172 Cup: Emergency Braking procedure!

[ukaskew]

I'm taking it very easy over winter after hearing so many stories about 172 Cup disasters, but today I was involved in a situation that now thinking back I wonder what the hell I should of actually done.

On a slightly curved 40mph road doing about 30 (told you I was being careful!) as the road was clearly quite slippy. Bus coming the other way, comes to a reasonably sudden hault to let passengers off (it barely had time to inidcate), silly bint in a Merc behind it didn't leave a big enough gap to stop in time and decides to go for some damage limitation, namely pulling out and heading straight at me. I instinctively jump on the brakes and immediately the front wheels lock and I'm sliding straight at her.

Someone was clearly looking down on me as I somehow managed to stay fairly calm (at least with my hands on the wheel, I realise I messed up in the pedal department!) and miraculously controlled it through the smallest gap possible between the side of her car and the curb, avoiding any damage, how I managed it I will never ever know.

So anyway, what should I have done, faced with a car coming straight at me with little more than the length of a bus between us whilst doing around 25mph? Specifically in a Cup with no ABS or electronical gubbins.

 

[Fred@BTM]

same as what you did, but i would've closed my eyes and screamed like a girl

 

[jon_r]

As soon as the wheels lock i'd have come off the brake and re-applied it.

The lack of ABS is nothing to worry about, the Cup brakes are perfectly adequate on the road. People managed for years without it!

 

[Lagerlout]

Jons right. And I believe he would have had enough wits about him to do it as well.

But I'm not sure how any people possess the ability to act in the blink of an eye.

We'd all like to think we're brilliant drivers with the reactions and skills of McCrae and co but the fact is very very few of us are.

The theory behind cadence braking is very simple, but when the panic button has been pressed, I'd rather let the ABS take care of it!!! lol.

 

[Rick]

As soon as the wheels lock i'd have come off the brake and re-applied it.

The lack of ABS is nothing to worry about, the Cup brakes are perfectly adequate on the road. People managed for years without it!

Thats the theory. Best thing to do is find yourself an open road and practice braking hard whilst coming off and on the pedal. That way it becomes a bit more instinctive when you do end up in a skid.

ABS doesn't really help much on ice anyway tbh.

 

[ukaskew]

Cheers for the advice. Would love to go out for a practise, its just finding somewhere safe to do it. Take a RenaultSport into an empty car park (i.e. at night) around here and you risk getting your car confiscated for breach of the peace or something.

...and Fred, I never said I wasn't screaming!

 

[Lagerlout]

lol... most of us have been there at some point.... arms locked straight, mouth open but no sound coming out.. lol the worst bit is driving at 5mph afterwards shaking like a shitting dog.

ABS was designed for incidents like yours. It doesn't make the car stop any faster or improve braking in any way (maybe worse in snow) but it allows you to brake as hard as you can AND steer the car at the same time.

 

[benji&eka]

same as what you did, but i would've closed my eyes and screamed like a girl

the screaming definately helps i think

 

[RobertCL]

I had a few "moments" in the wet in my old 1.2RL which didn't have ABS. Mainly due to me approaching roundabouts too fast and not noticing there was something coming until the last minute (my bad I know )

Did the old "on-off" braking thing, but the really annoying thing was that both times it happened to me I slammed the breaks on, locked the front wheels up, thought "oh crap" had enough time to take my foot off and slam it back on again, only to lock the wheels up again I guess you're just supposed to keep going. I did manage to stop in time on both occassions, but it's very scary when you've had time to think about what you should be doing and you manage to do it.

I now have ABS, but still take it steady in the wet / ice.

 

[fizzy_drink]

In that situation, I would have aimed straight at her car.

I kerbed my lovely 17" Audi wheels avoiding a pr*ck in a white van, who didn't even stop. Guess who had to pay for the damage?

Next time, I'm not taking any risks: I'm going stright for them, so they can pay-out.

 

[jeccross]

i agree with that, wouldnt fancy the insurance claim if you'd hit the bus and she had no damage

 

[Jons Cup]

I had a few "moments" in the wet in my old 1.2RL which didn't have ABS. Mainly due to me approaching roundabouts too fast and not noticing there was something coming until the last minute (my bad I know )

Did the old "on-off" braking thing, but the really annoying thing was that both times it happened to me I slammed the breaks on, locked the front wheels up, thought "oh crap" had enough time to take my foot off and slam it back on again, only to lock the wheels up again I guess you're just supposed to keep going. I did manage to stop in time on both occassions, but it's very scary when you've had time to think about what you should be doing and you manage to do it.

I now have ABS, but still take it steady in the wet / ice.

I had a similar situation in my 1st car i owned (mk4 fiesta), approached a round about 2 fast, went to brake and my wheels locked, but i'd only been driving a month, so i tried 2 push the pedal through the floor, just missed the car coming round the round about, smashed up the island and went in the middle of 2 signs! (it was 1 of those big round abouts) I can laugh about it now, but i **** myself when it happened. LOL

 

[lee_cup]

The lack of ABS is nothing to worry about, the Cup brakes are perfectly adequate on the road. People managed for years without it!

exactly!!!

 

[Jones]

As soon as the wheels lock i'd have come off the brake and re-applied it.

The lack of ABS is nothing to worry about, the Cup brakes are perfectly adequate on the road. People managed for years without it!

Im sorry but if you have the ability to do that your the million dollar man. your correct people have been able to crash for years without ABS why do you think cars are so safe these days?

 

[Mondial172]

It's the old chessnut! RS CLIO's are total crap in slippery conditions. I could bomb around it my E-reg Escort Popular without a care in the world (almost) when I was 18.

 

[jon_r]

Im sorry but if you have the ability to do that your the million dollar man. your correct people have been able to crash for years without ABS why do you think cars are so safe these days?

Thanks!

I agree, cars are safer nowadays because of ABS, however i'm sick to the back teeth of people saying "Oh its because the Cup doesn't have ABS". Either people should slow down, or learn how to brake properly and not rely on computers to do it all for you.

 

[Djw John]

Thanks!

I agree, cars are safer nowadays because of ABS, however i'm sick to the back teeth of people saying "Oh its because the Cup doesn't have ABS". Either people should slow down, or learn how to brake properly and not rely on computers to do it all for you.

Couldn't agree more Jon

 

[Jones]

Thanks!

I agree, cars are safer nowadays because of ABS, however i'm sick to the back teeth of people saying "Oh its because the Cup doesn't have ABS". Either people should slow down, or learn how to brake properly and not rely on computers to do it all for you.

Very true, i have a 172 and to be honest i dont think ive ever caused the abs to kick in unless i induced it, in snow conditions its a joke, left me with no brakes at one point last winter!!!
I think the cup and abs thing is daft aswell, people really need to adjust thier driving styles to suit road conditions, i think that is the majority of drivers in every type of car, some of the driving i've been seeing over the past few days has been unbelieveable. People are certaingly too reliant on the fact that when they press a pedal the car will protect them. That isnt what driving is about in my book!

 

[Nafoff]

yep probably would of done the same as yourself........maybe aimed at her as omar said...lol

 

[fizzy_drink]

ABS is meant to help you in case sh*t happens... it shouldn't be required for day-to day driving.

Similarly, if you don't have ABS... and sh*t happens, then it's likely that you'll be worse off.

By the way, even sh*t happens to the most careful of drivers : therefore Cups are still more likely to have a smash regardless.

When I mean sh*t happens... I'm talking panic reflex reactions that are very difficult to control (usually involving putting the pedal to the floor, and soiling your pants).

So... unless one practices "panic" on a regular basis, one cannot be prepared (IMHO).

 

[Martin]

I thought the 172 cups were now retro fitted with an anchor to throw out the window? lol

 

[Chris n nic]

You`ve got to be kidding Mart....they are far too heavy...maybe a carbon fibre one tho

Chris

 

[Dan@SJM]

abs can make you underseer as much as no abs imo, you slam on the anchors going in2 a bend as will still make it understeer ive had it happen.

 

[fizzy_drink]

Everyone's talking about ABS...

What about ESP : that'll save a few hairy moments too.

 

[y0z2a]

Thats the theory. Best thing to do is find yourself an open road and practice braking hard whilst coming off and on the pedal. That way it becomes a bit more instinctive when you do end up in a skid.

ABS doesn't really help much on ice anyway tbh.

nothing really helps on ice if it iced over.

abs or no abs if there is no stopping resistance you are taking a trip into something that offers some resistance be it a hedge or "other"

LOL

/y0z

 

[Jones]

Everyone's talking about ABS...

What about ESP : that'll save a few hairy moments too.

or EBD

 

[Dave H]

Brakes are always the 'last line of defence'.
I always try to steer and maybe take my foot off the gas as well....thats maybe why my brakes have only 10% wear in 9500 miles.
If you have to slam on get ready to take your foot off and steer round....but to be honest if your slamming on you'll do well not to hit anything.

 

[suckmykiss]

i seem 2 instinctivly lift of if i ave 2 brake hard in panic situ. even nw got a 182 wiv abs. wich is proly y i went in the hedge last wek lol

 

[White16valver]

What's worked for me when I've made a mistake / had someone do something stupid is stay on the brakes locked up (usually as that's the natural reaction! lol) but be planning an escape route.

Then, when you've reached the point that you need to exit stage right, steer where you want to go and then come off the brakes (or vica-versa) - it will then (or should) bite into the surface and send you diving off in the direction you've steered, saving you from the initial impact.

Whether you miss anything in the direction you 'escape' to depends on traffic, kerbs, bollards, your reactions and (mostly) luck... LoL

Saved my arse a couple of months back when some doddery old git pulled out on me while I was doing 60+ then proceeded to do 30mph! Looking at it, if he'd have been a few mph slower I would have been stuck, as the bollards in the centre of the road were literally where I came off the brakes to steer!

 

[suckmykiss]

thats pretty much wot i did bt the only options were the back of the car in front, an oncoming car, or the hedge so i tuk the hedge lol

 

[White16valver]

Good choice! LoL

 

[Guilbert]

Firstly, idiots like that shouldnt be on the roads!

But i would probably have done what you did. I'd like to say id smash into her car, but you are in a tin can clio, and i drive a BMW so have much more engine/bonnet in front of me to take the impact.

When ever i practice emergency stopping (i give it a go every now and then, just to keep my reactions sharp) i always seem to manage to hit the brakes hard enough to stop me in a few feet and more or less on the verge of the abs kicking in, so im still in control of the car/brakes, not some computer.

 

[jongsr4]

Thanks!

I agree, cars are safer nowadays because of ABS, however i'm sick to the back teeth of people saying "Oh its because the Cup doesn't have ABS". Either people should slow down, or learn how to brake properly and not rely on computers to do it all for you.

Totally agree with that