Jake
Well-known member
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- 3,438
Seen as the forum is a bit quiet at the moment I'll endeavour to tell you of an issue I had the other day, ok... Maybe not issue, but major incident.
Basically I was at work doing some ladder work, and was driving no more than a few hundered yards between houses in a nice old village. So in that respect I usually don't bother putting the ladder winders on, I just drive slow and steady, never been in problem in 8 years until now!
Problem was I decided whilst making a short trip that I'd go to tesco and get a coffee and some lunch, rather than going to the next house.
So just as I reach 40mph I hear a great crash and glance in my left mirror, noooooooooo!!!! Ladders had flown off the roof rack and crashed onto the road. Thankfully the car behind managed to stop in time and no one was injured, and no cars were damaged.
I slammed the brakes on, ran back up the dual carriageway to collect the ladders. They'd been completely bent, unusable. Not to mention my ego took a kicking. I felt like an abosulte plonker. Embarrassed and very sorry, I walked back to the van, holding my hand up to say sorry to all the drivers as they passed by.
No one stopped to help, and no one said anything, they all just drove off, which in some ways, was a good thing.
Moral of the story, never drive around without the ladders clamped on.
I'm amazed it took 40mph for them to fall off, but my roof bars have grippy rubber seals on them that give the ladder a lot of grip and resistance.
Could of killed someone! Or seriously damaged a car.
I've heard of this happening to a few windies before, anyone had similar?
Basically I was at work doing some ladder work, and was driving no more than a few hundered yards between houses in a nice old village. So in that respect I usually don't bother putting the ladder winders on, I just drive slow and steady, never been in problem in 8 years until now!
Problem was I decided whilst making a short trip that I'd go to tesco and get a coffee and some lunch, rather than going to the next house.
So just as I reach 40mph I hear a great crash and glance in my left mirror, noooooooooo!!!! Ladders had flown off the roof rack and crashed onto the road. Thankfully the car behind managed to stop in time and no one was injured, and no cars were damaged.
I slammed the brakes on, ran back up the dual carriageway to collect the ladders. They'd been completely bent, unusable. Not to mention my ego took a kicking. I felt like an abosulte plonker. Embarrassed and very sorry, I walked back to the van, holding my hand up to say sorry to all the drivers as they passed by.
No one stopped to help, and no one said anything, they all just drove off, which in some ways, was a good thing.
Moral of the story, never drive around without the ladders clamped on.
I'm amazed it took 40mph for them to fall off, but my roof bars have grippy rubber seals on them that give the ladder a lot of grip and resistance.
Could of killed someone! Or seriously damaged a car.
I've heard of this happening to a few windies before, anyone had similar?