I crashed today

Frynge

So this morning at 7.52 i hit black ice on the n11 southbound driving a navara with a trailer. The car was sliding for a good distance and the back was wobbling out. Braked and the wheels felt like they locked so i tried to accellerate out of it. When i did that the left gripped first and i went straight into the centre divide and destroyed about 60ft of guard wire. All while i jack knifed.

Luckily the whole car and trailer went into the centre divide so no one behind me hit into me.

Just for everyone to make sure to be aware of black ice. I had kept an eye on the temp since leaving home and it hovered around 4 to 5°.

There were six other cars that crashed within a mile of me this morning and fourtunatly no one was hurt in any of them. They all happened in the space of ten minutes as well.

Speaking with the gardai who came they were telling us that the road hadn't been gritted during the night which seems a bit unusual considering the weather latly.

Hesh's Umpire

Looks scary - glad you're OK. An awful sensation losing control of your vehicle.

Red Kev

Glad neither yourself, nor anybody else was hurt.

Black ice can form under a load of conditions, also bear in mind that the air temp may be 4-5 C, but the ground temp can be well below 3 C which is the temp where black ice begins to form. Also can form at any time of the day or night, bridges are notorious for it.

Example: North Roscommon this morning at 5.15, no black ice but at 8.30 it was a skating rink, ice formed when it rained a little bit on very cold ground. A gritter crashed as well near Boyle to make things that bit worse.

colm_mcm

Jaysus, scary stuff. Barrier did a good job.

Frynge

I must say I got the fright of my life. Never been in an accident before and hopefully never again. Just to note, It didn't all happen so fast, if anything it was like time had slown down. It seemed like I was trying to recover it for awhile before hitting the centre divide.

whiskeyman

Fook that looks scary!
Like yourself, I noted the temperature around 4 or 5, and didn't think black ice would have been much of a problem today around the city.
Good to hear you're ok and thanks for sharing.
Get a good rest tonight and eat well. Something like that can really take it out of you, but you may be on a 'false high' / adrenaline after it.

Frynge

One of the other people that crashed had rang her dad to pick her up and bring her to work but the two gardai (who were brilliant btw) told her to go home, drink tea and wrap up in a blanket on the couch so as when what has actually happened hits you you will be comfortable. I took the same advice and when I got home around 1, had some hot food and then went to bed.

I'm expecting my body to start creaking as I've a tightness all over me since it happened.

jca

You were very lucky. It baffles me as to why main roads aren't being gritted.

JPF82

Glad you're ok OP. Hope you won't be too sore after it. I was crashed into in Newcastle in Australia a few years ago. It took a few days for it to catch up with me.

There's a lesson for us all here.

Frog Song

This morning was my worst experience of driving in my life, it was stressful. Thankfully you're fine Frynge, everything else will look after itself. Take it easy now, you could wake up pretty sore tomorrow.

Toyotafanboi

that's just off the Arklow north exit is it? there was a bad pile up just a mile or so away from there yesterday evening too, one of the construction trucks rear ended a car and set off a bit of a chain reaction.

you were lucky there. true what the lads are saying. that'l take a day or two to really dawn on you. unbelievable that the roads weren't gritted last night around there.

nirvana78

Thanks for the warning. In the past I came off the road but minimal damage done, more emotional damage than anything else. As a result I always drive slowly in icy conditions. That said, yesterday evening I done an eight mile round trip, I noted it was 3 degrees and thought to myself it was fine, so as a result of your post I will be taking it even handier. So thank you, and I hope you're I this evening.

thadg

you were lucky. your jeep doesn't look too bad unless the underneath is wrecked underneath.

that wire rope the central divide should be banned as it is in some other countries .

just wondering the the gardai ask you if you have a trailer licence??

SteelyDanJalapeno

Impressed with the barrier if anything, really looks like it did it's job.

Frynge

You can't make it out in any of the photos but I went right over to the oncoming lane before the wire bounced the whole car back. The car actually ended up on the trailer.

Nope the Garda didn't ask anything about my licence.

thadg

it did in this case thank god , different story if he was on a motorbike, he would have been chopped in 2

thadg

Frynge wrote: »

You can't make it out in any of the photos but I went right over to the oncoming lane before the wire bounced the whole car back. The car actually ended up on the trailer.

Nope the Garda didn't ask anything about my licence.

they are starting to ask people with trailers at checkpoints about it lately.

when it is a proper trailer with brakes it is a different story to the lads with the 6x4 leaf spring with a Cortina diff back axle butter box

skibum

Just seen the two cars facing the wrong way in your second photo :eek:.... All very lucky.

ngcxt6

Just a heads up OP but expect a nasty bill from the council soon for the fire service.

Frynge

Yep, further up the road beyond the bridge there was another 3, one of which was on its roof.

Frynge

ngcxt6 wrote: »

Just a heads up OP but expect a nasty bill from the council soon for the fire service.

No one actually called the fire services, but the insurance is there for a reason.

freddieot

Good big strong vehicle - lesson there as well. Glad you're okay !

Stheno

Frynge wrote: »

No one actually called the fire services, but the insurance is there for a reason.

Check your policy some exclude call outs.

Glad you are ok

Special Circumstances

thadg wrote: »

you were lucky. your jeep doesn't look too bad unless the underneath is wrecked underneath

Looks twisted to me.

Dr Turk Turkelton

Just as a matter of interest would there be any way of making a claim off the county council for negligence ie. not gritting the road?
Would be one way of making sure they do their job in future!

CarpeDiem85

The same thing happened to me in December, I lost control of my car in black ice. The roads were not gritted either. I live up in a very high hill and usually it's the roads up here that are lethal. That morning, the roads here were perfect but were thick with ice 20 minutes away. You can thank your lucky stars, you got out in one piece and no one else was hurt. It's very scary losing control of your car. It's made worse by some self righteous people on this forum who tell you that you should learn how to drive in winter! Going through insurance is a pain! I still don't have it sorted. Make sure you go to hospital too as whiplash can take 48 hours to kick in. Relax and take it easy now. Make sure you have someone looking after you too.

ian87

Some policies state that the insurance will only pay out if the car is cut open.

CarpeDiem85

I would be chasing the Council as to why the roads weren't gritted. I find the Council up here way too lax about gritting. They might grit one bad icy night and not the next. They're putting people's lives at risk at the end of the day.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

glad you are ok, nasty experience .

Rabbo

Just goes to show AT tyres don't give much of an advantage on ice

Special Circumstances

I usually big on personal responsibility, but if the N11 wasn't gritted properly in this weather I think the local authority have questions to answer.

Now,as mentioned previously,it can happen that the road was fine 30 mins before that and some cold rain fell on cold ground and froze.

Happened on the ballincollig bypass years ago after I had gotten to work without seeing any ice,next radio reports cars are smacking into each other at a fierce rate.

berger89

Woah glad you're OK OP. Definitely going to take note of this post. I finish up late from work most evenings, usually around 11pm. Roads are usually gritted but I'm not taking that for granted anymore.
Plus, I usually have a bit of a heavy foot at that hour. Not any more though. Too scary

Summer wind

Sorry to hear about your crash but glad to hear you are ok. I hate driving on icy roads.

Dores

Frynge thanks for the warning.
I was on the Arklow north-bound at 8:20 this morning when 2 cars crashed badly. I managed to avoid sliding and I was able to get to one driver who was less lucky to help that person until an ambulance arrived... I am still shocked after all of that.
I didn't realise that the road was so bad and I was driving much too fast today...
It is scary to realise that it could be me and that my control over a car at that time was only my illusion.

Please people be careful, I will definitely after that.

kerry4sam

Frynge wrote: »

So this morning at 7.52 i hit black ice on the n11 southbound driving a navara with a trailer. The car was sliding for a good distance and the back was wobbling out. Braked and the wheels felt like they locked so i tried to accellerate out of it. When i did that the left gripped first and i went straight into the centre divide and destroyed about 60ft of guard wire. All while i jack knifed.

Luckily the whole car and trailer went into the centre divide so no one behind me hit into me.

Just for everyone to make sure to be aware of black ice. I had kept an eye on the temp since leaving home and it hovered around 4 to 5°.

There were six other cars that crashed within a mile of me this morning and fourtunatly no one was hurt in any of them. They all happened in the space of ten minutes as well.

Speaking with the gardai who came they were telling us that the road hadn't been gritted during the night which seems a bit unusual considering the weather latly.

My own Juke went dancing at one point last Sunday en route to work at 6:50am. I almost ended up in similar position to your own with hitting a centre divide but I managed to control her. Still took some further feet to get her back under control again.
Road to myself. Two lanes, one going to town & one going around a corner to the left. Now, I should've straddled both lanes taking the turn (road all on my own) but I stayed to my own left-lane turning and the back of my car decided it wanted to head into town.
Some dancing; swaying; praying; car okay but it would seriously put the Fear of God into you

Seriously glad you are okay. Tis a frightening experience.
kerry4sam

ardle1

Who decides when to grit...
Is it the local council, is the driver of the gritter! Does anybody know?
Or is it night drivers myself included, who ring them up at 5am and tell them people are going to crash on their way to work.
I certainly hope not! I'd like to think they have some sort of communication with Met Éireann.

Frynge

It is nothing to the councils anymore but is done by bam aperantly.

Special Circumstances

Frynge wrote: »

It is nothing to the councils anymore but is done by bam aperantly.

Oh maybe the nra have direct responsibility for motorways and certain N roads. Check it out. Bam might have the contract to grit but I doubt they decide when where and how much.

Special Circumstances

Buried deep within the NRA website

http://www.nra.ie/network-monitoring-and-management/winter-maintenance/

The NRA is constantly striving to improve the winter maintenance service. However the NRA and local authorities have no statutory obligation to salt roads.

Priority is given to the most heavily trafficked roads in carrying out salting operations...

...

Delivery of the service depends on the weather forecast. Accurate forecasting of road surface temperature and humidity is critical when conditions are marginal i.e. when temperatures are close to zero. Unfortunately Ireland has a high proportion of such nights. An error of 1°C when the temperature is around zero matters a great deal whilst at 5°C it is largely irrelevant.

Forecasts are about 85% accurate. This can mean that there are 10 days in a winter when frost is not forecast, but actually occurs. There are also significant local weather variations that are difficult to forecast.

Weather forecasts are only a guide. Local authority expertise is vital in deciding when to salt.

Brief_Lives

ngcxt6 wrote: »

Just a heads up OP but expect a nasty bill from the council soon for the fire service.

I was going to ask about this... how much will it cost..? Is it covered under insurance..?

Glad the OP is ok...

kirving

They might not be legally obliged to salt roads, but if the road is known to be dangerous due to black ice for example and this is reported to the council, I'm sure that they'd be legally obliged to close it if they couldn't salt it.

Alun

The Arklow bypass is covered by BAM, north of that it's the NRA as far as where the M11 section starts south of Rathnew, and form there it's Wicklow CC all the way to the Wicklow / DLR border.

http://www.wicklow.ie/sites/default/files/Road%20Gritting%20Programme%202014,2015.pdf

Maybe where the OP had his accident fell on the border between the areas covered by BAM and the NRA and was done by neither?

colm_mcm

Kevin Irving wrote: »

They might not be legally obliged to salt roads, but if the road is known to be dangerous due to black ice for example and this is reported to the council, I'm sure that they'd be legally obliged to close it if they couldn't salt it.

I really doubt that.