Driving back from Cwmbran towards Ross on Wye yesterday we were following a fairly large artic lorry down a single lane road with trees either side.  Suddenly out of nowhere the top of the lorry must have clipped the trees and knocked off a dead branch which proceeded to fall onto the roof of our car with a mighty bang!  It scared the heebee jeebees out of both us and after a second to realise what had happened, I then thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't any closer to the lorry because I think the branch could easily have gone through the windscreen if it had hit it.

 

Just thought I would post as  something to be wary of if you are driving behind a big truck in the future, as I admit I have never even thought about it before now..

Edited 11 November, 201411 yr by Bishman

You would have if you'd ever been a biker!

Any damage to your car?

 

Phil

I've not been hit but we also seem to get branches ripped off around here; from the side of the road as well when wide vehicles pass on narrow roads - esp when there are high winds.

 

Narrowest escape I had was when I was following a lorrey loaded with corrugated iron not tied down. The wind got under the leading edge and it became an unmanned hang glider. Fortunately it hit the road in front of me and bounced over the roof ..... straight onto the car behind. Fortunately no injury to the occupants.

 

Just shows you always need to expect the unexpected.

I've seen buses clip quite a few trees, double deckers are a fair bit taller than lorries. Most of the trees round here have double decker shaped holes on the road side.

 

Worst one I've had was 'orrible but no ones fault, car in front hit a pheasant  and it's half mangled corpse flew into the air and landed on my bonnet / windscreen. Didn't do any damage but it was after work before I coud wash it off and it had all dried in :peek:

Driving back from Cwmbran towards Ross on Wye yesterday we were following a fairly large artic lorry down a single lane road with trees either side.  Suddenly out of nowhere the top of the lorry must have clipped the trees and knocked off a dead branch which proceeded to fall onto the roof of our car with a mighty bang!  It scared the heebee jeebees out of both us and after a second to realise what had happened, I then thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't any closer to the lorry because I think the branch could easily have gone through the windscreen if it had hit it.

 

Just thought I would post as  something to be wary of if you are driving behind a big truck in the future, as I admit I have never even thought about it before now..

If you had been closer to the lorry the branch would have hit further back on your car or missed it altogether.  If you had been further away from the rear of the truck thenthe branch may have hit your windscreen or bonnet or landed in the road in front of you.

 

However, pleased to hear there were no injuries.

We were only travelling at about 25MPH and I was probably about 2 cars lengths behind the lorry.  Luckily there was no damage to my car, I was expecting to see a dent in the roof because it was quite a thick branch that fell off.

Many years ago I was driving a Fiat Tipo and it was very gusty. One of the old dustbin lids (the metal ones) flew into my car when driving down a dual carriageway and it went straight through the windscreen. Thankfully I had just put the sun visor down as it was winter and the low sun was in my eyes. Miraculously, apart from a scratch at the top of the bonnet the only damage was a replacement windscreen and wipers, and a sun visor. It was quite a shock, I was very lucky, could easily have been killed or crashed into something.

SWMBO's workmate came round a corner near us and ended up with a cow in the passenger seat, bit like that horse. She was very lucky, wrote the car off.

 

Since she was mainly ok I have to say I found it ****ing funny. Waste of good steak though.

Think yourself lucky it was only a bin lid (glad everyone was OK BTW) -- it could have been worse -- like a horse trying to cadge a lift...............

 

horse-stuck-in-car.jpg

 

I'm glad I wasn't driving this...........

 

Mike

everyone ok except the horse I'm guessing  :p

I think they call it observation links in advanced driver teaching, same as somebody getting up on a bus in front expect a bus stop.

I was once on test and came up behind a flat back lorry loaded with hay bales, I could not see any obvious securing straps, so when it was approaching its first bend I dropped several hundred yards back, you have guessed it the whole lot came off in front of approaching vehicles. The second one was come of the M6 at Holmes chapel towards Middlewhich again on test half a mile around a right hand bend is a garage on the left traffic was backed up waiting for a vehicle to turn onto the garage, as I was stopped just around a blind bend with a open speed limit I was expecting the worst so I remained in gear with the front of the car towards the kerb edge watching my rear view, a van came hurtling around the bend I could see there was no way he could stop so mounted the kerb pulling past the vehicle in front of me. The van crashed into the back of the car that had been in front of me and the effect was 4-5 damaged cars.

It pays to be constantly aware of what's going on around you when you are,driving it may well save your life or somebody else's one day.

I remember this happening locally a few years ago - not nice

 

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2007/01/18/man-dies-after-tree-hits-car/

I was probably about 2 cars lengths behind the lorry.

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself, not the brightest thing to do following a truck so close but I wouldn't go as far to say it was dangerous driving.

I remember this happening locally a few years ago - not nice

 

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2007/01/18/man-dies-after-tree-hits-car/

 

I guess that must have been one huge branch

I guess that must have been one huge branch

Either that or he was just very unlucky where the branch entered the car