[DeTomaso] Good news from the Swedish crash

jtaphorn at kingwoodcable.com jtaphorn at kingwoodcable.com
Wed Jul 4 13:24:50 EDT 2012


The accident is a true tragedy and I feel sorry for all who were injured.  I suspect how well we all deal as a driver with unintended acceleration is a function of our familiarity with the machine and training.  

Years back I was helping a neighbor and fellow trail rider start his 250 motorcross bike after an engine rebuild.  He was unable to kick start it. So, I offered to push him for a jump start.  What he didn't realize at the time was his carburetor slide was stuck wide open.  When the engine jumped to life, he flew like a rocket down his driveway across the street and flipped over the neighbors bushes ending sprawled across the neighbors front lawn.  The indignity of it all was capped by most of the neighbors witnessing the accident while socializing just down the street.  After realizing his injuries wee minor, as a good friend, I could not stop laughing.  

I had yelled at him to pull the clutch lever in - but, he said he couldn't hear me. And no surprise, that bike was off like a rocket and maybe in the back of his mind he didn't want to grenade his new motor.

Anyway, my point is that when you are surprised with such an occurrence, there isn't much time to think and panic complicates logical thinking.  I'd like to believe that I would have thought to push in the clutch and turn of the ignition while braking

JT

---- Mike Dailey <panteraplace at hotmail.com> wrote: 

=============
I had my throttle sick wide open on my 1960 Ford that I owned at age 19.  It
was a 292 V8 and a three speed manual floor shifter.   I had the air cleaner
off and when I put it back on it was turned so the throttle lever would
stick open.  I pulled out of the service station and floored it in first
gear.  I started to back off a bit in first gear and realized my throttle
was stuck to the floor.  It all happens in absolute nano-seconds, and by
instinct alone my left hand went for the key and my left foot for the
clutch.  My left foot on the clutch beat my hand to the key and thank
goodness the rpm was limited by valve float.   It sounded absolutely
horrible.   The engine survived fine, but from then on I've always been very
careful with free throttle movement.   

Anyone else have a throttle stick wide open?  I wonder if this type of WOT
crash event could be related to a person that normally drives an automatic
and the instinct is to go for the brake rather than the key and clutch. 

Mike        

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