28 replies to this topic

[minidream94]

Have just red that an 18 year old has been killed in a traffic accident involving a green bmw. Heres the report from the newspaper. My thaughts go out to his family and friends :'(


POLICE have named the teenager who died in a collision on the A6 yesterday as John Teasdale, of Shap, near Penrith.

The 18-year-old was seriously injured after the blue Mini Mayfair he was driving was in collision with a BMW on the A6 outside The Emperor’s Lodge near Hackthorpe at 3.30pm yesterday (August 12).

John was taken to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle(CIC) via air ambulance but died later at the hospital.

John, a former student of Shap Primary School and Ullswater Community College, was the son of Philip and Karen Teasdale. He lived with his parents and younger sister, Becca.

Friends have described him as a keen motor enthusiast and he was a member of Penrith based Cumbria Classic Minis.

He worked for a time at the Greyhound Pub in Shap but it is believed he had recently set up a business spraying Mini cars.

Peter Robinson, of the Crown Inn, Pooley Bridge, who worked with John at the Greyhound said: "We are all really shocked and sad to know he's gone. He was honestly the nicest guy, he didn't have a bad word to say about anybody. He had hundreds of friends. He loved Minis and I used to have one too so we used to talk all the time about cars."

Hundreds of tributes have already been left on his Facebook page.

Rowan Newsome wrote: "You will be sadly missed John, you will always be remembered as one of the nicest young men I have ever met."

Andrew Brooks wrote: "I hope u have gone to a place where there is loads of Minis and you are having fun. Im glad I had the chance to know you. I will be thinking of you bud xxx."

The driver of the other car - a green BMW - was a 24-year-old man from the Penrith area. He was taken to CIC with minor injuries and discharged the same day.

The road was closed for four and a half hours while the emergency services dealt with the incident. The collision is being investigated by Cumbria Roads Policing Unit who are urging any witnesses to the collision to contact them by calling 0845 33 00 247.

[greggy50]

As an 18 year old myself this story really upsets me
Such a shame to got at an early age sounds like he has a great life to look forward to
Things like this that worry about my mini to be honest when its fixed other driver near enough walked away from the thing which is quite shocking and worrying.
R.I.P

[Robbie]

As an 18 year old Mini driver myself, this is really quite sobering. I guess it's just a stark reminder for us all to keep aware out there and try to avoid any incidents like this if possible. Stay alert guys.

RIP John Teasdale.

[carts60]

My condolences go out to him and his family.

There seem to have been a recent speight of deaths in the mini scene

What is tragic to me is that a lot of safety modifications you can make to a mini, actually cost you insurance wise.

A lot of insurance companies won't even consider insuring cars which have roll cages fitted - one of the best ways to reinforce the structural integrity of minis. Bucket seats (proper ones which offer full side, back and head protection) also increase premiums. All this puts people off making their mini more safe to drive on the road. I understand insurance companies assume that by making these modifications (usually seen in rallies etc) people will be driving their cars in a more sporty manner and are therefore more likely to crash, but they also need to realise that these changes may be made solely for the safety of the cars occupants. Similarly with bucket seats and proper body harnesses but to a lesser extent because they are more frequently fitted for aesthetic purposes, such as Cobra Classics - even with head rests they dont offer full head and neck protection, as the head rest doesnt rise high enough and isnt fixable.

[Devil Minis]

Always sad news when this happens, a rollcage can save your life but without a helmet and even with padding in some instances can give you more injuries, especially rear seat passengers

[minidream94]

as i said before before, such a shame and what a waste of a perfectly good life :'(

has anybody (younger generation) said to the insurance companies that a roll cage and bucket seats actually improve safety of minis? if not I'm going to mention it when i ring up to get my insurance quotes. As for rear seat passengers, would you really have them in the back if you had a roll cage and buckets? Would there be any way that you could sorta incorporate headrests into the rear seats and maybe engineer a way of fitting harnesses as well in the back maybe?

[Jordie]

roll cage, buckets and harnesses will make your insurance go up.

A road car (including old minis) as no requirement for these. So adding them in insurance eyes, you are going to race your car which means higher risk so higher insurance.

Most roll cages on the market are show cages or visual only. They might offer no extra protection during a crash.

An approved rollcage, properly installed with reinforced areas may offer some extra protection. Then still you will need padding on the bars and to wear an helmet to stop your head hitting off the bars during impact/roll.

Same applies to bucket seats and mountings.

Same applies to harness and mountings.

Proper equipment, installed properly and used properly will add protection. Whacking a £100 cage in and a set of buckets/harnesses is not going to give you the same level of protection.

Thoughts go out to the drivers family,
Regards
Jordie

[cagy]

With statistics like the following

"A UK Department for Transport statistics publication, presenting estimates of the risk of driver injury in two car injury collisions, based on reported road accident data, estimated that the 1990–2000 Mini was one of two small cars (the other being the Hyundai Atoz), which, with an estimated 84% of drivers likely to be injured, presented the greatest risk of driver injury. The average risk for the small car category was 76%"


i don't think that there is anything you can do to make a mini safe, there is always a risk involved everytime we get behind the wheel of any car, us mini owners just have to accept that our risk is slightly higher than most. It does sadden me when people do die in RTA's with their minis and my thoughts are with his friends and family.

RIP.

[DaveVader]

Echoing the thoughts above, I'm also a young mini driver (19) and it's a shame to see someone go so young.
This saddens me.

RIP John Teasdale.

[Miniature]

RIP John Teasdale

My thoughts go out to all of Johns friends and family. That story is so sad, it makes you realise how easily your life can be taken away from you.

I think people need to stop placing the blame, no amount of money can ever make up for the loss of a life. Even if it is wrong that the insurance costs more to have these extra safety features, i am sure everyone will agree that a life is worth more than any amount of money. People need to focus on the real tradegy which is the pain that the friends and family will now be suffering from this horrible accident.


I hope everyone takes this as a reminder to keep their eyes on the road and think of other people before doing any silly driving - I know I will.

Rest in peace John Teasdale

[cagy]

That is the thing you can be the safest driver in the world but you never know what other people will do.... Imho the extra insurance is worth it aslong as the added features are properly installed and will actually do something in the event of an accident. It is really sad for someone so young to have been taken from us (as part of the mini scene) and from his family and friends.

[carts60]

I think you've got it spot on Cagy

[Pauly]

Quite a chilling story. This is the one reason I went to another car for daily use. My accident occured by some idiot pulling infront of me to enter his drive. He pulled out infront when I was doing 30mph and about 20yards from him!! He got distracted, thought I'd passed him and started to pull in without looking. He was talking to his girlfriend.

So as already said, you can be the best of the best, but its the other people you have to drive for and even then you cant understand them.

[bunch1980]

Very Very sad, RIP John.

I think to many believe that they are so safe in there modern cars they care much less if they have an accident these days atleast that what it seems like to me on my daily commute to work.
I have ridden bikes for 12 yrs before getting a car so can well see dangers and never take risks.
I also really believe new drivers should have some sort of restriction on size of car engine or speed it can go etc for 2 years as i did on my motorbike.
See far to many young lads driving like ******* to be honest and even more so young ladies now that can not seem to see dangers of what they are doing!

Terrible way to whoevers fault it was thoughts with the Family left behind.

[dudsy]

I stumbled across this forum when searching my friends name. As a local community we are all very shocked! Id just like to say thanks for some of your kind words. John was an amazing individual devoted to Mini's, he wasn't a wreck less driver or dangerous. Just possibly at the wrong place at the wrong time. My thoughts go out to all his friends and family!
R.I.P John a top friend you are!