ADUK Archive

Car crash officer was 'powerless'

Sgt Craig Bannister denies driving at an inappropriate speed

A traffic officer was powerless to avoid a 122mph crash in heavy rain, a court has been told.

Sgt Craig Bannister, 30, is accused of dangerous driving by speeding in a police car on the M4 near Neath in "appalling weather conditions".

Defending barrister Chris Rees said because the car was aquaplaning, even motor racing champion Lewis Hamilton could not have controlled it.

Sgt Bannister denies the charge. The trial at Cardiff Crown Court continues.

Mr Rees told the jury: "It wouldn't have mattered if it was you, Sgt Bannister or Lewis Hamilton driving, once you aquaplane you're at God's mercy.

"Once the water rises over the tyres' tread depth, there is no traction.

"In that rain he would aquaplaned at 65mph. Any driver who finds himself with water covering all four wheels is in deep trouble."

Cardiff Crown Court heard that the traffic officer was not answering an emergency call when he hit standing water on the motorway.

Sgt Bannister, of Briton Ferry, near Swansea, drove at speeds of up to 122mph until the marked police car skidded off the road landing in a copse of trees.

'Model pupil'

Other drivers saw him walk away with only minor injuries.

Accident investigator Pc Matthew Curtis told the court Sgt Bannister hit the water at 115mph and lost control.

Prosecutor Michael Hammett earlier told the court: "Conditions were appalling - there was heavy rain, lots of spray and standing water on the carriageway."

Sgt Bannister is a grade two qualified police driver with South Wales Police and had been trained to the second highest level of traffic officers.

The court heard he was a "model pupil" on his police driving course and was described as "a very intelligent man who set himself high standards".

He denies dangerous driving claiming his speed was not inappropriate for the conditions.

From 'Very Advanced Driving' by A. Tom Topper wrote:Any vehicle - especially lightweight sports cars - will aquaplane on a damp surface from about 65 mph to 70 mph

StressedDave wrote: True aquaplaning is remarkably rare (water drag and viscoplaning are actually far more common and tend to occur more at lower speeds than high)

adiNigel wrote:The question has to be asked why he was going so fast in such conditions.

From 'Very Advanced Driving' by A. Tom Topper wrote:Any vehicle - especially lightweight sports cars - will aquaplane on a damp surface from about 65 mph to 70 mph

Paul Ripley, in Expert Driving, even mentions aquaplaning around 55mph. So, travelling at a speed of 122, I would suggest is irresponsible in the extreme. Powerless to avoid? Crap!

Nigel

Renny wrote:

StressedDave wrote: True aquaplaning is remarkably rare (water drag and viscoplaning are actually far more common and tend to occur more at lower speeds than high)

Dave,
any chance of a more details explaination of these terms please?

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Has anybody ever met Tom Topper? Reading his books I do get a very strong pork-pie-hat-and-string-backed-driving-gloves mental image. Is this the case? Can anybody confirm or deny?

StressedDave wrote:
Water drag is where the tyre hits a wall of standing water and this slows the tyre down due to simple momentum.

Viscoplaning is where the thin film of water left after the tyres have dried the road is enough to change the local coefficient of friction so the tyres slide.

jont wrote:
A quick google provides this link:
http://www.michelin.co.uk/michelinuk/en ... 6_100.html

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:I found his book Very Advanced Driving to be not very advanced at all, and rather more of an "advert for Tom Topper", if that makes sense. I also couldn't get on with the silly Stanley Unwin style language with "fastards", and "buppies" etc. liberally sprinkled through the text.

StressedDave wrote:

Renny wrote:

StressedDave wrote: True aquaplaning is remarkably rare (water drag and viscoplaning are actually far more common and tend to occur more at lower speeds than high)

Dave,

any chance of a more details explaination of these terms please?

Water drag is where the tyre hits a wall of standing water and this slows the tyre down due to simple momentum.

Viscoplaning is where the thin film of water left after the tyres have dried the road is enough to change the local coefficient of friction so the tyres slide.

Red Herring wrote:What was his explanation for driving at such speeds. If he was not on an emergency call was he following a suspect, or carrying out some other duty that justified the exemption? In my experience if you are trying to drive quickly in heavy rain you tend to get warnings that you are likely to meet aquaplaning conditions, if on the other hand he just happened to come across a local area of flooding and the rest of the motorway had been relatively clear of water (and traffic) then he may have more of a case, but surely he must still justify his speed.

TripleS wrote:Whatever criticism one might make, Tom's book does at least have the merit of encouraging a bit of thinking about a range of driving situations, so we might welcome that.

Best wishes all,
Dave.