Car accident

[woolybanana]

We are all aware of the Brexfarce this week and to be fair a distraction was needed, but how the heck did they get the Duke of Edinburgh to crash his car to draw off public attention from cretins who represent the British people?

[Théière]

Where was Viscount Althorp?

[Gardengirl]

Earl Spencer?

Amazing that the DoE wasn’t injured at all - it’s reckoned that his Land Rover weighs 2 tons, must have been a huge impact.

[Hoddy]

It worries me that everyone appears to be assuming that the D of E was at fault. It's something that bothers me as I get older.

[YCCMB]

Haven't noticed that, Hoddy. In fact, I'm slightly surprised that in the reports Ive seen and heard, there's been little or no reference to, or discussion of the possible sequence of events or apportionment of blame. What I do find weird is the preoccupation that's now emerging with whether or not the D of E thanked his rescuers or enquired about the welfare of the people in the other car. It's almost as if there's a section of the media looking to blame him for *something* and if it can't be the accident itself, then they'll find something else.

No mention as to whether the people in the other car asked about him, etc., etc..so obviously that aspect is of no interest. ?

[Gardengirl]

According to the barrister who was an eye-witness, once he’d helped the DoE to get out of the car he asked about the people in the other car.

He also said that the DoE said ‘nothing rude’.

Hoddy, it concerns me too.

I’ve never been able to see well in the dark, so have always avoided that, and I’m much more nervous about driving to places I’m not familiar with now. I’ve had to do that while my husband hasn’t been able to drive but I’ve not been too happy about it.

[Judith]

I recall hearing a remark about sun in eyes, it's winter, you know what it's like driving into the low sun at this time of year, easy to be "blinded".  And yes, we still have no idea what or who caused the accident, so all this stable door after horses bolted, as is usual with the media.

Norfolk Police that the usual accident enquiries will be made .. the first role of the Police (from when I had my "accident" last year) is to ensure the accident scene is protected, so that traffic can begin to flow again asap, ensure that all people involved are uninjured, or appropriate help is given asap, and only then does is the investigation as to what happen begin.  They gave me a notice for insurance purposes and I was told that no further action would be taken in my case.

It will become evident what happened when the correct procedure has been instigated.

[YCCMB]

LOL! Judith, I read your post after seeing a quote from HIGNFY, which read: "Breaking: Prince Philip involved in Brexit metaphor".

Your observations re. the media would apply with equal validity to both. They've raised saying plenty when there's nothing to say to an art form.

[richard51]

Worry not:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46916429

From reading the papers there is a fairly consistent story that he was coming out of a side road onto a normally busy main road even though he was blinded by the sun.

IMHO: Legally he should have waited but he will probably not be prosecuted because of who he is.

[woolybanana]

Surely, he will be prosecuted because of who he is?

[richard51]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6608669/The-Queen-92-drives-Range-Rover-without-seatbelt.html

[idun]

Low winter sun is a nightmare at the moment. I was joining a motorway a couple of days ago and could not see, looking round or in my side mirror and because of the joining angle my central mirror was no use either. Bright sun and wet road reflecting the sun...and I did pull out and fortunately it was fine, but felt rather russian roulette'ish and frightening.

I could hardly have just stayed in the filter lane until the sun had gone down, could I....? Is that what I should have done..??

[Judith]

Agree Idun, I'm always having to hold my hand up to sheild my eyes , and then, of course, technically, I am not properly in control of my car!  But what else can you do, nothing!

[Loiseau]

Absolutely agree, les filles.

When the bright sun is very low, the sun visor does not extend downwards enough to screen it from my eyes.

I now keep a long-peaked cap on the passenger seat beside me, so I can cram it on my head and pull it down to try and eliminate dazzle.

[Gardengirl]

That’s a good idea, Loiseau.

If I need to turn into the sun, particularly on a main road I turn in the opposite direction and turn round as soon as safe and practical. Obviously not a good idea on a motorway.

[idun]

My problem the other day was not just the low sun, but the

wet road that was so bright. Even if I had covered my eyes against the shining sun with my hand or a hat, it would not have stopped the reflection on the road.

Frankly I wish that in winter, cars would have their headlamps on all day. Headlamps being on, could well have helped me.

When we lived in the mountains it was not such a problem as the sun never got that low, as it would have been behind the mountains when it was so low.

[Loiseau]

That's another good wheeze, GG, turning the other way and hoping for a roundabout or similar in order to come back.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Loiseau"]That's another good wheeze, GG, turning the other way and hoping for a roundabout or similar in order to come back.[/quote]

But if you turn the other way you will have the sun in your rear view mirror instead of through the windscreen. Or vice-versa.

I wear photo-sensitive glasses which help somewhat, but I have sometimes stopped in a layby until the sun either went down a bit or was covered in cloud before continuing.

I can't believe anyone would play Russian roulette and pull into a motorway lane when they can't see if something is coming.

I think I'd rather stop on the hard shoulder - if it hasn't been turned into an extra lane, or simply stop in a café somewhere when the sun is low, if my eyes were not up to the job.

EDIT: I reckon the Duke was turning right, to go roughly North.

[richard51]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6610325/Philip-rides-Duke-Edinburgh-97-wheel.html

Now this is just madness or arrogance.

[nomoss]

To be fair, I believe that apologising to another driver can be interpeted as admitting responsibility for an accident by insurance companies.

[idun]

I am just pondering my journey home if I had headed west instead of East, very complicated and a too many extra miles.

No dash cam in the Prince's car???

[PaulT]

Think everyone should buy Land Rovers. You crash them one day and LR deliver a new one next day - Oh the advert 'can your car manufacturer do that'.

I see in the News that Norfolk police have 'given him words of advice' about not wearing a seat belt.....wonder if that was PC Plod or the Chief Constable.

Wonder how involved the Royal Protection officers were.

[nomoss]

[quote user="PaulT"]Think everyone should buy Land Rovers. You crash them one day and LR deliver a new one next day - Oh the advert 'can your car manufacturer do that'.

I see in the News that Norfolk police have 'given him words of advice' about not wearing a seat belt.....wonder if that was PC Plod or the Chief Constable.

Wonder how involved the Royal Protection officers were.[/quote]

I don't know how accurate the diagram is in this article , but I can't understand :-

1) How a Kia, which doesn't seem to be a very large one in the photos, managed to overturn a Land Rover and move it some distance sideways, while the driver and passengers in it suffered relatively minor injuries.

2) How the Duke had the sun in his eyes when travelling approximately East or Northeast.

[BritinBretagne]

An answer to 1 above. I believe that it was very fortunate that the Kia hit the Land Rover in a way that caused it to roll as that would have taken a lot of energy out of the collision. If the Freelander had stayed put the consequences could have been much worse.

With all the talk of the sun I’d never considered that the Kia was travelling south.

[nomoss]

[quote user="BritinBretagne"]An answer to 1 above. I believe that it was very fortunate that the Kia hit the Land Rover in a way that caused it to roll as that would have taken a lot of energy out of the collision. If the Freelander had stayed put the consequences could have been much worse.

With all the talk of the sun I’d never considered that the Kia was travelling south.[/quote]

I agree that it was very fortunate, but I am still surprised that a Kia could overturn a Land Rover, unless the LR has a very high CofG, or was already swerving to the left for some reason - perhaps to avoid a car coming from the right?

Re. your second point, from the initial reports I somehow understood that D/E was driving from Sandringham, turning left (South) - into the sun, but I couldn't understand how the LR ended up in its final position unless he crossed the road and was hit by the Kia travelling North.

However, if the Australian paper's diagram is correct, and looking at the junction on Google Earth, the D/E was crossing two lanes coming from his right, and possibly looking down them, into the sun, when the accident occurred.