Driving back into Santiago last night on Route 78. a big-a*** freeway with two lines of barriers and a 50ft grass/trees gap between the lanes, reasonably straight but undulating over small hills.
It was late, around 23:30 and it was patchy mist/fog. If it matters I was about 2km from the Taligante exit heading towards Santiago.
Not much traffic and not the conditions for driving quickly. The speed limit is 120km/h but I had my cruise control set at 100km/h. I was gradually approaching another vehicle which I guess must have been doing around 90km/h.
I casually drifted out into lane 2, slowly overtook the other car and then slowly started drifting back into Lane 1. As I was crossing the white line an oncoming car appeared at speed in my lane. I'd guess we were closing at at least 200km/h.
He missed by about 1 metre. I showed no skill, took no action, I had no time. Had I not already been most of the way back into lane 1 it would have been head on and I'd be dead.
He must have come on at Taligante and been on the wrong carriageway for 2km or so. Not easy to do and difficult to see how it could be done by accident.
Very sobering, very unsettling and constipation not likely to be a problem for a few days.
Very, very scary and the remainder of the drive home, about 50km, was a very nervous affair.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 30 Jun 19 at 22:12
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Close call. :( Did you stop and get a lottery ticket?
Not a dissimilar experience a couple of weeks ago. Twist rural road 60MPH limit. Rattling on nicely on the motorbike rounds a gentle right hand bend to be met by 2 Transits side by side. One of them on my side!! How we missed I don't know. Local FB rant indicated he had done something similar about 1/2 mile before me but at lower speed
No information to follow up. I didn't buy a lottery ticket either :)
Maybe doesn't pay to dwell too long.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sun 30 Jun 19 at 22:28
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I used to encounter them on a few occasions in the middle east, families piled in the back and all. Although they did have the common courtesy (generally) to 'overtake ' in the strip between the lanes. Although that might have been due to being mob handed, local on local was no doubt a different affair.
Certainty disconcerting the first couple of times you encounter it. I take it its not something regularly seen in Chile or at least not on the type of road?
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>> The speed limit is 120km/h but I had my cruise control set at 100km/h. I was gradually
>>approaching another vehicle which I guess must have been doing around 90km/h.
That's what you get for mimsing! if you had been driving at the speed limit you would have been past the junction where he probably got on!
:-)
Of course that's rubbish and I'm glad you are ok, even if you are in need of new underwear!
I do think crocodile devices to catch traffic going the wrong way are a good idea.
My frightening moment was when I was in a Mk1 Fiesta in a storm on a bridge and I was being blown towards the edge, even though I was steering in the other direction and being aware that if I slowed down too much the trucks behind me wouldn't stop.
Another one mentioned here before, was when a scaffolding pole decided to leave the HGV it was on in favour of mine at 70MPH!
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I'm currently holidaying in Canada with a Hyundai Santa Fe (surprisingly good in Canadian form, but rather different from its UK counterpart) as a hire car.
We did a circular tour round the South of Vancouver Island yesterday. The speed limits in Canada are quite low, and seem to be generally ignored.
Tootling along at 80 (kmh), I wanted to turn left across the (non-existent) oncoming traffic into a Provincial Park entrance. Signalled and slowed well in advance, checked the 3 or 4 cars behind, got to the entrance and started to turn - and hesitated.
I'm not claiming sixth-sense, I think I must have heard it, but at that moment a Ford saloon overtook me at some speed - I suspect having gunned it from the rear of the line (and of course on the other side of the road). I was a split second away from turning across it.
This despite the manoeuvre being obvious, the entrance being obvious, and the road having double yellow lines down the middle.
Good job I didn't have voice control turned on, or the response might have been interesting.
;-)
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Nasty...could have been very nasty. I had my own near death incident on Thursday - It was a nice day so I bimbled off on the Scrambler to hunt down a locally famous cafe at Hawarden Airport (Airbus now). I found it and enjoyed a little bacon sandwich, ride home was quite relaxed taking back roads avoiding the A55 and other choke points. As I crossed the valley home, I dropped down a lane which brings me back to the village. Rode across a very dirty (cow s***) lane and I encountered a horse box filling the road, he/she stopped dead as I would have on any modern bike, heard, before I sensed the rear wheel lock, lessons learnt in Vietnam kept my legs on the pegs and I squeezed between the truck and the hedge in what I now imagine was a Steve McQueen style manoeuvre....it was, literally, clenched bum moment....
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Interesting the number (%) of posters here that have had near death experiences recently, is it a sign of the age profile? Wonder how many have had the full experience, maybe it could account for our dwindling numbers?
Of course, it is a self selecting sample, so maybe not statistically valid :)
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Mon 1 Jul 19 at 10:54
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I didn't have one in 1500km of motorcycling off and on road in Vietnam so I guess I was sort of due one. Glad it ended well, I was wearing new bike pants !
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>>Interesting the number (%) of posters here that have had near death experiences recently
I've had various incidents in my life of varying levels of danger and involving various levels of stupidity on my part, most of which make a good story over a beer.
But this, 1 metre from dying in an incident to which I did not contribute and which could not have prevented or foreseen, was not only terrifying at the time but has really unsettled me and made me contemplate my navel.
I was driving on the freeway again last night, I did not enjoy it and could not settle.
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A miss is as good as a mile, try the real thing, I know a good bus spot.
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Doing something 'stupid' yourself and having a near death experience is one thing, sitting there watch it happen without any input from you is another.
Positively scary of the highest order.
No wonder the bit of highway driving was uncomfortable.
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Glad you survived to tell the tale. You've obviously more work to do in this life. Hope your jitters evaporate; time the great healer etc.
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As near death as it gets..... - Fullchat
