If the car is in park the parking pawl in the transmission prevents the wheels from turning. In a high traction hit(dry pavement) you might break the pawl and the wheels could turn but in a low traction event like this the odds of breaking the pawl is lower and the wheels would just slide. I’m seeing the wheels turning which I guess could happen if the vehicle was in neutral and the hit broke the parking brake. Just kinda odd and I wonder what was actually going on.
The transmission in Park cannot prevent all the wheels from turning, even on 4WD cars. Because of the differential, when a car is in park, the wheels on an axle are fixed to rotate opposite of eachother. When a parked vehicle is pushed until slip, what you see is one wheel rotating with the ground and the opposite wheel rotating opposite, ie backwards (because static friction is greater than kinetic friction). On 4wd vehicles this happens on both the front and rear axles.
And if you look even closer, you’ll see that there’s a dry spot with no snow under the car, so when it got hit its definitely the pin that got broken, because the pin is way easier to break then parking brake.
Might be a manual instead of an auto. If it is a manual there is no paw and thus your theory about neutral and the P brake would be most valid. I am going to go ahead and say it is and also that they may have needed service for a while. In the event this is an automatic instead, then the park paw was on last limbs if engaged or they parked it in neutral with the P brake because the transmission is likely a pain to get out of park on an incline. Either due to the design or because of needing service.
I was wondering this too. After it got hit, it pretty much took off. Something doesnt add up. But being a Super Duty in a region that gets snow means stuff was almost definitely rusty and something likely broke at initial impact.
Also possible that it's an auto and the shift linkage needs adjustment and it wasn't fully in park to begin with. I don't think the parking pawl broke so easily like some are saying.
Either way, expensive lesson to learn about using your parking brake on a step hill.
Many folks learn not to use parking brakes in cold weather because the pads can freeze to the rotors overnight, then in the morning you aren't going anywhere.
Mine broke free just enough to keep dragging. Then ripped off the driver side backing plate, and wheel cylinder. Causing a loss of breaks, as I was coming down a mountain pass. Yeah, it’s real.
Many car owners manuals even mention this. "Parking brake components can freeze, immobilizing the vehicle", etc. , and advising instead "park on level ground or use wheel chocks in freezing temperatures". It's definitely real!
No one in the snow belt uses their parking brakes except manual drivers. Unless you're always using it from the day you bought the car brand new, the rust from all the salt well cause the breaks to seize shut and you'll have to dismantle it to fix it.
Yes I would assume from that that the truck broke the parking lock. I just didn't think it looked like a hard enough hit to do all that. Color me surprised
You can see the rear wheels or one rear wheel turning?
That's how a differential works in a rear wheel drive vehicles. When the driveshaft is static (not powering the wheels because the transmission is in park), and one wheel is manually manipulated to rotate one way, the other wheel rotates in the opposite direction. Because the rear driver wheel was rotating in the direction of the vehicle, that means the passenger side was rotating in reverse because it had no traction. In these situations, the side with traction will be the side that is manipulated to rotate.
In short, only one wheel secures the vehicle when in Park. Had the driver engaged the parking brake, both wheels would have been locked. However, seeing how slippery it was, it may not have made much of a difference. Engaging 4x4 and applying the parking brake would have locked 3 of the wheels. Or 4x4 with differential lock engaged would have locked all 4 wheels.
I'm aware, I watched it. How do you suppose it wasn't rolling while being on a hill before being struck by another vehicle?
I'm going to assume that the pavement was bare or nearly bare when those vehicles first parked, hence, having enough traction to keep them in place. Weather conditions changed and created icy/slippery conditions all around those vehicles, and when the cruiser collided and caused a domino effect, each vehicle shifted just enough for the wheels/tires to shift from the surface that provided them with traction. The footprint of the tires is relatively small, so shifting forward 6" would be enough to skid the tires onto ice, then it was game over. The truck that you referenced was relying on one rear passenger tire to keep it in place. If you were able to see that tire in the footage, it would have been spinning in reverse
I wonder if with the trailer behind it, possibly initially connected to it, the driver had set the trailer brake and left the transmission in neutral for whatever reason....if any of the needed components actually are working at all heh.
Could’ve been a stick shift with no parking brake so they just leave the truck in reverse (yes people do this). Then when it got hit it popped out of gear into neutral and starting freewheeling down the hill.
Source: owned a shitty old farm truck with no parking brake. But we weren’t stupid enough to park at the top of the steepest hill around either.
Also if you ever have to park on a steep hill like this crank your wheel as tight as you can towards the curb.
That Explorer should have an electric parking brake, but the diffs are limited slip anyways, and it shouldn't really free spool like that. It almost seems like it somehow popped into neutral.
I thought that it was common knowledge to turn your wheels so you vehicle rolls into the curb when parking on an incline to prevent exactly this from happening.
And people, that’s the reason why you point your wheels towards the curb when on a hill. Just in case your brakes fail or you forget to enable your hand brakes.
Brains are not the strong suit of most LEO. Parking, Constitutional law, and inderstand they are servants are hard to fathom.... anywho..
The city will not pay a dime to fix anything. They will blame mother nature. Act of God.. no liability.
I wonder how much of that would have been prevented by the people all parking like you're supposed to on a hill and turning your tires so the car doesn't just roll straight down.
Wait if the truck was parked why were its wheels turning after it got hit? You can see the rear wheels are actually turning and not just sliding.
People not using their handbrake and just putting the car on park...
If the car is in park the parking pawl in the transmission prevents the wheels from turning. In a high traction hit(dry pavement) you might break the pawl and the wheels could turn but in a low traction event like this the odds of breaking the pawl is lower and the wheels would just slide. I’m seeing the wheels turning which I guess could happen if the vehicle was in neutral and the hit broke the parking brake. Just kinda odd and I wonder what was actually going on.
I was jumping to answer the parking pin, but this is very observant. And now I feel dumb haha good catch.
The transmission in Park cannot prevent all the wheels from turning, even on 4WD cars. Because of the differential, when a car is in park, the wheels on an axle are fixed to rotate opposite of eachother. When a parked vehicle is pushed until slip, what you see is one wheel rotating with the ground and the opposite wheel rotating opposite, ie backwards (because static friction is greater than kinetic friction). On 4wd vehicles this happens on both the front and rear axles.
You were downvoted for not being an idiot. Here, take an upvote.
Thanks bud. I'm used to it, unfortunately.
Well as old as it is a hit even with low traction it could break the parking pawl. Odd thing to happen in general though
And if you look even closer, you’ll see that there’s a dry spot with no snow under the car, so when it got hit its definitely the pin that got broken, because the pin is way easier to break then parking brake.
Might be a manual instead of an auto. If it is a manual there is no paw and thus your theory about neutral and the P brake would be most valid. I am going to go ahead and say it is and also that they may have needed service for a while. In the event this is an automatic instead, then the park paw was on last limbs if engaged or they parked it in neutral with the P brake because the transmission is likely a pain to get out of park on an incline. Either due to the design or because of needing service.
I was wondering this too. After it got hit, it pretty much took off. Something doesnt add up. But being a Super Duty in a region that gets snow means stuff was almost definitely rusty and something likely broke at initial impact.
Probably a manual transmission, in gear but no parking brake. Bump from the car was enough to knock it into neutral
There isn't a manual transmission in a single one of these cars.
The white truck is probably manual or something broke during the crash
That era as of Super Duty ABSOLUTELY had a manual transmission option. Highly coveted these days.
Also possible that it's an auto and the shift linkage needs adjustment and it wasn't fully in park to begin with. I don't think the parking pawl broke so easily like some are saying.
Either way, expensive lesson to learn about using your parking brake on a step hill.
Many folks learn not to use parking brakes in cold weather because the pads can freeze to the rotors overnight, then in the morning you aren't going anywhere.
Thats an excellent point.
Well that's a silly myth. The second you start moving they break free. I think it was -10f here last night and my car still moves fine.
"Start moving" doesn't work when it won't move. This isn't a myth. Look it up. No, it isn't going to happen every day.
Mine broke free just enough to keep dragging. Then ripped off the driver side backing plate, and wheel cylinder. Causing a loss of breaks, as I was coming down a mountain pass. Yeah, it’s real.
Many car owners manuals even mention this. "Parking brake components can freeze, immobilizing the vehicle", etc. , and advising instead "park on level ground or use wheel chocks in freezing temperatures". It's definitely real!
In my case, thank gawd I had a manual transmission and was able to get to a shop.
Thats great logic until the day it doesnt happen that way.
No one in the snow belt uses their parking brakes except manual drivers. Unless you're always using it from the day you bought the car brand new, the rust from all the salt well cause the breaks to seize shut and you'll have to dismantle it to fix it.
BRAKES. BRAKES. Sheesh
Yeah, that truck driver has some regrets.
Yes I would assume from that that the truck broke the parking lock. I just didn't think it looked like a hard enough hit to do all that. Color me surprised
That's pretty typical if you drive an automatic.
You don’t use parking breaks in freezing conditions. They will lock up.
They should have turned their wheels to the curb too. Handbrake can’t help if the wheels are sliding.
A handbrake is completely different than the term people use it for. In automotive it would be your parking brake.
The entirety of the UK disagrees.
A hand brake is a parking brake. Some cars might have a pedal for a parking brake, but if you can't figure out they're the same thing, that's on you.
You can see the rear wheels or one rear wheel turning?
That's how a differential works in a rear wheel drive vehicles. When the driveshaft is static (not powering the wheels because the transmission is in park), and one wheel is manually manipulated to rotate one way, the other wheel rotates in the opposite direction. Because the rear driver wheel was rotating in the direction of the vehicle, that means the passenger side was rotating in reverse because it had no traction. In these situations, the side with traction will be the side that is manipulated to rotate. In short, only one wheel secures the vehicle when in Park. Had the driver engaged the parking brake, both wheels would have been locked. However, seeing how slippery it was, it may not have made much of a difference. Engaging 4x4 and applying the parking brake would have locked 3 of the wheels. Or 4x4 with differential lock engaged would have locked all 4 wheels.
You skipped over the part where the vehicle is parked. It started moving after it got hit.
I'm aware, I watched it. How do you suppose it wasn't rolling while being on a hill before being struck by another vehicle?
I'm going to assume that the pavement was bare or nearly bare when those vehicles first parked, hence, having enough traction to keep them in place. Weather conditions changed and created icy/slippery conditions all around those vehicles, and when the cruiser collided and caused a domino effect, each vehicle shifted just enough for the wheels/tires to shift from the surface that provided them with traction. The footprint of the tires is relatively small, so shifting forward 6" would be enough to skid the tires onto ice, then it was game over. The truck that you referenced was relying on one rear passenger tire to keep it in place. If you were able to see that tire in the footage, it would have been spinning in reverse
I wonder if with the trailer behind it, possibly initially connected to it, the driver had set the trailer brake and left the transmission in neutral for whatever reason....if any of the needed components actually are working at all heh.
Could’ve been a stick shift with no parking brake so they just leave the truck in reverse (yes people do this). Then when it got hit it popped out of gear into neutral and starting freewheeling down the hill.
Source: owned a shitty old farm truck with no parking brake. But we weren’t stupid enough to park at the top of the steepest hill around either.
Also if you ever have to park on a steep hill like this crank your wheel as tight as you can towards the curb.
Because the parked squad car wasn’t in park.
Probably a manual and it kicked out of gear.
The cop’s car wheels were spinning before all of this. Just saying that guy should know how to park. Also maybe curb your wheels???
After an internal investigation we have determined that we are non culpable of any liability
My squad car feared for its life
clearly an act of God
8 warning shots in the snow for resisting the handbrake
That’s the voice of experience right there!
Classic John Madden commentary. "At the end of the game, the team with the most points on the board is going to win.”
About 8 different insurance companies will be very happy about this video...
Something has to be wrong with the cop car. The wheels lock back up when it slows down.
It’s probably an open differential and one wheel has more traction than the other allowing the lesser traction wheel to spin backwards. Just a guess.
That Explorer should have an electric parking brake, but the diffs are limited slip anyways, and it shouldn't really free spool like that. It almost seems like it somehow popped into neutral.
i don't think that boats insurance will cover that
I'm concerned the PD's insurance won't either.
Cops always have some weird loophole when it comes to insurance stuff.
I thought that it was common knowledge to turn your wheels so you vehicle rolls into the curb when parking on an incline to prevent exactly this from happening.
It's part of every driving exam i've ever seen.
Right, I live on a very steep hill and I'm surprised by how many people don't turn their wheels. It's probably 50/50.
If it’s sliding, I don’t think having the wheels aimed to the curb will change anything. They might have actually done that.
You’d think those cops would run after it to warn anyone down the hill they might get slaughtered because of their incompetence
Someone on desk duty for awhile
Ooooo, that's gonna need a LOTTA paperwork!!
Snow parking rookie.
That’s a bad parking job
That’s a paddlin’.
Jingles!
That’s going to be expensive.
For the taxpayers of that city, but not that cop or his department l.
This is an old video.
This happened in a parking lot in Bismarck, ND a few yrs back… one car began sliding sideways on a slight incline and ended up pushing 10 with it.
Waddle waddle.
When it’s a work vehicle
Did not see a police car in the mix
The first car/suv moving in this clip is a police vehicle
Thanks. Looked like just a vehicle but now see the light bar.
What happened to the “curb your wheels” practice?
My first thought, training fail
A few years ago I came into work on a particularly iced day. Several people were lined up at tge window overlooking the road on the hill.
I heard a muffled distant shout, then I saw a policeman running out of view, then I heard a crash.
I later heard there were 3 accidents on that hill that morning
1) unhitched boat on the street. Illegal in most places. 2) wheels not turned and butted to the curb. This is why you do that.
Do people not use hand/ parking brake?
And people, that’s the reason why you point your wheels towards the curb when on a hill. Just in case your brakes fail or you forget to enable your hand brakes.
The pure genius of protect and serve. 🤣
Not a single car had their wheels turned towards the hill to prevent it from hitting another car. Did I miss something?
I may have helped if they had turned the steering wheel towards the curb when parking their vehicles.
It should always turn the steering wheel towards the curb when parking
Brains are not the strong suit of most LEO. Parking, Constitutional law, and inderstand they are servants are hard to fathom.... anywho..
The city will not pay a dime to fix anything. They will blame mother nature. Act of God.. no liability.
I wonder how much of that would have been prevented by the people all parking like you're supposed to on a hill and turning your tires so the car doesn't just roll straight down.
Does the cop have to write himself a ticket?
Hey lawyers: who's legally at fault
and that's your tax dollars at work... and paying for repairs as well
Even penguins arent stupid enough to make their homes in the Amazon.
And I bet the city fined every one of those people.
Wait, why’d the video cut? It looked like the truck was headed for that house
A lot of people parking on an incline not using the hand brake. That's not a part of your car to Tokyo drift people.
Wait , shouldn’t they explode?
i got $50 bucks says that the cops wrote tickets on the other cars for not parking with their wheels curbed
When did they stop teaching to turn the wheels when parked on an incine?
This is the most Idaho shit ive ever seen
Responsible for everything!
Liable for nothing!
“Park” is not a parking brake for use on a hill, all of these people are idiots
The owner of that boat is definitely getting a ticket for rear-ending the squad car.
Guarantee you the cops didnt do a fkn thing except hand out tickets to the people it hit for destruction of govt property.
So does Qualified Immunity protect them for this?