Youths throwing water bombs at cars on Abbeydale Road

[P3nn]

Hurt my car... no.

 

Cause me to lose concentration and control of the car, crashing into other cars or pedestrians ...... yes.

 

If a bit of water causes you to crash then im worried and you shouldn't be on the road.

 

How do you drive in the rain? Infact how do you drive in a snow storm?

 

If the police have been called what else do you want?

[L00b]

How do you drive in the rain? Infact how do you drive in a snow storm?

Quite easily, since in prevalent conditions, an even semi-competent driver fully expects rainwater/snowflakes to impact the windscreen

If a bit of water causes you to crash then im worried and you shouldn't be on the road.

Wish all those with holier-than-though attitude on this thread coped onto the fact that the OP is about an unexpected impact (you're expecting a litre or more of water, impacting as a solid mass (1kg), at 30 mph, on a clear sunny day? really?), in an (urban-) environment which is particularly dense with close-by risks and dangers.

 

30 mph is slow going compared to 50 or 60 mph. On an open road. It's plenty fast enough in a city street filled with other cars, bikes, pedestrians, all in motion...and more than enough to kill a kid or cyclist within the second or so (at 30 mph, 44 feet travelled) of distraction which such an unexpected impact can have.

[P3nn]

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Quite easily, since in prevalent conditions, an even semi-competent driver fully expects rainwater/snowflakes to impact the windscreen

Wish all those with holier-than-though attitude on this thread coped onto the fact that the OP is about an unexpected impact (you're expecting a litre or more of water, impacting as a solid mass (1kg), at 30 mph, on a clear sunny day? really?), in an (urban-) environment which is particularly dense with close-by risks and dangers.

 

30 mph is slow going compared to 50 or 60 mph. On an open road. It's plenty fast enough in a city street filled with other cars, bikes, pedestrians, all in motion...and more than enough to kill a kid or cyclist within the second or so (at 30 mph, 44 feet travelled) of distraction which such an unexpected impact can have.

 

Exactly in an urban environment you should be more alert for hazards.. There is a 30mph speed limit on Abbeydale Road and 30mph is only dangerous if the persons reaction times are too slow to bring that speed down.

 

At the end of the day in a built up city like Sheffield **** like this happens..

 

You should expect it. If you want to call the police then its your right to do so and waste their time.

 

But there really isn't much else you can do about it!

 

I remember a van driver i knew crashed his van dodging a squirrel.. That sort of situation is a bit more life and death than a water baloon hitting a car window when you've got wipers!

 

And no he didn't start a thread having a go at all the squirrels in Sheffield!

 

Nor would he of specified if they were grey or red squirrels...

[L00b]

I remember a van driver i knew crashed his van dodging a squirrel.. That sort of situation is a bit more life and death than a water baloon hitting a car window when you've got wipers!

That situation is no different from what is being discussed: a squirrel unexpectedly crossing the road is just as unexpected as a water bomb unexpectedly hitting a windscreen out of the blue.

 

Swerving is a reflex. Some people will swerve, some will not. Some people will stand on their brakes (potentially causing a pile-up), some will not. Some people might even get a heart-attack from the shock, and lose control of their car. Etc. - the list of potential outcomes is so random as to be endless.

 

Point in fact is - you don't know. And neither do I (though I've been through the situation, and it was way worse than a water balloon on a nice sunny day, so at least I've got a good and fair idea of how I would react). Nor do these kids.

 

One thing for definite, is that for a good second or so (44 feet), if not longer, any driver will not be in full possession of their means/attention, whilst their brain processes what just happened. Even Jensen Button.

 

So why condone a behaviour which compounds the dangerous nature of town driving?

 

EDIT - as for the grey or red quirrel thing, you can stow it. No issue has been made of the ethnic background (seems posters are getting more tolerant in this respect? a good thing). If anything, it's useful: at least next time I drive down Abbeydale Rd, I'll pay more attention to certain groups of kids than others. Just so I can anticipate a water bomb, now that I can associate a characteristic with the risk.

[P3nn]

As you say it's down to reactions, Run the squirrel over or swerve to avoid! Personally i would of run it over rather than taking evasive action and crashing into a tree which is what happened.

 

With a waterbomb it might shock you but at most you'd stop! You wouldn't try and dodge it unless you were gormless!

 

There's a different between a hazard you can and cannot avoid!

 

As you say its down to the person! Which is what my initial point was.. If you don't have the awareness to drive then you shouldn't drive.

 

It still amazes me how many people don't understand the use of indicators but thats off topic..

 

I never condoned that sort of behaviour in any way or form but what i did say that if a water bomb is enough to make you career off the road then you're already a hazard yourself by being on the road!

 

The ammount of people that drive with "auto-pilot" rather than actually paying attention, being intrested and enjoying the fact that they are driving amazes me..

[Ousetunes]

I recall a driving lesson, many years ago, during which, driving along Middlewood Road a dog belted across the road forcing me to swerve.

 

With neither I nor the ultra-cool instructor panicking, I carried on driving in a silence broken only by the instructor's advice: "you should have hit the b*stard!"

[Olive]

Whose defending them because they are Asian?

 

I can't see that anyone is.

 

Some posters think that water bombing cars is trivial, it's just a bit of water, what harm can it do. Others think its potentially fatal.

 

I wouldn't say it's either. Normally it's not going to cause any actual damage. The point is a driver isn't necessarily going to know what's being thrown. If you're driving along and someone hurls something at you, I'd think you could easily flinch, possibly swerve, certainly lose concentration.

 

Also it's childish, moronic behaviour.

[P3nn]

that situation is no different from what is being discussed: A squirrel unexpectedly crossing the road is just as unexpected as a water bomb unexpectedly hitting a windscreen out of the blue.

 

Swerving is a reflex. Some people will swerve, some will not. Some people will stand on their brakes (potentially causing a pile-up), some will not. Some people might even get a heart-attack from the shock, and lose control of their car. Etc. - the list of potential outcomes is so random as to be endless.

 

Point in fact is - you don't know. And neither do i (though i've been through the situation, and it was way worse than a water balloon on a nice sunny day, so at least i've got a good and fair idea of how i would react). Nor do these kids.

 

One thing for definite, is that for a good second or so (44 feet), if not longer, any driver will not be in full possession of their means/attention, whilst their brain processes what just happened. Even jensen button.

 

So why condone a behaviour which compounds the dangerous nature of town driving?

 

Edit - as for the grey or red quirrel thing, you can stow it. No issue has been made of the ethnic background (seems posters are getting more tolerant in this respect? A good thing). If anything, it's useful: At least next time i drive down abbeydale rd, i'll pay more attention to certain groups of kids than others. Just so i can anticipate a water bomb, now that i can associate a characteristic with the risk.

 

simple resoloution hire cat bus for all sheffields transport requirements

[L00b]

With a waterbomb it might shock you but at most you'd stop!

You would? I wouldn't. Like last time it happened, on the contrary I'd floor it (given clear road ahead), not hanging around for the next impact from <whatever>. But that is conditioned reflex. I've had the benefit of specialist training.

There's a different between a hazard you can and cannot avoid!

True, but irrelevant in the context of this thread.

 

The relevant difference is between a hazard (of which you are aware prior to the impact, whether avoidable or not) and outright surprise (no perceptible hazard prior to the impact).

 

Seeing a group of kids in the road ahead is perceiving a hazard. Seeing the kids throw one or more water bombs before you get to their level is perceiving a hazard. Seeing nothing untoward and getting hit with a litre of water or more completely out of the blue is not a hazard - it's a cause for hazard after the hit.

 

Seems you don't understand the difference

As you say it's down to reactions, Run the squirrel over or swerve to avoid! Personally i would of run it over rather than taking evasive action and crashing into a tree which is what happened.

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I never condoned that sort of behaviour in any way or form but what i did say that if a water bomb is enough to make you career off the road then you're already a hazard yourself by being on the road!

 

The ammount of people that drive with "auto-pilot" rather than actually paying attention, being intrested and enjoying the fact that they are driving amazes me..

You are aware of your self-contradiction across these paragraphs, right?

 

TBH, you sound like you either haven't ever driven, or not beein driving for long. It shows.

[P3nn]

Well if you hit things and then floor it i'm very worried! Think about how many people you've killed...

 

No i don't think you understand what i'm saying. A waterbomb would come flying out of no where! Whereas a something like a squirrel you have to option as you see it on the road infront of you coming up.

 

A waterbomb you don't have any choice over.. Whereas in the squirrel situation you can either kill it or try and dodge it while putting yourself at risk!

 

There is no contradiction going on! I've been driving for 4 years! Yes it's not that long but i can assure you that there's people who've been on the roads for longer and instead of learning more they've just become brain dumbed auto pilot zombies who don't pay attention to their surroundings!