I found a disturbing article in our local paper (The San Luis Obispo Tribune) today (Sunday January 25, 2004) that touches a subject close to all our hearts.
The head line reads: “TWO DIE WHEN CAR SLIDES INTO CREEK.”
The article goes on to say “… Two men - - a 19 year old from (**
and an 18 year old from (**
- - were killed when the car they were traveling in slid off an embankment and into (**
creek …The men were driving in a high performance 2004 Subaru WRX at a high speed … They were driving in a caravan with four other small high performance cars … A at a curve just before the accident site, the driver passed one of the cars on the left … A double yellow line prohibits passing in the stretch. The driver apparently lost control of the car which slid into a dirt turn out, spun 180 degrees and launched over the embankment and into the creek … The car landed in the deeper part of the creek and was submerged …”
From personal experience I did see two such events, thankfully with out the dire consequences, occur the one time I attended the “Snakes to the Lake” event a couple years ago.
This kind of experience is one we all need desperately to avoid at any cost to vanity, pride, macho image or pride in our build.
I am also a Private Pilot, there is an expression applied to those who attempt to fly too low under a low ceiling in mountainous or hilly terrain and find that they are too far into a canyon to execute a turn to exit the danger. Many times these situations also end in a tragedy that is avoidable if common sense and safe practices are adhered to.
The above practice is referred to as “SCUD” running.
We need to do our best to avoid “SCUD” running in our activities as well.
SCUD … Stupid ‘Cause it is Unnecessarily Dangerous.
Please, lets all be careful on the “rides we take.”