Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Flintoff Crash

As this is a Morgan forum with a higher than average number of 3 wheeler owners hanging out here .... has anyone else experienced their M3W falling over at 22 mph ?... or is this something that is confined to the antics of attention seeking TV presenters (if, in fact, that is the truth of the matter in the first place)?

K

I'm not an owner but I recall seeing someone on TV, perhaps 5th gear, trying to drift a 3 wheeler on a circuit which did flip up onto two wheels. Perhaps Top Gear were trying to flip it up to drive on two wheels, which would have been at a slower speed?

One only has to look at the Top Gear turning over onto their side of 3 wheeler Reliant, where TG used to turn on a steep camber of a downward slope to create a falling over. Something I never experienced in my driving of the 3 wheeler or seen previous reports on with regard to their handling. In fact, the worst feature of a 3 wheeler Reliant was driving in snow ruts when the steering front wheel was still running in snow and the driven wheels on cleared tarmac tyre ruts, making steering changes difficult..

We have seen journalists who performed the Elk/Moose manoeuvre changing direction quickly and violently to overturn eg the Mercedes Smart and A class cars that lead to their withdrawal and introduction of further stability programmes and features to combat it


Therefore of course most vehicles will overturn if you create a situation/environment to bring it into effect. If that is the case in this case, then I surprised that whilst helmets may not be TV photogenic, why one wasn't being worn and therefore no H&S issues arose.

Mrs Image had a Robin 3 wheeler (lifelong biker who didn't have a car licence then got a job that needed a car and that was the quick solution) .... as a biker she thrashed it everywhere (they'll do 80!!) ... never had a rollover issue ... like you she found snowy days fun .... finally written off by a dozy transit driver rear-ending it while she was sat indicating for a gap in the traffic to turn into her drive.

The TG one was set up to roll (presumably because Reliant were out of business the BBC lawyers felt safe from lawsuits for damage to reputation) .... as you say anything will roll if you abuse it hard enough.

K

Ps ... after she'd crawled out of the wreckage of the Robin she sat her test so she could drive our Scimitar ... bit of a Reliant Girl there for a few years one way or another 🙂

Design fault?
If so then how would the vehicle pass homologation/safety crash test requirements and be cleared to be used on public roads? Having seen Morgan 3 wheelers racing at high speeds on corners then how would a 22mph overturn occur without extra influence?
On a roundabout near us I have seen a couple of cars overturned over the past 5 years. Standard cars. In both incidents the cars were up on their side on the pavement. It would be a case of warp factor 8 to cause without an exterior influence. In my opinion they had hit the kerb and the CG being above that point of contact caused the overturn.
TG have had many high risk stunts with deliberate actions causing crashes. It would be enlightening to see the circumstances and reasons for the payout.

I do love the fact that the BBC are making it very clear to distance themselves from the BBC Studios who were engaged in the event. Might be a few historic things that they want to compare to that situation that they have yet to own up to publicly.

Fifth Gear managed to get a previous version M3W up to two wheels on TV many moons ago. They recovered it and continued but I suspect the colour of the day may have been beige. That was using a higher grade of professional driver of course, also one not known for being more interested in publicity than reality.

Not so long ago they also put the "new" Citreon AMI electric quadricycle up on two wheels as well. That's a four wheeler. It is not down to power as it has none. So we can see why nanny wants cars to have stability control.
[video:youtube][/video]


We should own the right to power it off given we pay for it and the customer ought to be right, or at least decide if they want to be culpable for what they run into. If you switch it off the black box shows that and you have no one to sue. You on the other hand are likely to be sued?

Every time someone invents a more idiot proof system we find out where the best idiots hide.

I have had track days where I got to play with some excellent cars and still had them pointing the wrong way. Practice, practice, practice.

I guess one thing that may happen that I had not considered with this BEV thing - less diesel cars means less teflon road patches at junctions etc.

This just appeared on FB - Top Gear getting ready for a replay ?

When the journalists put the Smart and A class on their sides, the vehicles had been certified for use on the roads and subject to extensive testing by Mercedes, yet there was a inherent design issue with vehicles that are tall with narrow wheelbase and a higher centre of gravity.
Whilst its great to have a car out of control travelling backwards on a race track where most likely the only person at risk is the driver and where fire and ambulance services are in attendance. May I suggest, it is not acceptable in any civilised society to place a potential lethal weapon in some-one hands on the main roads without relative safety blanket being put around its use, to protect not the driver but also the innocent parties could get caught up in any accident. That's why for example we all drive on the same side of the road, we stop at red traffic lights, we give way at junctions, we have speed limits, we undertake annual minimum vehicle safety checks called MOTs etc, we are all tested and licenced to drive certain vehicles types after meeting minimum standards. We punish infringements of the rules eg under the influence of drink or drugs, speeding and so on because it proven to increase the likelihood of accidents. Otherwise, it would be a free for all, but of course all of those rules eg Highway Code represents a restriction (nanny state) on the one's freedoms when driving a vehicle.

I smile when I see reference to the nanny state with regard to cars etc. Interestingly its the same nanny state that most people rely upon for example for their health and education needs, to mention just a few.

BTW I love that Reliant 3 wheeler racing picture, Has it been photoshopped

That was as it came to me John, but those one's up in the air look a bit sus..

I know they are pretty light and a little unstable in cross winds ...........................