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Gusts of wind and cars


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You know when you are driving pretty fast on the highway and you start to feel the wind pull you in one direction or the other? Do accidents ever get caused by the wind spinning you out?

357081[/snapback]

 

Yes, but very rarely with cars. Usually with larger trucks/SUVs/semis...but even that's none too common.

 

And you're right, it was a stupid question. ;)

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You know when you are driving pretty fast on the highway and you start to feel the wind pull you in one direction or the other? Do accidents ever get caused by the wind spinning you out?

357081[/snapback]

 

Certainly. Big rigs are susceptible (note that some over-the-road trailers have a rounded contraption rividtd to the upper corners to address and mitigate shear).

 

Cars have been tossed off of the Macinac Bridge for years.

 

Being a putative scientist, can't you figure out such things? Physics 101...;)

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You know when you are driving pretty fast on the highway and you start to feel the wind pull you in one direction or the other? Do accidents ever get caused by the wind spinning you out?

357081[/snapback]

 

Very common in mountain passes and narrow road routes or over long bridges - usually high profile vehicles - cars can be affected when there is loss of traction

 

One example: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20...s_7m17wind.html

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Yes, but very rarely with cars.  Usually with larger trucks/SUVs/semis...but even that's none too common.

 

And you're right, it was a stupid question.  ;)

357087[/snapback]

 

I figured it would be, but I notice it more now that I do a lot more interstate driving than I did in the past.

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A couple years ago, there was a young chick driving her brand new SUV on the Washington DC Beltway. It was a very windy day and she lost control during a gust and veered left into the median and shot up onto the other side of the beltway into oncoming traffic. Killed 5 people in a minivan on impact. Those poor folks were just traveling through from Canada on the way to Florida or something.

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It wasn't a car accident, but in the 80's a car broke down on theSkyway. The guy got out and was looking under the hood. A gust of wind picked him up and threw him off the bridge.

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A couple years ago, there was a young chick driving her brand new SUV on the Washington DC Beltway.  It was a very windy day and she lost control during a gust and veered left into the median and shot up onto the other side of the beltway into oncoming traffic.  Killed 5 people in a minivan on impact.  Those poor folks were just traveling through from Canada on the way to Florida or something.

357245[/snapback]

 

If I recall, she was also trying to dial her cell phone at the time...

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