Police in England released footage of an out-of-control car last week to show drivers exactly what can happen when you drive on a donut at unsafe speeds.
This crash occurred in December of last year, but the footage was released only after the court matters for the driver wrapped up. Driver Jack Doolan was driving his Ford Mondeo down the freeway with what is known as a “space saver tyre” in the UK, or a donut here in the U.S. Here’s how the Hertfordshire police describe the crash:
Despite having a space saver tyre, which have a recommended speed limit of below 50mph, Doolan was driving more than 75mph.
He undertook another vehicle before cutting back in, braking and swerving across to the opposite side of the carriageway, colliding with a Ford Fiesta on the inside lane.
Doolan continued to lose control and veered back across the carriageway before colliding with the concrete central barrier.
He then failed to stop at the scene before he was arrested by officers.
Chief Inspector Stephen O’Keeffe, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “This incident was completely preventable by driving within the conditions of the road environment and vehicle capability.
“Space saver tyres are only designed to get you to a safe location, at slower speeds, to get the tyre replaced only.
Thankfully, no one else was seriously hurt (though the owner of that Ford Fiesta had a pretty bad night.) Driver Jack Doolan pled guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop following the incident. Doolan lost his license for the next two years, has 200 hours community service to wrap up and faces fines of £250.
Driving on a donut is a bad idea, no matter what side of the pond you hail from. Not only does it make you dangerous to others on the road, but the smaller tire can damage your vehicle if you drive long enough and at high enough speeds, according to AAA. Such smaller spares are only meant to limp your vehicle to a tire shop for a proper set of shoes.