Informing other drivers of dangerous defects

kerry4sam

Today I informed another driver he had no stitch of brakes working! He was two cars in-front of me, a beautiful vintage car directly in-front of me almost crashed into him numerous times!

The van-driver (commercial van) ended up pulling off the main road and the car again almost hit into him. I pulled in behind him and asked:

Me ~ do you know you've no brakes working?
Him ~ one sec (he says) and pulls his handbrake up
Him ~ you hear that click when I pull the handbrake, see my brakes are working grand
Me ~ you're back light brakes are not working and almost caused another driver to hit into you, a few times
Him ~ Oh I was not aware, Thanks.

I honestly was NOT aware their were drivers out there thinking that once their handbrake was working fine, they believed all their brakes were working okay :mad:

Only two weeks ago I pulled in behind a van towing a trailer and informed the driver his back right wheel was coming dangerously close to falling off. Never seen a man more happy then I waited on and helped him fix it. Delighted so he was as he had a considerable journey yet to go.

I've reported numerous vehicles to traffic-watch but completely ignore my local station at all costs due to some of their replies in there!

Anyone else inform a driver of a dangerous defect,
How was the info received,

Thanks in advance,
kerry4sam

dgt

Years ago, late at night I saw a van with no tail lights in front of me. Not a single light at the back :eek:

I got him to stop, told him about his lights and I took one of my tail lights out to fit to his van, which we did there and then (transit)

Might have been only 1 bulb, but it's better than none

CramCycle

Not defects as such with the car, the number of drivers I have to point out that their lights are not working is astonishing in Dublin.

Everyday I find myself letting people know that their indicators don't seem to work :mad:

djimi

kerry4sam wrote: »

Today I informed another driver he had no stitch of brakes working! He was two cars in-front of me, a beautiful vintage car directly in-front of me almost crashed into him numerous times!

The van-driver (commercial van) ended up pulling off the main road and the car again almost hit into him. I pulled in behind him and asked:

Me ~ do you know you've no brakes working?
Him ~ one sec (he says) and pulls his handbrake up
Him ~ you hear that click when I pull the handbrake, see my brakes are working grand
Me ~ you're back light brakes are not working and almost caused another driver to hit into you, a few times
Him ~ Oh I was not aware, Thanks.

I honestly was NOT aware their were drivers out there thinking that once their handbrake was working fine, they believed all their brakes were working okay :mad:

Were you trying to tell him that his brakes or his lights werent working? If someone pulled me over and told me that my back brakes were not working Id probably look at them as if they had two heads...

mickdw

kerry4sam wrote: »

Today I informed another driver he had no stitch of brakes working! He was two cars in-front of me, a beautiful vintage car directly in-front of me almost crashed into him numerous times!

The van-driver (commercial van) ended up pulling off the main road and the car again almost hit into him. I pulled in behind him and asked:

Me ~ do you know you've no brakes working?
Him ~ one sec (he says) and pulls his handbrake up
Him ~ you hear that click when I pull the handbrake, see my brakes are working grand
Me ~ you're back light brakes are not working and almost caused another driver to hit into you, a few times
Him ~ Oh I was not aware, Thanks.

I honestly was NOT aware their were drivers out there thinking that once their handbrake was working fine, they believed all their brakes were working okay :mad:

Only two weeks ago I pulled in behind a van towing a trailer and informed the driver his back right wheel was coming dangerously close to falling off. Never seen a man more happy then I waited on and helped him fix it. Delighted so he was as he had a considerable journey yet to go.

I've reported numerous vehicles to traffic-watch but completely ignore my local station at all costs due to some of their replies in there!

Anyone else inform a driver of a dangerous defect,
How was the info received,

Thanks in advance,
kerry4sam

The brake lights are not the brakes. By the sounds of things, his brakes were working 100% given that someone nearly crashed into him numerous times. It seems to me that you believe that the rear brake lights actually slow the car or that the light not coming on means brakes not working.
You should have told him that his brake lights are not working.
Also you would have to query the sense of someone driving a classic car who having nearly hit the back of the van in front once due to brake light issues would continue to drive at a distance that would allow him to nearly do it again numerous times.
Moral of the story - You need to know what you are talking about if stopping strangers on the roadside and informing them of defects.
No doubt brake lights out is a serious defect but I would have laughed in your face and said they feel pretty good to me if you had pulled me in and told me I hadnt any brakes.

_Kaiser_

dgt wrote: »

Years ago, late at night I saw a van with no tail lights in front of me. Not a single light at the back :eek:

I got him to stop, told him about his lights and I took one of my tail lights out to fit to his van, which we did there and then (transit)

Might have been only 1 bulb, but it's better than none

One night on the old Virginia-Kells road I came up behind a 4x4 and trailer with no lights on at all.

Flagged him down and pointed it out. Middle-aged guy with his daughter in the front seat "I know" says he, "the fuses keep blowing when I connect the trailer, so..."

:rolleyes:

ZENER

A few months back on the Navan to Dunshaughlin road I was behind a motorbike in a cue of a few cars. The bike indicated left and then went right to overtake the cars. I though maybe he'd just changed his mind last minute and kept going. Further up the road I caught up again and again he indicated left but went right to overtake ! Through Dunshaughlin and he indicated right but turned left into a road, at that stage I realised what was going on, his indicators were reversed.

I was tempted to leave it but thought that someone else may see him indicate left and assume he was going left and go to overtake him causing god know what to happen. So I followed him trying to get his attention for about 2 miles, eventually he noticed me and pulled over. When I explained what was going on and why I felt I needed to stop him he was very grateful and bit shocked. He lifted the seat to get to the wiring, fixed the problem and we both went on our way.

My good deed for the day and hopefully prevented an accident where no doubt the biker would come out worst.

Ken

Voodoomelon

Told a driver last week they had a bulge the size of a golf ball on their tyre, didn't seem too bothered.

Fey!

I have no problem letting people know that their lights aren't working or if they have an obvious problem that they don't realise. If it's a taxi (or a driving school) I'll ring whatever number is on their roof. Most people are grateful that you let them know (I know that I'd want someone to tell me if my lights were gone).

The unfortunate thing is that a huge number of modern cars have a display on the dashboard that tells them when their lights are out, but the drivers just ignore them.

Alanstrainor

Neighbour has completely bald front tires. And it's a 00 Corolla, with cheap size tires. Could have them replaced for 110ish. Haven't told him though, not really my problem.

corktina

I pointed out a colleagues VW to a friend in the UK once with bald tyres....trouble is the Friend was a Magistrate..new tyres were got pretty quick...

Neilw

A guy at work asked me to have a look at his tyres, rear were ok but fronts were at the wear limit and told him they needed to be replaced. So they're grand he said, and drove on for another few months back and forward to Donegal :rolleyes:

thomur

Drove behind a car between Longford and Carrick last Nov. It was dark and he was only doing 30mph. Queue of cars behind him. Couldn't realise why he was driving so slow. Eventually overtook him only to realise he had no front lights and was using the lights from the car behind to see where he was going. Complete tool

Markcheese

Many moons ago I came up behind a car driving at night with no lights on ,,none , luckily I just made out reflectors, I overtook and signaled her to pull over,
The car was full of kids(well 4 or 5 ) none strapped in,she insisted on traveling on ,so I just followed with my hazards on ,till she turned off main road...

djimi

Not quite a defect as such, but a few years ago I happened upon a car with no lights on a very dark stretch of country road, being pushed along the road by four of the dumbest people I have ever met. Luckily my lights were good and I saw them before I ploughed into them, but Id say if I met that car again 7 times out of 10 all five of us die (it wasnt a straight road...)

Simonigs1.0

Yes, kind of. Last year myself and a work colleague spotted this bald tyre on a fairly new Audi. With no post-its or pieces of paper in the work van we had to improvise, bit of broken plaster board in the back of the van worked perfectly.

Seen a chap driving out of a housing estate heading towards the motorway. As he came out of the estate I could see the bonnet was raised a tad (as if someone 'pulled it' from the inside, but then forgot about it). Let him out in front of me, then flashed him to pull over.

He said it was actually damage from a crash, and it wouldn't close (rest of the car seemed in perfect nick).


Another time I drove behind a car that had it's back right alloy wobbling all over the place. Obviously was not sitting right. Followed him til he pulled over in a housing estate and told him. He said 'yeah I thought something wasn't quite right'.


Both times, the drivers seemed a bit anxious or apprehensive when I got out of the car and walked towards them, but both times they were very thankful for the heads up.


I'd like someone to do the same for me.