I've said this many times here but I'm going to remind everyone to drive responsibly and safely. I'm not alone here in having a child with special needs and quite serious medical problems. Out of the blue, my little lad nearly left us on Monday and it once again brought home just how special he is and how much we would miss him if anything were to happen to him.
We can't control fate but whatever the reason for it, when you're driving aggressively, carelessly or just plain dangerously you're putting lives at risk, friends, family and/or strangers. Imagine how devastated you'd be if your child was the victim of a speeding motorist late for a business meeting and then take a look at your speed on the way to your next appointment. Drivers usually make choices which cause accidents. Some people have no choice in the matter and their fate is in the hands of others. Think on everyone. Drive safely, love your families/children and be considerate to others at all times.
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I'm so sorry to hear that V-man. I hope your kid is OK.
Last night I had a horrible accident caused by an idiot while I was driving with the daughter I adore out from UK on a 2 week trip after what had been a fun night out on my birthday. Cuts and bruises only thank goodness.
I can still hear her terrified screaming in the car. My truck is a write-off so what but thank heavens nothing worse.
Thank you for your post. It's helped me through a difficult evening.
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Hope you're ok.
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Thanks. We both feel like we've just gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson but we'll make it.
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My best wishes for a rapid recovery to you both.
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Thanks HJ & Growler - glad you're OK. V minor's got to have a EEG tomorrow and and MRI scan soon after so we'll know more about what's wrong then.
Sorry I'm Not very lucid yet - haven;t slept propetly for 48 hours and may be talking gibberish. Rhe point I was making was that some people have no choice but the rest do and rarley do we fully consider the possible consequences of our actions. The truth is that nodody's to blame for my son's problems its jsut that he got dealt a duff hand. In a way that's easier to accept than the prospect of your child being mown down and killed by a sales rep. rat running down your road ar 50 mph to get to a meeting or a drunk driving home after the pub.
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Appreciate that HJ, David et al. kind of you to take the time. It's only a stupid truck anyway, don't care about that. Just so long as my little girl's alright, and she seems to be. V-man your last sentence is chilling. Let's all give thanks.
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I've only just picked up this thread and straight away want to add my good wishes to those concerned, both here in the UK and across the water.
I'm afraid I've crossed swords here with a few others on the topic of bad driving, fast driving, unnecessary risks etc. You all know what my background is and how much I've seen and dealt with over many years. As it happens it's all had quite an effect on me personally and had a bearing on my present situation.
The posts you both submitted are to be seen in conjunction with a couple of the others (current and just a few days old) included one in which the "very fast but safe" comments were made and which provoked a response from yours truly.
My views remain the same but fear that those of others also remain unchanged.
I wish you well and look forward to good news from both corners.
KB.
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a bad week in the forum by the sounds of things.
V - really hope all is well with your son now.
Growler - Sorry to hear of your accident. You\'ve hit the nail on the head though, however much we love our cars they\'re only heaps of metal at the end of the day. You can\'t replace your daughter with an insurance payout.
May we all have a better and safer week - in particular Volvoman (and family) and Growler!
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"It's only a stupid truck anyway"
The point it's all too easy to miss. Some things are irreplaceable. Good luck,
V
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Glad you are both ok, Growler. Good job you were in a truck and not a eurobox.
All the best to you and your family too, Volvoman, I hope everything works out ok.
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Hi Growler, I'm sorry too to hear of your horrible end to the birthday celebration.
Thank goodness no-one was more seriously hurt, and that you'll be able to treat yourself to an extra-big celebration next year.
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Vman, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us at such a difficult time - I'm sure all Backroomers agree with your sentiments.
Whilst out driving the other day, I had thought about penning a thread called "How Long Would You Have Waited?", as a question posed to drivers involved in fatalities caused by impatience. Just how long would they really have followed that tractor, or waited at that junction - if they could have their child back in their arms? Five minutes? Half an hour? A week? An eternity?
Maybe having children changes your attitude to driving - I certainly think mine has - such that I sometimes despair over the risks taken by drivers to save the odd 'precious' minute.
I hope all works out well for your boy - God bless.......
David
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Volvoman - I really do hope that your son is ok, and that everything is ok tomorrow. You know that I'm rooting for you all, don't you?
Growler - there but for the grace of God? Don't get me wrong - I'm a confirmed Heathen, but sometimes you wonder don't you? I'm so glad that you and your daughter are ok. I know that I would never forgive myself if either of my daughters were injured whilst I was driving, no matter whether I was at fault or not.
Maybe this is the jolt that we all need to slow down and appreciate what we have. Is it really worth getting to/from work or wherever two minutes earlier when you consider what you have to lose?
Please, everyone, be safe?
Rob
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V - we have spoken about this, and you know my feelings. Just the very best of luck tomorrow. I won't say any more on here.
Growler - really glad to hear that you and yours escaped with no lasting damage.
Everyone - please heed V's original message - better to get there late than with a death on your conscience.
Take care all,
HF
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Volvo - hope things are ok with your nipper.
Growler, thankfully the truck took the brunt - and not you and your daughter. Best wishes for a quick recovery.
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May I add my best wishes to you all.
Having always worn seat belts and equiped my cars with full harness for my children and a centre lap and diagonal for their friend I am saddened by some peoples approach to seat belts.
How can the message be got accross to parents to belt up the kids?
How many White Van mans do you see with loving wife holding the offspring on their lap? Same scene in some saloons. If you said to them that because of this they do not love their kids then there is a good chance that a long visit to A & E would follow.
Of course they love their kids but it just makes me go cold seeing such an obviously risky activity that the kids do not have a say in.
Perhaps a graphic reminder at regular intervals in a soap opera might demonstrate that mums grip is not that good and a laminated windscreen is hard.
I guess we all need to remind ourselves what is really important. Are you really going to put those few saved minutes or even seconds to a fantastic never to missed cause or activity?
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V-man : Hope everything goes well for your son. Best wishes.
Re your sentiments. Everything you say is exactly just how it should be, and I could not agree more, and I applaud you for your positive action.
The dificult thing is persuading the doubters, miscreants, egotists, and superior-beings to change their behaviour. As with most messages on safety, it is usually a case of preaching to the converted. You can tell smokers, drunks, speeders, druggies, or anyone else whose actions are likely to endanger lives that what they are doing is wrong and offer help to change their behaviour. However, only a small minority will pay heed. The rest will think they are immune from teh effects or that they have some superior ability or physique that allows them to carry on as before.
Rant over.
--
Note: {P} - indicates that I am advertising that my profile can be viewed.
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Volvoman,
Very best wishes to your lad - hope everything turns out well.
Your sentiments give me the chance to repeat - maybe boringly;
If you are doing 30mph and a child steps out 75 feet ahead of you you will maybe just touch and bruise the child.
If you are doing 40mph and the child steps out the same 75 feet ahead of you - you are still travelling at 32mph when you kill the child.
This is not opinion - it is fact.
Matt35.
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Volvoman
I'm sorry to hear about you incident on Monday, and I'm extremely relieved it worked out well. My regards to your whole family and keep safe.
Growler
Again, my sympathy, I hope you daughter can enjoy the rest of her stay in the Philippines. I'm glad you both cam out OK.
All the best to you all
H
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Volvoman, Growler - sorry to hear of your problems
best wishes to you and yours
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V-man, Growler,
Hope you and your loved ones have a speedy recovery,
best wishes,
Chad.
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Once again, thanks all. Your support and good wishes are appreciated. Both of us till stiff and sore and I've got the shiner of the decade. Paradoxically it was the airbag that did that. Chris Ewbank eat your heart out.
Growlette (Catherine) was out of town so on a business trip so she escaped the incident, thankfully. Alex's holiday is spoilt but there'll be other times.
Indeed these events remind you of the basics as was Volvoman's purpose in starting this thread. I don't mind admitting I'm a bit less cocky than usual tonight. May not be such a bad thing. Watch yourselves out there.
...Growler 0ut.
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Thanks everyone for the messages. V junior had his EEG earlier and it wasn't too traumatic this time although we did discover that he has a nasty infection in his hand where a cannula was left in too long. MRI scan to follow soon and then we should know what's going on in his head and how we stand.
I echo everything that's been said here. We all get complacent at times but what I've just been through with my son being ventilated in an intensive care unit suddenly brings it home just how important our loved ones are. It really is awful to think that lives may be lost for reasons which are avoidable and sometimes even trivial - hence my excessive speeding rant today in another thread. I too see many parents holding babies etc on their laps in cars with no seatbelts on and I cringe. "Sorry to have to tell you this Mrs X but your child was killed by being crushed between you and the dashboard of your car. If you'd bothered to put your seatbelt on and put the child in its own seat you'd both have been fine". I really do think we have to start getting this blunt with the road safety message.
The thought that someone, anyone, died simply because a seatbelt wasn't worn or a driver decided to do something reckless really does annoy me. Yes I am more sensitive at the moment but it doesn't do any of us any harm to have it brought home just how important our loved ones are to us and just how frail life can be.
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V and G,
Sorry, came to this a bit late, but best wishes to all concerned.
Stu.
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Same here, really sorry to hear about your situations.
It's been a hard week for a lot of people that I know, and one that I will never forget for as long as I live.
Hope everything is OK for both of you.
Blue
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A little late here too. Sorry to hear about the tough times you guys are having; my best wishes to you both.
It is a case sometimes of 'There but for the grace of God go I', I really don't like to rush a journey through any busy area and I treat everyone is a potential accident waiting to happen. I think my own experience of being in major accident did change my attitude substantially.
I think anyone that has had anything more than a minor knock on the road realises just how fragile our position on planet earth really is.
All the best guys.
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As I watch the DDay ceremonies I just can't help thinking how much we owe to all those who gave their lives in WWII and without whose heroism we wouldn't be here enjoying the freedoms and privileges we so often take for granted. To all those who suffered and died, especially any who may lurk here, Thank You.
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Amen to that - how fortunate we are that they did what they did when asked.
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Amen to that - how fortunate we are that they did what they did when asked.
While not denigrating the heroic deeds that occurred, not many were asked, most were conscripts and were told, not asked. Much of modern society is pooh-poohed but I think if these shores were ever threatened in the same way again most of us would be prepared to do the same again.
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I have a poignant D-Day story also but that's not motoring so it's for another time and place. (No I wasn't there, I'm not QUITE that old!)
But V-man's thread having been reactivated does indeed give us pause. It's a good re-read. By the way VM, I hope your kid is fine and through that crisis.
Buckling up and airbags and modern vehicle design are all very well, and thank heavens for that, but one of my best defences is what my partner teaches me. She has some Chinese lineage and is much given to the Tao, although reared as a Catholic.
That quiet hand on my knee and her just saying "let him go, it's not important" is one of the reasons I treasure my back (front actually) seat driver. Thank you Catherine.
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Gr - I thought long and hard about this DDay thread and if/where it should go. My aim was not to go over old ground but to reiterate a valuable point we should all remember from time to time when things get us down.
Whether conscripts or volunteers, the sacrifices of those veterans and many like them should never be forgotten and serve to illustrate just how lucky we are.
BTW - As for V-minor, well he's doing OK in his unique way. Epilepsy is just the latest of his problems but he's a happy, energetic and lovely lad and we're just thankful he's still with us brightening our lives.
Keep safe everyone.
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Lets try to keep to motoring so that I don't have to go and make myself all unpopular, please.
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