In todays news...

[Horse]

The best example are the 2m high 'ARSENAL' stadium letters - each will stop a lorry.

Each one laden with silverwear and trophies being delivered to the club.

Oh, wait....hang on...

And on that [lorry] bombshell

[Count Steer]

The best example are the 2m high 'ARSENAL' stadium letters - each will stop a lorry.

Each one laden with silverwear and trophies being delivered to the club.

Oh, wait....hang on...

And on that [lorry] bombshell

That's going to need a lot of T-cut.

[irie]

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, just resigned, and Robert Halfon, Education Minister, just resigned.

Perhaps a yet to be published tasty opinion poll is behind this?

methinks

[JackyJoll]

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, just resigned, and Robert Halfon, Education Minister, just resigned.

Perhaps a yet to be published tasty opinion poll is behind this?

methinks

Have they discovered that the Armed Forces are not well educated?

[Horse]

Each one laden with silverwear and trophies being delivered to the club.

Oh, wait....hang on...

And on that [lorry] bombshell

That's going to need a lot of T-cut.

Used to see them, 3 on a low loader, being taken away after testing. Not many salvageable parts!

[MingtheMerciless]

For the scale of destruction,it's a miracle there wasn't a big loss of life.

I'm thinking there must have been something else wrong (with the bridge, not the ship)...as above, you normally design things like this to withstand the impact of a ship. It's shocking just how easily the bridge comes down.

Built in the 1970's, I'm going to guess with some funds/contracts diverted to the local "families" for protection. I'd also suggest the standards back then were much less stringent than nowadays, add to that the ship weighed up to 116000 dead weight tonnes. Also 50 years of sea air won't have done it any good but utlimately I'm not sure what would stop that that sort of weight. Someone said elsewhere that there may not have been "dolphins" around the bridge piers to protect them or at least attempt to divert the ship away from the pier/column but looking at an aerial shot it would appear the boat managed to swerve around something before impact.

[Taipan]

Its the new 9/11. One of many arising conspiracy theories...

[Yambo]

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, just resigned, and Robert Halfon, Education Minister, just resigned.

Perhaps a yet to be published tasty opinion poll is behind this?

methinks

Heappey said a couple of weeks ago that he was going to stand down at the next general election - like 61 others.

They're just rats deserting a sinking ship or maybe they genuinely want to spend more time with their families . . .

[Count Steer]

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, just resigned, and Robert Halfon, Education Minister, just resigned.

Perhaps a yet to be published tasty opinion poll is behind this?

methinks

Heappey said a couple of weeks ago that he was going to stand down at the next general election - like 61 others.

They're just rats deserting a sinking ship or maybe they genuinely want to spend more time with their families . . .

You have to be out of government office for a fixed period before taking a job related to the position iirc. So a tranche of them are quitting now so they can get ahead of the rush for plum jobs.

[Saga Lout]

Two-thirds of accidents occur within 5 miles of home...

97% of all statistics on the internet are made up.

Even if that statistic is correct, it doesn't tell us anything without context. How much of our driving is done within 5 miles of home? If it's more than two thirds then we're safer within that 5 mile bubble.

Maybe, but I didn't make it up; What Car did the fabricating, not me guv...

https://www.whatcar.com/news/most-crash ... home/n5693

And drawing on a shockingly small sample size (one, me) the last accident I had was no more than half a mile from home...

From that article:

'Our research suggests that many drivers appear to be in a comfort zone when driving close to home on familiar roads, explaining why such a large proportion of accidents occur there.

Brian Martin obviously doesn't understand his own research. When most of my driving was fairly long distance, most of my accidents (and I didn't have many) were 30, 40 or 50 miles from home. Now, most of my driving is within 5 or 10 miles of home I expect any accidents I have will be within 5 or 10 miles of home. It's nothing to do with a "comfort zone" it's everything to do with where most people do their driving.

[mangocrazy]

My most recent accident was at the start of a 75 mile journey. Make of that what you will. My initial comment was only intended as a joke, anyway. I suggest you take it up with Brian Martin if it annoys you that much.

[JackyJoll]

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, just resigned, and Robert Halfon, Education Minister, just resigned.

Perhaps a yet to be published tasty opinion poll is behind this?

methinks

Heappey said a couple of weeks ago that he was going to stand down at the next general election - like 61 others.

They're just rats deserting a sinking ship or maybe they genuinely want to spend more time with their families . . .

If they think they are likely to lose their seat, it’s pretty reasonable that they have no wish to waste months campaigning.

Also possible that they have no wish to kick their heels on Opposition benches or in Shadow Cabinet for five years, even if they win their seat.

[cheb]

Maybe they have realised they aren't quite up to the job and have left the way clear for a better person to do it.

[mangocrazy]

Maybe they have realised they aren't quite up to the job and have left the way clear for a better person to do it.

Shouldn't this be in the Jokes section?

[Yorick]

Its the new 9/11. One of many arising conspiracy theories...

Crackpot.

[Rockburner]

The best example are the 2m high 'ARSENAL' stadium letters - each will stop a lorry.

Each one laden with silverwear and trophies being delivered to the club.

Oh, wait....hang on...

And on that [lorry] bombshell

What happens if the lorry isn't dead-centre on the bollard?

[Horse]

And on that [lorry] bombshell

What happens if the lorry isn't dead-centre on the bollard?

They'll probably be positioned so the driver has no choice. High kerbs, multiple bollards etc.

But even then, the bollard won't get scared and jump out of the way

It would still shred half the truck.


Bollards are just part of the countermeasures possible. Road geometry is another, so the vehicle has to slow.

https://www.npsa.gov.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm

[Saga Lout]

...My initial comment was only intended as a joke, anyway. I suggest you take it up with Brian Martin if it annoys you that much.

It's the misuse of statistics that annoys me. You know, people quoting statistics and drawing unwarranted conclusions.

[Rockburner]

And on that [lorry] bombshell

What happens if the lorry isn't dead-centre on the bollard?

They'll probably be positioned so the driver has no choice. High kerbs, multiple bollards etc.

But even then, the bollard won't get scared and jump out of the way

It would still shred half the truck.


Bollards are just part of the countermeasures possible. Road geometry is another, so the vehicle has to slow.

https://www.npsa.gov.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm

I was more wondering how much of the truck would make it past the bollard because the body of the truck would rotate around the bollard if the impact was off-centre.

[Horse]

What happens if the lorry isn't dead-centre on the bollard?

They'll probably be positioned so the driver has no choice. High kerbs, multiple bollards etc.

But even then, the bollard won't get scared and jump out of the way

It would still shred half the truck.


Bollards are just part of the countermeasures possible. Road geometry is another, so the vehicle has to slow.

https://www.npsa.gov.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm

I was more wondering how much of the truck would make it past the bollard because the body of the truck would rotate around the bollard if the impact was off-centre.

Typically (I saw several post-impact remains), the cab might detach - but most of the chassis, engine, etc. would stop.

I'd imagine that in an off-centre impact, depending on the offset, it would shear off the wheels and much more. It would ruin the driver's day as he won't get to heaven, 40 virgins etc. as planned.

Here's a typical UK truck and bollard. Impact at about 3:55 in:




Another: