecological Park) in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, July 29.
Brazilian news site TV Sol found the owner of the car who told reporters under the condition of anonymity that he was driving through the park when lost control of the Porsche ending up into the lake.
And here's where the story gets slightly twisted as TV Sol also reported that eye witnesses placed the owner of the Boxster at a local restaurant the same night calling a cousin on the phone and telling him to "Throw the Porsche into the lake of the park".
Scroll down for the video news report.

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Van Bumps Ferrari 360 Modena Spider into the Sea after Brake Failure

When it comes to exotic sports cars like the Ferrari 360 Modena Spider and accidents, more often than not, mishaps are the result of speeding or bad road conditions, sometimes even both.
But that's not the case here as the Ferrari Modena Spider pictured half dipped into the sea was actually parked on the road when this accident occurred.
The incident took place at the Croatian island of Pag located in the northern Adriatic Sea on Monday morning when the driver of a van bumped into the Ferrari pushing the drop-top model into the sea.
According to the local media, the driver of the van said that his brakes didn't work.
For more pictures of the incident, check out the links below.

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This is What Happens When You Keep Your Eyes on the Girl

The title of this post is pretty much self-explanatory, but if you insist here's the skinny: a man riding his scooter on the road spots a young and apparently attractive woman dressed in a knee-high dress walking on foot.
And as it surely has happened to so many others, one quick look didn't satisfy our protagonist's curiosity (or possibly admiration) so he let his guard down and turned his focus away from the road to get a 360 view of the young woman… See what happens next after the break in the security camera footage.

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Video: Meet the Jokes of Risk

Do you know how many people have tried to imitate the driving tricks of the Dukes of Hazzard in real life over the years? As you may have already guessed, the answer to that question is countless - as are the accidents related to these types of stunts.

In this edition, we have a doppelganger in a General Lee Dodge Charger replica trying to jump over a copy of Sheriff's Roscoe P. Coltrane patrol car. And while our driver managed to pull off thejump-over-the-vehicle part he failed miserably in the landing portion of the stunt.
Luckily for all the people that were gathered around to watch the act, the Dodge Charger crash-landed at a distance from the crowd. Watch the clip after the jump.


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Video: Toyota Reveals Next-Gen Safety Systems

Toyota has revealed a host of both active and passive safety systems that it is developing for use in its future models. The Japanese company said that it concentrates on protecting both older drivers as well as pedestrians.

If you're wondering why, this is because of the statistics which show that in Japan, more than half of road traffic fatalities are of people aged 65 and above, while pedestrian now account for more fatalities than vehicle occupants.
Toyota said that it is trying to collect data from all over the world. The company recently set up the Collaborative Safety Research in the US to cooperate with North American universities, hospitals and research organizations in gathering data from real-world accidents to improve its testing and products.
The four key safety technologies that Toyota is currently developing are the following:
Pre-Crash Safety (PCS) with collision avoidance assist
This system uses a millimeter-wave radar and camera to monitor the road ahead and if it detects and obstacle and the driver does not apply the brakes, it activates them automatically. PCS monitors a range of factors, such as roadside obstacles and other vehicles and constantly estimates the collision chances. It can also change the course of the vehicle if the driver fails to act, in order to avoid an accident.

Pop-up BonnetToyota is designing the body structures of its vehicles to reduce injury in a collision with a pedestrian utilizing data from crash test dummies and its Total Human Model for Safety virtual models. It has developed a new, pop-up bonnet that automatically increases the space between the pedestrian and the engine, thus limiting injuries. This technology can also be used in cars with a low bonnet line, further untying the hands of bodywork designers.
Emergency Response Technology
Some accidents are caused by drivers having a heart attack or a blackout. Toyota’s new system monitors cardio-vascular functions of the driver through his grip on the steering wheel and detect possible problems. The company has presented the concept to the Japan Medical Congress and will develop it further before bringing it into production.

Adaptive Driving BeamSome of Toyota’s models already have a function when the car switches the front lights automatically from high beam to low beam once a camera detects a vehicle in front or in the opposite side of the road, then turns the high beam back on once the road is clear.
Toyota said it is further developing this system with an adaptive driving beam that shields the high beam so it doesn’t blind other drivers, yet the lights operate at near high-beam level for better illumination of the road ahead.


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BMW 1 M Coupe Crash No2

The brand-new BMW 1 M Coupe hasn’t been around from more than a few months, but we already have the first recorded accident of which we know about.
The unlucky owner of the car, who is from South Korea, posted these photos of the mishap over at the BMW 1Addicts forum. He said that he was the first customer to receive one of the 80 BMW 1 M Coupes scheduled to arrive in the South Korean market.
He also claims that the accident occurred after another car ran through a red light and crashed into his BMW. Take a look at the car before and after the accident in our gallery after the break.


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BMW 1-Series M Coupe Crash

We now have the second mishap regarding the Bavarian firm's turbocharged sports model.

This accident took place in Poland when the driver reportedly lost control of the 340HP rear-wheel drive BMW sending the small coupe to the side of the road and into the grass. Fortunately for the owner, no other car was involved in the incident and the exterior damages appear to be fairly limited.
Of course, there may be hidden damages under the body but it could have been worse.


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Drunk, Asleep and Driving a Car?

Donald Clegg, a 59-year old doctor from Prestwich in the UK was four times over the legal limit when he crashed his Vauxhall Zafira into a row of parked cars. He was also sleepwalking at the time and attired in a dressing gown and slippers…
Dr. Clegg pleaded guilty to driving over the limit “without due care and attention” and was sentenced to a minimum 12 month driving ban, a fine of £650 and was ordered to pay £315 in court fees and charges. The court rejected that Dr. Clegg’s sentence should be suspended due to his somnambulism (somncogoism?).
The chairman of the bench, Jean Hinkley, told Dr. Clegg:
"We take into account you had been drinking heavily, evidenced by the high reading, and driving some distance on a major road. An accident occurred and you posed a significant risk."
His wife rang the police after she heard him leave. In retrospect, Dr. Clegg thinks he should have given up after his first incident of sleep-driving, wherein he crashed his car into a tree. He told the court:
“I did not think I would do it again. That’s the first time I had ever left the house in one of these parasomnia, sleepwalking episodes.”
From now on, Dr. Clegg will ask his wife to hide the car keys before he goes to bed. Whether or not this will be the UK doctor’s last drunken-sleep-driving incident, only time will tell.


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