Recently, our driver, Tony, was involved in a serious accident on the M6 while driving our Toyota Hilux. Both the truck and our trailer ultimately were written off, but the most important thing that came from the whole ordeal was that Tony walked away completely unharmed!
In Tony’s own words, the technology and safety features on the Hilux almost certainly saved his life!
The Accident
Tony was on his way back from Runcorn after completing a delivery of a Bentley Continental GT Supersports when the accident happened.
“I was just passing Junction 5… nothing strange happening… and all of a sudden the truck just really violently turned 90 degrees to the left.”
That was Tony’s recollection of when he realised something was going very wrong.
“I could hear the tyres locking up… I was in the middle lane… it sent me across the slow lane, across the hard shoulder, and head-on into the concrete barrier.”
At motorway speed, there’s obviously not much time to react, so Tony didn’t really have any options left other than to brace himself and hope the Hilux lived up to its tough reputation.
After the initial lock-up, the Hilux hit the barrier and spun again.
“When I hit the barrier, it spun me another 90 degrees, so I was facing oncoming traffic… then the back right corner hit the barrier again and sent me back out into the middle lane.”
Ultimately, the Hilux crashed into our trailer (which it had been towing at the time). Fortunately, this was empty following Tony’s earlier delivery.
Toyota Hilux Safety Features
We are all extremely grateful to our former Hilux and to Toyota in general for making the Hilux as safe as it is.
“The one thing that really stands out to me was that the truck was speaking to me before I’d even stopped spinning… asking if I needed help and assistance. All 8 airbags on the truck deployed… and I came out of it completely unscathed. No injuries, not a cut, not a bruise.”
Walking Away From The Crash
I don’t think I’m able to stress enough how bad this situation was. Any crash at motorway speeds is dangerous, but one like this, with multiple impacts, across multiple lanes, and with traffic constantly heading your way, things could have very easily been very different.
I think Tony puts it best:
“To walk away completely unscathed… I think pays an absolute testament to the Hilux. I’m fairly certain if I’d have been driving anything else, that would have been a very different story… I think the technology and safety features on the Hilux potentially saved my life.”
Why We Chose the Hilux in the First Place
At Bridge Classic Cars, our vehicles aren’t chosen by chance. A great deal of time and effort goes into researching each one and finding the best possible vehicle for the job. We transport classic cars all around the country. Sometimes these cars have a large financial value, some have a big sentimental value, but each one has a story.
It’s for that reason that our vehicles need to live up to our high standards. The Hilux obviously has the capability we need in the form of towing, reliability, and day-to-day usability; however, the high levels of safety were also a big and very important consideration for us. This experience has reinforced that decision in one of the most powerful ways possible
“Every panel on it was written off, but in terms of the inside and me, it was really, really well protected.”
The Most Important Part
It’s extremely important to say again that Tony is ok, and we were all very glad to see him walk back into the workshop unscathed.
Like I’ve said previously, our truck and trailer are gone, but despite that, Tony walked away from what could have been a very different situation. We put our trust in the Hilux, and it completely delivered. It kept Tony safe, and that is the most important part of the whole story.
Thank you, Toyota, and thank you to our now written-off Hilux.
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