Autoblog

Car crash occurs in background of live news report

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

See those two cars in the background, over the left shoulder of the talking head? They are in the process of crashing into one another, right there, live on the air. We're not sure what's more shocking, the crash or the reporter's reaction, which is to, well, stand there.

What's perhaps most interesting about this strange occurrence is that it points out the ridiculousness of many local TV news reports. Every day, reporters are sent out to stand in front of buildings to deliver live news reports about events that are not happening live.

Occasionally, as in this situation, some news actually does break out.

Click past the jump to see the full clip.

Continue reading Car crash occurs in background of live news report

Car crash occurs in background of live news report originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing

John Neff — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Military

We checked driving a tank off our list of 1,001 Car Things To Do Before You Die in The List #0433 - or at least our hosts, Jessi and Patrick, did. They performed this feat at the aptly named Drive A Tank company in Kasota, Minnesota.

Drive A Tank offers a number of packages that include not only piloting up to three tanks in a day, but also history lessons on the usage of tanks in battle, a tour of their facilities and the chance to fire some historic military firearms. As Jessie herself experienced, there's even a Car Crush package that lets you drive a Chieftain Main Battle Tank over an auto that's past its prime.

But crushing a car may not be enough for you, which is why Drive A Tank just added mobile home crushing to its list of options. According to co-owner Tory Borglum, crushing cars has been a big hit with customers, but once the crush bug had bitten them, people wanted more. And so, Tony and company began intercepting mobile homes headed to the junkyard for one more fling on their tank course.

The Mobile Home Crush package starts at $500 and goes up to $3,495. Drive a Tank has also expanded its fleet of available military vehicles to drive with some non-treaded transports. New to the company this year are two M35 2½-ton cargo trucks and a GMV-spec military Humvee.

Continue reading Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing

Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK insurer says "reckless fog light drivers" cause 300,000 accidents a year

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Safety, UK

It would probably be easier for researchers to change tracks and start telling us what doesn't cause cancer or obesity or car accidents. Latest on the list of automotive smash-up causes, according to a study by UK insurer Swiftcover, are drivers leaving their fog lights on in good visibility. The numbers are brazen, with Swiftcover attributing "as many as 300,000" accidents and two million near misses in the last 12 months "caused by drivers leaving fog lights on in the same period."

The UK highway code prohibits driving with one's fog lights on in conditions with visibility greater than 100 meters. Swiftcover's study says the lights dazzle other drivers, especially in London where 50 percent of incidents were registered, and that this applies to both front and rear fog lights.

Follow the jump for a press release on the study and a link to the Highway Code if you need a refresher.

Continue reading UK insurer says "reckless fog light drivers" cause 300,000 accidents a year

UK insurer says "reckless fog light drivers" cause 300,000 accidents a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why are snowy roads like these never closed?

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

Another winter naturally means more videos of snowy carnage, as Mother Nature teams up with an inclined road to befuddle even those drivers who are used to such conditions. This time the location is Bountiful, Utah on January 21, where a slick bit of downhill becomes an automotive Slip-n-Slide.

The video after the jump gets off to a slow start, but about a minute or so in, things start going really wrong. By the end, we can only wonder why drivers at the top of the hill noting the demolition derby at the bottom still decide to take their chances. We also wonder why the road wasn't, oh, closed - either by police or a good samaritan. Follow the jump to see the ballet of carnage for yourself.

Continue reading Why are snowy roads like these never closed?

Why are snowy roads like these never closed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn't ensure a smooth landing

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Humor

Let us count the ways in which this stunt fails:

No Dodge Charger.
No Waylon Jennings.
No Daisy Duke.

Need we even continue?

Listen kids, if you're going to pull off a successful Duke boys stunt, you need more than a J.C. Whitney horn. While we give these guys credit for the staging and the timing of the Dixie blast, there's a lot of work that remains to be done. (Try brushing up on your Dukes of Hazard opening credits, for starters.)

To watch the video, click through the jump. Just be careful to stick the landing.

Continue reading Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn't ensure a smooth landing

Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn't ensure a smooth landing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three killed in 52-car autobahn crash

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Videos

A minor two-car accident on a German autobahn turned into a 52-car pileup with three deaths and two dozen injuries on Friday night. On a stretch of A31 not far from the Dutch border, two sedans got into a "harmless fender bender" in heavy fog. A German newspaper report said traffic isn't normally heavy there, so it could have taken a few minutes as 50 more cars plowed into that original incident.

Two of the deaths occurred after two drivers left their cars and perhaps sought safety behind a guardrail; they were found under another car that had flipped the barrier. The final fatality was found in his car that had slid down an incline beside the road.

"Autobahn" describes any German highway and most are speed limited, so this isn't necessarily about unrestricted speed. Investigators don't yet know what caused the accident, but another German report claims that police are investigating for potential manslaughter charges. Follow the jump for a video of the aftermath.

Continue reading Three killed in 52-car autobahn crash

Three killed in 52-car autobahn crash originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade

Zach Bowman — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Videos

A car accident near Cove City, North Carolina left a nine-year-old girl stranded upside down in a 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for two days. According to the Associated Press, a pedestrian spotted the overturned car and alerted authorities, who discovered the child alive. Temperatures at night dropped below 30 degrees, but the child's coat kept her warm and a supply of Gatorade and Pop-Tarts kept her fed and hydrated until help arrived. Sadly, the accident claimed the life of her 39-year-old father, Douglas Landon. The little girl, meanwhile, is currently recovering at a local hospital. The Washington Post reports that the vehicle's speedometer was stuck at over 100 mph, but friends and colleagues of the victim are quoted as saying that there's no way Landon would have been driving that fast.

Landon's daughter is recovering with her mother, who says that her child is talkative but very upset about the loss of her father. Medical personnel expect her to make a full recovery. Click past the jump for a video clip, and check out the WaPo article for more on this heart-wrenching story.

Continue reading 9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade

9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Honda, UK, Racing

Honda teammates collide on last lap of BTCC race - Click above to watch the video after the break

Uh oh, looks like someone just got Red Bulled. Don't know what that means? Remember back to the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix, in which the Red Bull racer driven by Mark Webber was leading the race with his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, right behind in second. It appeared to everyone watching that the famous energy drink's team would earn the first two spots on the podium, but it was not to be.

Vettel dove to the inside in a daring and dangerous maneuver and collided into his teammate. Vettel's day was done, Webber managed to finish the race in third. Stupid.

So memorable was the incident that it's now become a verb. The latest set of teammates to pull a Red Bull? Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, who race matching Honda Civics in the British Touring Car Championship. On the last lap of the second race at Oulton Park on June 5th, Neal, who was in second place behind his 'mate, decided he deserved to take the win. His passing maneuver, though, ended in tears.

See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race

Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Queensboro Bridge "Off-Ramp of Doom" claims third VW

Zach Bowman — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf crash at the queensboro bridge - Click above to watch video after the jump

The Queensboro bridge in New York City has seen its third major accident involving a Volkswagen since March. According to The New York Post, a 2007 Volkswagen Golf lost control while exiting the bridge, struck scaffolding erected outside of a building and landed on top of a parked livery vehicle. The driver of the VW was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. No one else was harmed in the incident.

That's a better outcome than in both of the previous accidents. The post reports that in April, the driver of a Jetta lost control in that exact location and spun into two store fronts. The driver later died of her injuries. Likewise, in March, a single-car accident at the off ramp resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The driver of that particular Volkswagen Golf lost an arm as a result of his injuries.

At this point, it's unclear what will be done to curb speeding on the off-ramp. Hit the jump to view a news report of the latest incident.

Continue reading Queensboro Bridge "Off-Ramp of Doom" claims third VW

Queensboro Bridge "Off-Ramp of Doom" claims third VW originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How much do traffic deaths cost your state? CDC has the answer

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Every year, the United States loses in the neighborhood of 30,000 people to traffic accidents. That's like the entire population of a medium-sized town being wiped out annually. The number of deaths not only wreaks havoc with families, but it puts a strain on our economy.

In recognition of the rising costs of traffic fatalities - not just in the U.S., but globally - the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The ten-year span will be marked by increased consciousness of driving habits, road conditions and vehicle safety. In honor of the event, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has put together some alarming statistics.

In 2005, traffic deaths wound up costing just over $41 billion in medical bills and work lost. Yes, that's billion with a "B." According to the CDC, 10 states stood head and shoulders above the rest in monetary losses. Those were: California, at $4.16 billion, Texas, at $3.50 billion, Florida, at 3.16 billion, Georgia, at $1.55 billion, Pennsylvania, at $1.52 billion, North Carolina, at $1.50 billion, New York, at $1.33 billion, Illinois, at $1.32 billion, Ohio, at $1.23 billion and Tennessee, at $1.15 billion.

Though these 10 states handily outranked the others, the CDC tallied up the monetary total for all of the 50 states. To see how your home state fared, check out the CDC website. If the U.S. can rack up such an alarming total by itself, we shudder to think what the global costs of car wrecks is.

How much do traffic deaths cost your state? CDC has the answer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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21-year-old driver survives 200-foot plunge into Grand Canyon

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Veering off the road is a scary event. Veering off the road that runs around the rim of the Grand Canyon is downright terrifying. Typically, a scenario that involves the terms "Grand Canyon," "automobile" and "plunge" usually end with the phrase "the fat lady has sung." For one particular 21-year-old man, that luckily doesn't seem to be the case.

Stating that he "accidentally drove over the rim," the driver and his vehicle dropped 200 feet before winding up snagged in some trees. The man climbed back to the top of the canyon's rim, flagged down help and was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. This leads us to believe the vehicle in question was either a Canyonero or the driver's bones are made up of a mixture of horseshoes and rabbit's feet. In any case, we're glad he made it out alive.

[Source: AZ Daily Sun | Image: kasyhap_hc/Flickr CC 2.0]

21-year-old driver survives 200-foot plunge into Grand Canyon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Lexus shows off world's coolest driving simulator in new safety commercial

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos, Lexus

Lexus' next (really) big thing - Click above to watch commercial after the jump

It's no longer kosher for carmakers to run simulations on computers that can fit on desks, because that's for chumps. If you don't have gear fit for a Hollywood blockbuster or a trip to Mars, well, you're not really serious about this whole car thing, are you?

Lexus has joined the latter camp with its new driving simulator, built to simulate crash avoidance. Inside the metal bulb is a Lexus LS460, surrounded by a 360-degree facsimile of a real driving environment. It's their next big thing, so they say. Us? We just want to reserve it when Gran Turismo 5 finally comes out. Follow the jump to watch the spot.

[Source: Lexus]

Continue reading Video: Lexus shows off world's coolest driving simulator in new safety commercial

Video: Lexus shows off world's coolest driving simulator in new safety commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mythbusters put the science of crashing cars to the test

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

~~Hyundais~~ Daewoos sacrificed in the name of science - Click above to watch the videos after the break

In between repeated bouts to literally knock your socks off (well, not yours exactly, but you get the idea, right?) last night, the Mythbusters crew decided to revisit an old myth that was drawing the ire of the show's fans for quite some time. And it's sure to be an interesting topic to automotive enthusiasts.

When two cars collide, each traveling 50 miles per hour, does the resulting force equal one car hitting an immovable object at 100 miles per hour?

It seems like such simple physics, no? But don't forget Newton's third law. To quote the great Wikipedia of knowledge, "Whenever a first body exerts a force F on a second body, the second body exerts a force −F on the first body. F and −F are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Or, more simply, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Great, thanks for that, ~~Einstein~~ Newton. What does that have to do with crashing cars? Glad you asked. Find out in the videos pasted after the break. Warning: A large number of ~~Hyundais~~ Daewoos were harmed during these videos. Oh, and the results of the crash testing may surprise you.

[Source: Mythbusters]

Continue reading Video: Mythbusters put the science of crashing cars to the test

Video: Mythbusters put the science of crashing cars to the test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Want to improve your odds of surviving a crash? Have another sammich

Chris Shunk — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

There aren't a lot of positives about being overweight, but a study by the University of Michigan shows that there could be one reason for the chunky among us to celebrate. U of M studied 300,000 traffic fatalities obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 1998 and 2008, and it has reportedly found that overweight people had a 22 percent lower fatality rate than underweight people. However, the story changes for the worse if you're a man with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 to 50 and you are not wearing a safety belt. The study shows that obese men are 10 percent more likely to die in an accident if they don't buckle up.

There was reportedly no statistical evidence that showed that females were affected by their weight in a crash. Unfortunately, there was evidence that women were 1.1 times as likely to die in a car crash then were men. And everyone is safer when buckled up, as evidenced by the not-so-surprising observation that those who do not fasten their safety belts are 2.1 times more likely to die in a car accident. U of M says that the study does show that the large mass of some men shows that airbags and seat belts may need to be redesigned in the future because their larger size could possibly be overwhelming the safety equipment. Maybe we won't have that extra pastrami on rye after all.

[Source: AnnArbor.com | Image: Lili Nelson]

Study: Want to improve your odds of surviving a crash? Have another sammich originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition **[*UPDATE:** Now with actual crash footage!]

Chris Shunk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Videos, Bugatti

Click above to watch the video after the jump

This is one of the saddest, yet most amusing sights we've ever seen. A $1.6 million Bugatti Veyron sitting in a salt water lagoon, door open, in two feet of nasty, corrosion-inducing muddy water. While the sight is sad, how the event allegedly transpired is downright hilarious. The unnamed owner of the vehicle, traveling through Galveston, Texas to look at some high-end property, was reportedly talking on his cell phone when a low-flying pelican distracted him. The driver swerved to avoid the big bird, dropped his cell phone, and in the process the front passenger tire hit a mud patch.

A quad-turbo, 16-cylinder engine may be able to get you to 60 mph in under three seconds, but it doesn't work well with mud, so the supercar made a b-line for an adjacent lagoon. The ultra rare Veyron (reportedly one of 15 copies here in the States) was still running after it rested nearly belt-line high in the salt water, as local news affiliate KHOU reported the 1,000+ hp engine "gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died." It probably would have been a great idea to kill power to the engine (and even shut the door) once the Veyron hit the muck, but hey, what do we know?

Hit the jump to watch video of the Veyron as it is extracted from its salty abyss. And if you own a Veyron, let this be a lesson to you that having money doesn't necessarily mean you have the skill to drive a supercar, especially when you're on the phone. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

*UPDATE: Now with actual (incredible) crash footage! (and no, we don't see any pelicans, either). WARNING: Second video contains explicit not-safe-for-work language.

Gallery: First Drive: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Sources: KHOU; YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition [*UPDATE: Now with actual crash footage!]

VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition [*UPDATE: Now with actual crash footage!] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Crashing Remote Controlled Clunkers: click image above to watch the video

Q: What are a redneck's last words? A: "Hey y'all, watch this!" Only in this fine piece of reporting by CNN, the only (self-described) rednecks behaving badly are the ones having that third helping of funnel cake mixed with that seventh Bud Lite. No sir, in this here video, all the clunkers getting crashed are done-in by remote control.

Now, at first blush you might be a smidge disappointed that no amateur Wisconsin Evil Knievel types are hurling themselves off the cliff of a quarry towards both certain hospital time and everlasting glory. But, as the crashed cars pile up, it becomes pretty dang clear that Bob Moravitz - the brains behind the event - knows what the people want. Just like in Roman times, the people want carnage - and lots of it. Enjoy the video, after the jump.

[Sources: CNN; KARE-TV/USA Today via 0-60]

Continue reading VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers

VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

Noah Joseph — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Government/Legal, Safety

What would you think to be the leading contributor to fatalities in car crashes here in the States? Failure to use seat belts? Speeding? Drunk driving? Think again. According to a new study commissioned by Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), the leading cause of highway fatalities is deficient road conditions. In fact, the study asserts, with a roadway-related crash occurring every minute on American streets, inadequate roadway infrastructure is responsible for the majority of highway fatalities in the United States and over a third of injuries incurred in non-fatal crashes as well.

Given the state of many roadways, you might think that the situation - like America's road network - is beyond repair. However, the study, entitled "On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways," assesses the financial cost alone of crashes caused by these substandard roadways - as a whopping $217 billion annually, including medical bills, loss of productivity and property damage. That's more than three-and-a-half times the $59 billion which local, state and federal governments in the United States invest in improving America's roadways. PIRE's solution? Improving road conditions, of course, including better signage and markings, widening shoulders and removing obstacles from roadsides. Follow the jump to read more on PIRE's findings and suggested solutions for what it deems is one of the largest killers in America.

[Source: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation | Image: STR/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Sometimes numbers lie. But we keep them around because they tell the truth more often than not. The NHTSA undertook a two-and-a-half year study that examined 5,471 injury accidents nationwide in order to figure out how accidents were being caused. Government researchers conducted their own evidence gathering at crash sites in order to establish a first-hand account of causation. What did they find? Among other things, that more drivers crashed as a result of crossing the center line (11%) than as a result of speeding (5%). Speeding, in this case, defined by "too fast for conditions," not necessarily above the posted limit.

In accidents where driver error was the cause, speeding also came in last as a causative: the 8% who drove too fast were tied with the 8% who fell asleep or had heart attacks while driving. What's more, the NHTSA's causation percentages are strikingly similar to the percentages found in an independent study conducted by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In its study of crashes in 2007, the VDoT found that 2.9% were due to speeding -- dead last -- while 3.8%t were due to drivers falling asleep or falling ill at the tiller.

What will this mean to the politicians setting and revising speed limits based on the "Speed Kills!" mantra? Probably nothing. But it's nice to know, and nice to have the government researched numbers to back it up.

[Source: The Newspaper]

Continue reading US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents

US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

It wouldn't be correct to say that all Ferrari drivers can't drive. What we can say is that a lot of Ferrari drivers are probably not short of ego, and also probably have little idea of what their cars can do when pressed. Combine a robust confidence with a watching crowd, add a high-powered and sometimes testy car, thrown in a little bit of ignorance... and a pole.. and what you get is the image above.

A man in Australia pulled out of a garage in his Ferrari 360 Spyder, took his chance to impress some gathered folks at cafes lining the street, and floored it. The car, as they say in the business, got away from him. The pole in the median did not. We're never happy to see (another) wrecked Ferrari, or to see a man carted away from his toy by the police, so to you kids with Ferraris, please learn from this and stop the madness.

Our favorite part of this picture is that, having made his boo-boo and probably realizing what he's in for, the driver is still just sitting in the car, although the guy in the blue shirt flexing in the background also gets a special mention... Thanks for the tip, Sam!

[Source: EHOWA]

More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?"

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

Somewhere, a father in Melbourne weeps. There were 16 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales imported to Australia and New Zealand. There are now 15. A proud dad gave his son the keys to his so-rare-it's-almost-extinct Ferrari, and his son got a little too frisky with the audacious redhead. She didn't appreciate his advances, he lost control of the situation, and that little redhead introduced him to a pole... at a high rate of speed by the looks of it.

And as if that didn't beat all, the kid had to call home. While news crews watched. And filmed. Only to have newspapers and blogs spread the story around the world. No word on what his father said, but it probably rhymed with "Why I oughta @#%$*&%!"

Police say the driver was speeding, which means he must not have seen these commercials. But now, at least, he has a theme song, so sing along: "To you other kids all across the land, take it from me, parents just don't understand..." Thanks for the tip, Patrick!

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog

Car crash occurs in background of live news report

Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing

UK insurer says "reckless fog light drivers" cause 300,000 accidents a year

Why are snowy roads like these never closed?

Turns out a Dixie Horn doesn't ensure a smooth landing

Three killed in 52-car autobahn crash

9-year-old trapped by accident survives for days on Pop-Tarts, Gatorade

Honda teammates collide on last lap of British Touring Car race

Queensboro Bridge "Off-Ramp of Doom" claims third VW

How much do traffic deaths cost your state? CDC has the answer

21-year-old driver survives 200-foot plunge into Grand Canyon

Video: Lexus shows off world's coolest driving simulator in new safety commercial

Video: Mythbusters put the science of crashing cars to the test

Study: Want to improve your odds of surviving a crash? Have another sammich

VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition [*UPDATE: Now with actual crash footage!]

VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers

STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents

More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive

"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?"

VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition **[*UPDATE:** Now with actual crash footage!]