by Alec » Sun Oct 31, 2021 4:48 pm
I've been an advocate for the Directional Toyo R888 for a very long time, as opposed to most owners preference for the Yokohama Advan A048, which I never liked, and I was pleased to see Ariel choose the Toyo's for the 500 V8.
Any way, I only ever had one problem with the Toyo R888 aquaplaning, which although not on track, could happen anywhere.
I'd been at a Track Day at Aintree Circuit when it started to rain in the afternoon, but I was virtually the last car to go out in the final session with no problems at all for grip.
It was a week later on the M57 when I was cruising along at about 70 in a queue of cars in the outside lane when it started to rain a bit.
Before I could pull off at the next junction to put waterproofs on, we rounded one of the curves to see what looked like a bead curtain of torrential rain.
I started to slow & move over lanes, but as I went through what was obviously the edge of the very heavy downpour, it was like driving into a lake so I had absolutely no grip whatsoever.
As I aquaplaned & spun, I was lucky enough to pass between the cars and numerous lorries in the inside lane without touching any, or worse still, going under one of the lorries.
I ended up going up the embankment and hitting a tree backwards.
Out of all the vehicles that must have seen what happened, just one Birmingham lorry driver stopped and helped, flagging down an Ambulance going in the opposite direction, who turned around to also help.
I then had to wait for the Fire Brigade, Police, Paramedics and a local Ambulance to get me out and take me to Hospital.
I'd snapped my Humerus as I was thrown sideways onto the Frame, and so couldn't climb out unaided.
I knew I'd broken my arm, as although I hadn't moved my arms, I recognised my glove as it went past my face.
The point of this is, no matter how confident you are in your tyres in wet conditions, as I was, too much water on the road will negate virtually any tyre on a very light car like the Atom.
Within six months of my Accident on the M57, they installed these warning signs.
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- M57 Flood Warning Sign.jpg (127.89 KiB) Viewed 1237 times
I've been an advocate for the Directional Toyo R888 for a very long time, as opposed to most owners preference for the Yokohama Advan A048, which I never liked, and I was pleased to see Ariel choose the Toyo's for the 500 V8.
Any way, I only ever had one problem with the Toyo R888 aquaplaning, which although not on track, could happen anywhere.
I'd been at a Track Day at Aintree Circuit when it started to rain in the afternoon, but I was virtually the last car to go out in the final session with no problems at all for grip.
It was a week later on the M57 when I was cruising along at about 70 in a queue of cars in the outside lane when it started to rain a bit.
Before I could pull off at the next junction to put waterproofs on, we rounded one of the curves to see what looked like a bead curtain of torrential rain.
I started to slow & move over lanes, but as I went through what was obviously the edge of the very heavy downpour, it was like driving into a lake so I had absolutely no grip whatsoever.
As I aquaplaned & spun, I was lucky enough to pass between the cars and numerous lorries in the inside lane without touching any, or worse still, going under one of the lorries.
I ended up going up the embankment and hitting a tree backwards.
Out of all the vehicles that must have seen what happened, just one Birmingham lorry driver stopped and helped, flagging down an Ambulance going in the opposite direction, who turned around to also help.
I then had to wait for the Fire Brigade, Police, Paramedics and a local Ambulance to get me out and take me to Hospital.
I'd snapped my Humerus as I was thrown sideways onto the Frame, and so couldn't climb out unaided.
I knew I'd broken my arm, as although I hadn't moved my arms, I recognised my glove as it went past my face.
The point of this is, no matter how confident you are in your tyres in wet conditions, as I was, too much water on the road will negate virtually any tyre on a very light car like the Atom.
Within six months of my Accident on the M57, they installed these warning signs.