Sure, it’s a spectacular run down a mountain road. But it’s also an extremely visual reminder that highway infrastructure is important for work and play.
Let’s not forget that the road - in this case Switzerland’s Grimsel Pass, 2,164m - has to be smooth enough for Jean Yves “Rollerman” Blondeau to reach those speeds without being chucked over edge and down a cliff.
The pass is a driver’s delight as it crosses the continental divide in the Alps where rivers flow one way towards the North Sea and the other way towards the Mediterranean Sea.
As such, design and construction of the Grimsel Pass have had to make it safe for normal car drivers to use at normal speeds throughout summer and winter – although it is also normally closed between October and May, due to high snowfall at the upper levels. It is knowing what the risks are and driving accordingly that is key for a driver’s survival. That goes whether he or she is in an armour suit with 32 or more in-line wheels or the latest vehicle with crash protection and ABS brakes.
Frenchman Blondeau, a designer by profession, made his “buggy rollin’ wheel suit” of armour for his protection and it’s a testament to his ingenuity. But he is also aware of risk, as he points out in another video.
In this <%$Linker:2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal video Visit Video page false http://danny-strasser.de/bobskate_talkaboutrisk_largewide_eng.php false false %> he discusses the risks that people take, both knowingly and unknowingly. This can be in their day-to-day lives, including walking down the pavement and crossing the road, all the while your attention is focussed on your mobile smart phone. In fact, a survey conducted by DEKRA, a major German vehicle inspection company, found that in six European capitals around 17% of all pedestrians observed were using their smartphones while crossing the road. No highway designer can design out that kind of risk unawareness.
Given Blondeau’s discussion, is there such a thing as an unsafe road? Or are there just unsafe drivers?
Will we ever have a definitive answer?
And if you like skiing, click here to see how Blondeau <%$Linker:2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal does it View a YouTube video false https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVubx_DyqWk false false %>.
Let’s not forget that the road - in this case Switzerland’s Grimsel Pass, 2,164m - has to be smooth enough for Jean Yves “Rollerman” Blondeau to reach those speeds without being chucked over edge and down a cliff.
The pass is a driver’s delight as it crosses the continental divide in the Alps where rivers flow one way towards the North Sea and the other way towards the Mediterranean Sea.
As such, design and construction of the Grimsel Pass have had to make it safe for normal car drivers to use at normal speeds throughout summer and winter – although it is also normally closed between October and May, due to high snowfall at the upper levels. It is knowing what the risks are and driving accordingly that is key for a driver’s survival. That goes whether he or she is in an armour suit with 32 or more in-line wheels or the latest vehicle with crash protection and ABS brakes.
Frenchman Blondeau, a designer by profession, made his “buggy rollin’ wheel suit” of armour for his protection and it’s a testament to his ingenuity. But he is also aware of risk, as he points out in another video.
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Given Blondeau’s discussion, is there such a thing as an unsafe road? Or are there just unsafe drivers?
Will we ever have a definitive answer?
And if you like skiing, click here to see how Blondeau <%$Linker:
