My A2 with bluelights doing police work!

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Johann

Member
The A2's featured in the newsletter did have Police logos but no blue lights... well here's some pictures of my very own A2 sporting the reverse! No logos but blue lights...

This accident happened right in front of us traveling down to the Eden Project this past Saturday. The guy moved slighter over to avoid a parked AA van on the hard shoulder and his caravan just started to go when he returned to the slow lane... There was about 6 cars ahead of us that all braked like mad to avoid his swinging van... It rammed him into the armco (the bent steel clearly visible on the one picture as well as his brake/skid marks). Thankfully the driver, his wife and their baby was fine... though the baby had smashed side window glass all over its face - though did not even wake up and was unaware of the accident!!!

Having a London Ambulance guy in my car we had all the kit including a blue light and siren in the lower boot floor... so all this came out and the lane was secured by my Ahdeax!

Bluelight01.jpg


Bluelight02.jpg


____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
Looks like a lucky escape for all. That's what worries me with my big caravan, so I don't move it much, even though it has the top of the range stabiliser and a Volvo tow car.
 
A lot of rigs we passed had no idea of the industry standard that your car must way AT LEAST 85% of the total laden weight of your caravan... if not, the tail will just wag the dog, no matter how nice a stabiliser you have... This guy had stabilisers as well. The amount of featherweight Golfs/Astras and suchlike we saw towing big single axle vans was amazing... your dealer saying you car is strong enough to tow due to its TDI engine/Turbo engine/2,0 litre capacity/take your pick, does not mean you can actually tow any size van... thus the reason why A2s are no good for towing though we have loads of torque to do so!

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
Fortunately I've only seen it a handful of times over the years. I saw one where the van just ripped apart like a cardboard box. Scary stuff. Nice pictures Johann. I feel a newsletter article coming....

[img=left]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adriancharles/a2ade.gif[/img=left]Ade
spacer.gif
spacer.gif
UK Owners Page 24
s.gif
My Home Page
s.gif
Mail me

Audi A2 1.4SE (2003): Azure Blue
s.gif
Build Wk40/2002
Factory fit: OpenSky
s.gif
Climate
s.gif
Driver Information System
s.gif
Acoustic Parking
s.gif
Lumbar Adjustment
Retrofit: Rear Cup Holder
s.gif
2003 Wiper
s.gif
Rear Door Blinds
s.gif
Centre Tray
s.gif
Elasticated Belt
s.gif
Grille Strips
 
The towing ADVICE is not to exceed 85% unless you are experienced, and not to exceed 100% in any circumstances. As in the Highway code, which is not law, failure to follow the advice can be used against you. I would say I am experienced,but in the rare cases when I have had a load exceeding 85% I have used the local caravan agent. Oddly enough he uses the same Volvo as me!. Attempts to seek advice from the manufacturers of the car and the caravan re max load and particularly hitch loading resulted in failure to get a definitive reply. I am now confident of each loading. How many others go to the same trouble? I too have seen the results where you could shovel the entire van into dustbins with no parts sticking out. It could ruin your day!. The whole problem is similar to a tank slapper on a motor bike (violent oscillation of the handlebars) the best advice is not always easy to follow and often conflicts, praying helps. The advice with swaying vans and tank slapping bikes is to gently slow down without braking. Oh yeah? Apart from the initial panic it is not always possble due to other vehicles or road conditions. HGV's overtaking closely and fast will often induce oscillations, I am sure some do it on purpose, it's the Clarkson thing about "I hate caravans".
 
quote:"I hate caravans"
Click to expand...

TBH, I don't like them either. They remind me of tinned marrowfat peas when I was a kid and our primitive caravan didn't even have a fridge! :(

[img=left]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adriancharles/a2ade.gif[/img=left]Ade
spacer.gif
spacer.gif
UK Owners Page 24
s.gif
My Home Page
s.gif
Mail me

Audi A2 1.4SE (2003): Azure Blue
s.gif
Build Wk40/2002
Factory fit: OpenSky
s.gif
Climate
s.gif
Driver Information System
s.gif
Acoustic Parking
s.gif
Lumbar Adjustment
Retrofit: Rear Cup Holder
s.gif
2003 Wiper
s.gif
Rear Door Blinds
s.gif
Centre Tray
s.gif
Elasticated Belt
s.gif
Grille Strips
 
Trawling the M25 as I do every day, I've seen more jack-knived caravan accidents than anything else... and a lot of them end up with the van in tiny little bits strewn accross the motorway... I'm very wary of passing these things, especially on downhill stretches of road, and I would advise anyone to be careful too...

I was told it was not "nice" to take pictures of my car at an accident scene! But I felt that as no-one was injured or hurt I will do my A2OC duty and take pictures anyway! :D With a digital camera you don't hold it to your eye anyway, so no-one passing even noticed I took pictures I would suspect...

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
:D 85% is advice then and not law! Thanks Richard... As you say I just hope these guys with tiny cars follow this rule as good as you... but I have seen one accident on the M25 with a (presumed heavy enough) LR Discovery... so, as you say, there are many other factors to consider...

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
Depends on the road. When they're on a back lane or single carriageway it's go slow, but when on a 2 lane dual carriageway they can weave around so you can't overtake either...

[img=left]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adriancharles/a2ade.gif[/img=left]Ade
spacer.gif
spacer.gif
UK Owners Page 24
s.gif
My Home Page
s.gif
Mail me

Audi A2 1.4SE (2003): Azure Blue
s.gif
Build Wk40/2002
Factory fit: OpenSky
s.gif
Climate
s.gif
Driver Information System
s.gif
Acoustic Parking
s.gif
Lumbar Adjustment
Retrofit: Rear Cup Holder
s.gif
2003 Wiper
s.gif
Rear Door Blinds
s.gif
Centre Tray
s.gif
Elasticated Belt
s.gif
Grille Strips
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top