Driving - How We Rely on Technology
Trusting delicate items with our lives
The idea for this article came to my mind yesterday when, as I sat down to eat my dinner after a long day at work, my brother rang to say that his van had lost steering and that he'd very nearly had a serious accident. Within seconds, my dad and I ran out, hitched up our trailer and went to him. Luckily he wasn't far from home and on a small road as a few minutes earlier, he was doing 70mph on the motorway where there could have been a serious accident.
He had a cross legged van!
The driver's side wheel was hard left, the passenger side was hard right. That was the view that greeted me when I arrived to pick up my shaken brother. The act of loading the van on to the trailer was both dangerous and difficult as there was no way of controlling the direction of the wheel, besides forcing it by hand after every couple of inches movement closer to the trailer's front.
The root of the problem...
A quick examination of the underside of the van revealed a broken steering rack. The rod itself had sheared beneath the gaiter - a worrying thing considering that this was a newly purchased item...
It looks okay here. Under the gaiter, it was a different story...
I dread to think what could have happened.
The accident that could have followed this breakage doesn't bear thinking about. What would have come to pass if this part failed in different circumstances, such as at higher speed? Would it have summersaulted the van or simply caused it to squeal wildly out of control?
Doesn't it make you think?
It's not just things like steering racks that we rely on with a life-taking certainty, it's everything about our vehicles. Take disc brakes for example - a calliper fed by hydraulic fluid from a seemingly tiny pipeline with the express purpose of squeezing a metal disc in an attempt to create deceleration. A simple yet clever concept, don't you think?
A new 7.5" brake disc for a classic Mini.
Just look at the fragility of the parts that we trust with our lives.
Brand new copper brake pipes - so diminutive...
Just look at these pipes. These are the lifelines of motoring and, although their job is incredibly vital, they're nothing more than thin, tubular copper.
Too much neglect
Far too many cars are hurtling around the roads of the world with their drivers unaware of a potentially life-threatening problem nestled beneath the floor pan. Sometimes, there is no way of telling that a part is going to fail as they often look solid and reliable, as was the case with my brother's steering rack. But in most cases, there will be visual or driving-orientated clues denoting the existence of a problem in its early stages. It only takes a brief minute to investigate a curious sound or strange pedal feel and, if this happens to you, please evaluate and repair the situation as necessary or find someone who will for you. I'm saying these things not to scare you, but to make you realise how easily your vehicle can descend from being a life-saver to a life-taker. A few minutes could be the difference between petrolhead heaven and something that none of us want to think about...
Keep safe and keep driving!
Don't ever give up on your passion for driving. Keep it safe, fast, fun and exciting - I know I will!
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Comments (8)
Even if you own a modern car always do daily checks once or twice a month. I do
Exactly, mate. :)
And also giving them a bath always helps keep the body work in good condition
That’s why you believe in God
Brilliant piece on writing. :)
We really do rely on it too much now it’s not good really