Lucky escape number 2, bit closer to home!!!!!

[Sicobra]

This is is word of warning to anyone who tows their boat with a car that has an electric/electronic handbrake.
We had a major incident last Friday while recovering our boat which resulted in my wife(still in hospital 4 days later as I write) nearly loosing her life but ending up with four badly broken ribs, severe brushing on her back, legs, thighs and arms and amazingly nothing else.
I had reversed the trailer 2/3rds of the way into the water and as per our normal procedure she took over the car to take the trailer right in while I manoeuvred the boat to align with the trailer, as she reversed the trailer went out of line so she pulled forward and stopped and exited the car wanting me to reverse it back in, I hasn't to add that as proved later, she applied the handbrake. As her second foot hit the ground the car started moving backwards, the open door "collected" her, she fell to the ground and was dragged along until the concrete up standing of the slipway stopped her and she was crushed by the door which then rode over her and carried on dragging along the concrete, this fortunately lifted the weight off the front wheel which rode over her legs. The car carried on a short distance and was stopped by the fact that the door jammed on the slipway as the car's weight was being carried by door.
Sarah was in a right state but not trapped under the car as it had carried on. The emergency services came out on mass, police, paramedics, fire and ambulance and much to our surprise she seems to have suffered but survived relatively intact, all those who turned out were surprised and relieved at her relative lack of serious/life threatening injuries.
It would seem, although yet to be confirmed by the police accident investigating officer who has taken the car in for official examination, that the electric handbrake for what ever reason failed! He found when recovering the car that the handbrake light was showing it applied.
I have Google searched this and found numerous instances of this happening and many are Vauxhall Astras similar too mine, so please please please if you have a car with a similar set up be very careful with the use of the handbrake, leave it in forward gear and switch off the engine and double check before exiting your car. It could have been so much worse and has to be the most freighting thing I have be witness too, my own wife being run over as you stand helplessly watching!

Be safe out the folks, cheers, Simon

[rnb]

Really terrifying incident , Hope your wife is okay and makes a full recovery and you also all rebound from the undoubted shock of the accident .

I helped a friend launch a boat with his car equipped with a dashboard button handbrake and had a real pit in my stomach with trepidation on the slipway during launching .......

Think this modern button handbrake facility is a real retrograde step .

[Alacrity]

Agreed Rob. I thought the whole point of a hand brake was that it was a mechanical brake. As soon as you add electrics it is no longer a purely mechanical device & as such, in my opinion, is wrong. Having said all that I have found, dealing with them all day long here at work, that the electric ones tend to hold better than the manual ones. However there is always the fear of an incident such as Sicobra's occurring. This is where an automatic scores, park is a mechanical interlock in the drivetrain & cannot, assuming all working & adjusted correctly (same as anything really), ever slip.

I hope she is recovering OK Simon, keep us posted on developments.

[Scandal]

Hi

Sorry to hear about this terrifying accident. It shows how much can go wrong how easily.

Another launching activity that can be very dangerous, if not approached carefully, is the use of a rope between your car and the boat when water is shallow. Down here at Mudeford Quay some poor chap doing this was standing astride the front of the trailer to wind a boat on with the winch when all of a sudden the trailer shot up between his legs and a rod protruding from the jockey wheel pierced his family bits and he was taken away in an ambulance.

Al

[Alacrity]

Ouch! Never stand astride a trailer that is not hitched when launching & recovering.

[eastcoast]

Not unless you want to sing soprano all your life!
I have seen a similar handbrake fail before at my local slip, the guys wife luckily was out of the car but as it rolled in the river with the husband shouting "stop the car dear stop the car" she grabbed hold of the front bumper and was dragged along trying to halt its progress to no avail.

Also woth remembering many modern cars have the handbrake on the rear disc brakes which onced dipped in the river when launching/retrieving don't hold as well due to contraction and working temperature.

[Sicobra]

Thank you for all the support and kind words, Sarah is still in hospital but should be coming home very soon. She is sore but should make a slow but full recovery. I am still waiting for the police to report back on their finds as to why the accident happened and I shall roost the findings here so others can be aware of any defects that may be relevant to their own cars, all the best everyone, cheers, Simon

[Classic fever]

Awful story and so glad to hear it didn't end in a worse situation. Best wishes to your wife for a full recovery