Be philosophical if you can - cars can be replaced, people can't. In 32 years of driving I've had a few minor incidents, most of which I've learned from. Mercifully, there's been nothing too serious. Here's a list just to cheer you up!
3 broken front number plates....
1) Chicken (trying to get to the other side...)
2) Hyperactive coal scuttle (ran out in front of me as I was
driving into my garage)
3) Badly parked car trailer (inside my garage, yet again!)
1 Broken headlight
Sheep ran off the verge on a dark winter's morning in torrential rain. Sheep deceased. Went to farm to confess. Farmer said it couldn't have been a sheep (silly me!) Turned out that he classified it as a 'lamb' and apparently they are worth much more.....Blinking thing was the size of a small house!
Primary School Pupil
Said pupil came off the pavement without looking with one of those 'rabbity' parka hoods right over his head. Minor bump on the knee, no damage to car.Went into the school to tell his headmaster. He said, 'Don't worry,I've done the same thing myself....'
And the punchline? 5 years later when I was teaching at the local secondary school I got a new class and on the first day, a little hand went up at the back. 'Sir, do you remember me?'
'No, should I?' 'Oh yes, you ran me down 5 years ago......'
The Jehovah's Witness.
I'd been off buying a new cooker, which was lying flat down in the back (Renault 11). Stopped with indicator on, waiting to make a right turn. All at once, there was a most almighty bang from behind and after the cooker came back down to the floor I looked in the mirror.... I saw a red Mini Metro behind.....burst radiator, twisted bonnet, broken headlight aargh! Got out, expecting a trashed tailgate. Was it heck! The Metro had gone right under my towbar!
The police were called, we were both breathalysed. (I'm teetotal and so, of course was the Jehovah's Witness!) What better 'witness' could you get?
Unbelievably, there wasn't a scratch on my car! I didn't press charges and the JW went on his way rejoicing.....
Seriously, though, I've been very very lucky over the years - nothing that has caused any real harm to anyone or to me. But yes, I've learned! Every bump has made me more careful - more pro-active in particular. Oh - and cookers in the back should always wear seatbelts!
Remember, always look out for the 'other' fool on the road!
Graeme
|
8< snip and delete language 8<
If you can\'t express your views without resorting to swearing, then don\'t bother at all.
DD. Br Moderator.
|
There are many ways of expressing it.
When someone flashes you, what can you deduce? Merely that their headlight bulbs work.
So, if they fail to signal their intention to turn ...
Oz (as was)
|
There are many ways of expressing it. When someone flashes you, what can you deduce? Merely that their headlight bulbs work. So, if they fail to signal their intention to turn ...
Do all indicators (as I understand, even those on new cars which are electronically controlled), "tick-tock" quicker if a bulb has blown?
Surely then you could argue that the young lady driver could easily deduce that she had a blown indicator bulb (not easily deduces with a blown headlight), and therefore should be using hand signals.
What would be the insurance companys line on this?
|
So, if they fail to signal their intention to turn ...
MF, My meaning was just "Always expect the unexpected."
If the car in front signals to turn left, be prepared for it to turn right.
Clearly, even this won't guarantee that you'll escape in all circumstances.
Oz (as was)
|
|
|
|
The flashing of headlights as I recall indicates to another driver a warning that you are coming through...not as widely used as a signal to let the other road user proceed.
|
The flashing of headlights as I recall indicates to another driver a warning that you are coming through...not as widely used as a signal to let the other road user proceed.
The fact that either of the two interpretations could apply means that neither is 100% safe.
Oz (as was)
|
|
|
|
|
It is only metal and your hurt feelings.
A good idea to let off steam to friends here on the Forum.
Some of it really is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A couple of examples I have experienced.
Sitting in the middle of a line of staionary traffic when Bang I was hit in he boot. "Sorry my foot slipped of the clutch" was the reply.
"Please, I asked politely, WHY was your foot on the clutch when we can all see that nothing is moving?"
Driving at 10-15 mph, cos of parked cars both sides, in "my" road when the drivers door of a parked car was flung open. With zero warning I had no option but to hit it.
"Sorry, I was late for the dentist"
When my claim went in, guess what "You drove into my door!"
Tis true, I certainly did.
Best I got out of it, with no witnesses, was for me to pay just half my £200 excess. My old Sierra was almost a write off.
I suspect others have similar not my fault but have to pay out.
A New Years promise? Do not to let it get to you.
|
Hiya...
She will refer to you as "that pink fluffy dice that drive into me" from now on, but on the bright side you know it will still be me that bears the brunt of all the collision jokes on here!
;-)
Oh and you know she'll indicate in future so you could say you've done the driving world a favour. (That might be clutching at straws just slightly!)
All that "it's only metal" stuff will mean nothing for about a fortnight as you stress over trying to get things sorted..... but it's true.
|
Imagine. Steep street in middle of Sheffield, surface covered in ice. No brakes, almost no steering. Nervously start down hill by steering into gutter and rubbing tyres against kerb. See cross road ahead, all tyre marks going across, think it is a major road, manage to stop, look left, look right. Man comes out of pub, knocks on front passenger window, says in slurred voice, ?Be careful, it?s very slippery?, thank him. Two women walk arm in arm out of pub, fall flat on backs, shrieking with laughter. Two other women walk out, try to help, also fall down, shrieking with laughter. Attention is drawn to lights coming fast down hill, white, red, white, red. Realise it is spinning car ? driver doesn?t know dodge of rubbing against kerb. Think, ?20 years accident free motoring, and here it comes?. Warn passengers, ?Hold on?. Loud bang, Ford Granada facing wrong way, drivers door hard up against my drivers door. Very polite black man wearing leather blouson and cosy top winds down his window, knocks on mine, asks me in perfect standard Oxford English, ?Why on earth did you park there??
You have to keep a sense of humour. I?d recently returned from 14 years in Zambia ? worst accident rate per capita in the world ? not a problem the whole time.
|
farOn -
I don't know you, but keep reading the advice on here please.
It sounds like you may have been given a hard deal here, but stick around and I'm sure you will get some sound advice.
I feel sorry for your predicament, but I would imagine somebody here can advise you on what to do.
If you are a good driver, then I wish you the very best of luck.
And a Happy New Year.
HF
|
I can't really add a lot other than to say sorry to hear about your accident and glad that no one was hurt. As others have said, metal can easily be replaced!
Blue
|
really sorry to hear about the accident, i was ran down but some blonde female on the 23rd december 2000 in a black escort with no head lights on not even a side light, and admited to doing 35mph - 40mph, but i could see her started crossing and BANG 10ft in the air i go, got police report back, the road was a 30mph road, her statement on police report said "i saw the boy and thought he was going to wait" "i was doing 35mph-40mph i really thought he stopped" "then i saw him infront and he was running backwards toward the pavement so i didnt brake just came off the gas" "he was wearing dark clothes but i really couldnt see him well" now excuse me, i was wearing a orange burtons t shirt, with the horrible white jeans, and stupid me wear i crossed, was about 50 - 100yards after a sharp bend u cant see road, now in 50- 100 yards you can say all that and think it and act on it, then contradict your self by saying i really couldnt see the boy, hummmmm, but also stated in the report was a witness that put me about another 300 yard down the road behind a parked car that didnt exist, apartently this witness wasnt really looking and just come out of a shop. also the police pressed no charges on her speeding. and they didnt bother to come and take a statement from me, i wanted compo but cant get he he. well thats my accident.
#
now for my second bit, i thought that indicators were opional extras on new cars that most people dont opt infor, well thats what it feels like.
|
urlife - indicators are no more 'opional' than punctuation, spelling, capitalisation and grammar
;-)
|
At least you were in your car farOn - I made like a "funky chicken" on Boxing day when walking the dogs - two cars approaching me on main road, I'm waiting to cross a minor junction - neither indicating, I wait for first to get past, decide to cross the road, and the second one hits the indicator 2 yards before the junction + gives me a filthy look because he/she/it had to stop to avoid a mess of fur + skin.
Bless em.
Mind you, I have a long running fight with my wife re. use of indicators - I always use them (deserted carparks, whatever), much to her annoyance - she thinks it's silly, and implies that I don't think about what I'm doing - I think that if you do it all the time you won't forget, plus you never know when someone can see you but you haven't seen them.
|
Highway code says you should only go at a junction if doing so will not force another driver to take evasive action (icl braking). So if you go when its safe, you don't ever need to indicate because no-one will be inconvenienced.
Provided, that is, you notice everyone on the road. Thus, indicators are a precaution to warn the people you DIDN'T notice. As you can never say that there is no-one that you have failed to spot, always use them....
Keep indicating, Jehovah. She'll be glad when it stops someone driving into the passenger door.
|
Why are even the most trivial accidents so traumatic. BiL (the one who bought the 330d) had a very minor ding and was absoltutly
gutted. This is a guy who flies fast jets for a living and in recent events came back with a very bent Tornado in a far more life threatning condition and was actually laughing about it.
|
Urlife,
Was your unfortunate experience any more the worse because it involved a 'blonde female' ?
AI
|
Bil gutted PU. No wonder as the damage would come out of his own pocket whereas his Blue Circle Airliner (ask him) came out of mine, yours, etc etc.
DVD
|
I asked him. It was the trauma of the bump the gobbing off from his SWMBO and the other driver (not BiL fault by the way), the cost of repair was minimal, Dentmaster fixed the bump for about £60.00. What he said was he point of impact he felt the shock horror of the "accident" and replayed it a dozen times in his head you know the sort of thing "his fault/my fault" no-one hurt nothing. The major damage to HM's aircraft was less traumatic, it involved some AAA, there were some metallic grinding noises but the plane flew on as normal - as he said adrenalin had been coursing for some hours before and after after all he knew whose fault the latter damage was ! By the way he says full credit to British Engineering, these planes were flying hours only envisiged for WW3 and never failed to start !
As he said the other driver may benefit from a trip in a Tornado in wartime conditions one day to see what real worry is.
|
nope wasnt made worse, just giving all detail of the accident, but pride was slightly dented i should say, i mean had it have been a merc that hit me or a BMW or lotus, but then again had it have been i wouldnt have survived as those cars dont go under 30 do they hehe
Sam
ps i dont do caps, or proper spelling, i think everyone should speak propper like what i does. hehe. my spelling is bad i'll admit it
|
plus it should read "i couldn't see the car so started crossing"
|
|
|
|
