I'm sure most people will have made some fairly big bloopers in their early years of motoring. Making mistakes is, after all, conducive to experience and learning. Unfortunately, the penalties for making mistakes on the road are often very severe and this gives new drivers very little margin for error when developing experience.
Are there any backroomers willing to reveal their earliest near-misses or, for those unlucky enough, accidents? What experience did you gain from them? What advice would you give to inexperienced drivers to stop them coming a cropper too? And does it ever make you feel uncomfortable how close you once came to meeting a sticky end?
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To be honest I can't think of any dodgy incidents in my early driving days that could be put down to youthful exuberance. I have driven 'normally' ever since I passed my test.
That's not to say that I haven't ever made any mistakes, but I was never a boy racerish type.
I do remember driving a Bedford CF van a bit faster than normal though a ford across the road, creating a spray that accidentally went straight in through the open driver's window of an oncoming orange MGB GT coming the other way, soaking a rather smart young woman.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 23/01/2009 at 21:40
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I can't remember any really bad ones when young either but I've had a couple and seen one locally which could have been really grim. Almost home with my vehicle transporter when a cyclist jumped a 'Stop' sign to my right at speed ('cos it was downhill), and hit the side of my slidebed. Could have been de-capitated but got up and walked away, pushing very wobbly bike. Later on, two girls in a Fiesta barrelled across the next junction at about 30mph almost scraping across the front of the truck. I looked later and the 'give way' sign was obscured by a tree.
Again in the truck, on the same road, the car in front of me just ignored the 'stop' sign where it crosses a much busier main road and got safely across at a good 20 mph. Incidents like those very much depend on the seconds either way which both of you started your journey.
It's the road where I live, so I have to use it.
Ted
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Ted I know the junction quite well. It happens a lot on the junctions of Oswald road too and somebody was killed a few years back for just shooting accross the junction. It seems people round here just drive with their eyes shut but probably more like don't want to use their brakes as that would be bad for the plannet.
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Getting lost and nearly cutting up a van when changing lanes as I paniced as the lane I was in would have taken me to a motorway! Learnt my lesson don't change lanes too late, if you are in the wrong lane commit to it and sort it out when you're 10 miles away in Cheshire.
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During my youth my particular brand of exuberance meant they wernt near misses they were actual collisions
You name it I hit it! :-)
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news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7848375.stm
I think this may class as one.
(Posting on behalf of Prisoner 232232.)
Edited by Pugugly on 23/01/2009 at 22:32
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Just an occupational hazard, I suppose! ;-)
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Ford Sierra (RWD), snowy car park, 18 years old, egged on by mates, inconsiderately located tree....
It T-Cutted out no worries. ;-)
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I'm not sure about the wisdom of writing this on a forum.
Friday night 6.30pm, November 1997, outside lane of the M25 J6. Citroen Saxo 1.4sx. I was only 21 so inexperienced despite my knowing it all. With hindsight I'd put the 21 year-old me in the "very poor driver" category. The current one "average".
Anyway traffic was flowing at about 60mph but a 'bit slow' I thought since the middle lane and inside lanes were clear. So I thought I'd indicate left and get on my merry way. By this time I was driving too close to the car in front, not tailgating by any means, but too close all the same. So I looked over in the passenger mirror, checked my RV mirror and when I checked the passenger mirror again, I ploughed into the car in front which had made something of an emergency stop himself. Afterwards, his rear screen was only inches from my windscreen and the entire engine bay had crumpled (as I guess it's meant to) to virtually nothing. Apart from utter dismay and shock, I was unhurt as was the poor chap in the red punto whose journey and car I'd ruined. If I'd been driving with a bigger gap - very simple - then I'd not have caused this incident. It was very simple.
The police temporarily stopped all the traffic in the three lanes in order to drag our cars (the only two involved) to the hard shoulder. When I was standing there like a lemon, a bloke in a blue Transit on the opposite carriageway wound down his window and, at the top of his voice, yelled "HA-HA-HA" while gesturing with his finger. Nice. So to the police car for interview. Very serious, very brusque policeman tried to grill me but I just said "look, this is my fault officer, I'm very sorry, I did x when it was unsafe to do so...".
The reason I'm still rambling is that, at this point, the spectacle of numerous police vehicles with flashing lights had caused another, very similar incident in the exact spot where I'd been a div. Bam. Policeman looked at me and said "thanks for this", finished with me, told me to go and sit up on the bank and await my recovery vehicle. Meanwhile he had to close the carriageway again and repeat the process, all the while it being likely that it could happen again.
Sitting there in the drizzle, looking on to the chaos I'd caused was one of those vivid memories that's always stuck with me. I never drove the same again. The key must be understanding the damage that a poorly driven car can inflict, and that although your intentions may be admirable, you can so easily cause suffering though a careless loss of attention.
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Fair dos. Thanks for the cough !
No flaming guys !
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Near misses? Well I nearly missed that bridge. Although the telegraph pole it then guided me towards was pretty much dead centre of the bonnet, so I probably can't claim to have nearly missed that.
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17 year old, passed test in a 950cc Talbot Samba and that was car I was used to driving.
Samba (as was usual) needed a spare part so as dad was away on holiday I took his car to the motor factors. A RWD VX Carlton 2.0GLI. Motor factor was in an industrial estate with loose stones at the entrance.
Coming back out I waited for a break in traffic then floored the accelerator and this was great as it sent all the stones flying up and made a great noise. Except all those flying stones went straight into the front of the pristine Opan Manta behind me!!!
I continued on my journey weaving through the streets to my house and as I got out the car, the Manta (literally) screeched to a stop outside. Guy got out absolutely livid and cursing. By this time both my legs had turned to jelly and I just pointed to the Samba and sort of uttered the words "sorreeeee Mister, I am used to driving that".
He just looked at me with a look that said "idiot" and got into his car and roared off!
I was shaking for hours!!!!
However it didn't stop me a few months later from doing a perfect 180 degree turn in the same car. Very easy, turn left on a wet road, floor it, and you end up facing the way you came!!
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Managed to embed my Clubman Estate in the back of a Renault 16 when trying to adjust the cassette player which was under the passenger side of the dash... damn stupid design those early Minis! Did a lot of damage to my car but virtually none to the Renault!
The worst any of us kids had in those days of the 70s was a mate of mine (honestly!) who wrote his Dad's Viva off by turning right into a garage right across the path of something else doing about 60! The other car was written off as well!
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30 plus years ago returning from an Easter camping trip in t'Dales in my first car, a Mini Clubman estate. Travelling at a sedate 30mph, loaded with 3 friends, tents etc, came round a corner to find a queue of stationary traffic at temporary roadworks.I stood on the brakes and as time stood still I slowly ran into the back of a Capri...I bumped into his over riders causing minimal damage...the front of my Mini crumpled badly! Still a vivid memory, but an excellent lesson early on in my driving career.
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Had an MG Maestro in my early days. Been driving 18 months with no incidents, so considered my self a darn good driver. One saturday morning, woke up and decided my finances were all going on the car. Being such a good driver, I nipped down to the high street broker (do people still use them?) and changed the insurance policy from fully comp to third party. After all, it always happens to other people!
Monday morning, travelling to work. Looked down to change cassette (needed a hefty push on the 'eject' button in those days).....and whump, straight into a Saab which was stood in a line of traffic. Saab looked undamaged (it wasn't) and front of my car was about two foot shorter.
Took about two months travelling around scrappys getting all the necessary parts. Repaired by a back street garage and I was broke for months.
Still, at least the car told me to 'fasten my seatbelt' when I set off on the journey. I assume it knew something I didn't.
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17 years old, riding my trusty 175 Honda home late at night. Hump-back bridge.
I know this road, it's dead straight after this bridge. I can take it at 60.
Whoops. Wrong bridge. 90 degree turn just after it. I ended up in the hedge.
Luckily not a prickly one. :)
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"Hump-back bridge"
He'll be here in a minute to defend his honour. :-)
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Sorry - I should have said 'humpback'. :)
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Oh dear but within the confines of this confessional, I have to admit reversing a large work van into the front of a work colleague's vintage Wolseley, a car upon which he lavished love and care - almost to an obsessional degree.
I was not popular and I still cringe at that incident which occurred after only a week or so after passing my driving test.
There: I feel a lot better now and peace be with you all my children.
Ian
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Many years ago. Pushing on hard to get home on a night run from Paris to Cheshire. Lane three of M6, overtaking artic in lane one and a box van in lane two. Something happened to the artic ( blowout ? ) causing it to jack-knife. Van hits swinging trailer and is side swiped into lane three about a gnats wotsit from my front bumper. Not sure how but I slid past without touching it with two wheels on the central reservation at ......some mph...
Later heard that the M6 was closed for a number of hours due to a multi vehicle pile up.
Pure luck smiling on me and no judgement on my part. Not a scratch. Phew !
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Late 60's. Girl friends mums Mini. I'd done some small job on it for her, and took it round the block for a short test drive. It had been snowing and the back roads I was on were hard packed snow. I'd never driven a Mini (or FWD) before and was amazed at the levels of grip until I came downhill to a T junction. There was no way it would stop, so I lined up with the driveway of a house opposite that still had virgin snow on it. I let go of the brakes to get some steering and shot across the junction, nothing was coming fortunately. The drive was long enough for me to stop.
I got out shakily, blessing my good fortune and walked round the car. The only damage appeared to be the front number plate which was suspended on two brackets from the bumper. I was able to bend them back.
Years later, my now FIL commented the family walking down the road had recognised the car and told him!
In a queue of slow moving traffic. Car in front braked hard, I braked hard. I didn't hit him, but as we released our brakes, his back end dropped and my front end rose. Overriders (remember them) and bumpers locked - it was odd hearing the clang after we'd stopped. It took the help of a few passers-by to seperate the cars. We both drove away laughing.
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The late 1970s, in my mum's Triumph herald. Had been out to the pub in the countryside around Blackburn with 4 mates in the car. I'd drunk more than I should have. Returning to town on a damp road the car oversteered, as all good RWD cars should, on a sharp bend and only a caring God prevented us going into the hedge or meeting a car coming the other way.
Obvious lesson learned, don't drink and drive!
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early 20's driving my pride and joy which was a 2.3 V6 manual Ford Sierra from Devon to London at six in the morning on a bright sunny morning.
Absolutely nothing on the road whatsoever (A303). Eventually, in the distance, saw a tractor travelling the same way I was. Pulled out to overtake it, some 400 - 500 yards early, probably doing about 80mph, as i got near it and certainly well beyond any point of braking, i noticed a carp encrusted right indicator come on and the tractor start to turn right into a field. I bunged it in 3rd and floored it...and just...i do mean JUST... missed it by a gnat's wotsit. I can still vividly see now that right front wheel turning more and more into my path and me wondering whether i'd miss it or not.
Very close run thing indeed and taught me a lot. Have given tractors considerably more respect that's for sure. I often wondered about the farmer's reaction. Must have surprised the hell out of him.
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Have given tractors considerably more respect that's for sure
I'll bet you've become an ex-tractor-fan now.
Ted
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>>the car oversteered, as all good RWD cars should,
Not as much as they do with swing axles!
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Let me see.
Car recovered from large duck pond.
No details provided other than the teaser that the duck pond was 30 feet from the road and the velocity required to get it there was considerable.
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No details provided other than the teaser that the duck pond was 30 feet from the road and the velocity required to get it there was considerable.
Cool! :-)
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Cool! :-)
Probably!
Overheating brakes and needed to cool them down?!
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Overheating brakes and needed to cool them down?!
nope
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In the mid-60s we spent 3 years in Alberta, with all that means about winter temperatures. As recent ex-pats we knew little about American cars, and liked them less, so we found a red Morris 1100, the first one sold there, which had been used for rallying or ice-racing - FWD was a new phenomenon and with studded tyres ice was much like asphalt to drive on. We kept the car three years, and covered over 40K with very few failures except clutch release bearing, U-joints and perennial sooting-up of the electric fuel pump points (I travelled with a spare, which I could change in 15-20 minutes - and did, in several out-of-the-way places).
I was driving along a typical gravel road towards the Rockies and failed to catch a tail-end 'snake'; so much dust was thrown up that it became impossible to see where we were heading, and the car went off the embankment and finished at the bottom of the slope - still the right way up, luckily. We were miles from anywhere and mobiles hadn't yet been thought of. After wondering what to do next, a tow truck happened along and dragged us out for free. We continued our journey, rather shakily for a while, and apparently undamaged. Quite a tough little car.
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Borrowed my Dad's Mini van many years ago, went out with a few mates, lost it slightly on a bend going home over the Mendips. It was only the hedge that kept us out of a quarry.....
Luckily for me the van was in such a state that a few extra scratches made no apparent difference to its appearance. I think my Dad's suspicions may have been raised slightly though due to my filling it with petrol while racked with guilt!
A few weeks later my brother reversed the long-suffering van into a wall, and permission to use it was revoked.
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At 15yrs old me and close friend acquired a non-running Honda 400/4, got the Haynes manual, engine out, full strip and rebuild and got it going. Many miles 2 up were covered. yes, at 15... including straight into a ditch near lovely Tilbury. Blimey! it was hard work getting it out but we got away with it, no injuries, no damage, no constabulary, parents never did find out what we were doing. Frightening really!!
Edited by Webmaster on 26/01/2009 at 00:22
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Better not let on to some posters here - or we'll be going down some road on the theory of evolution !
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You having a prod at me Pug?? Fill yer boots!!
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Quite the opposite ! I had in mind the "chicken" thread where youthful risk taking is seen as a modern day form on Natural Selection - when the truth is that this race/country/generation needs risk takers. To counter the evolution theory put forward in other threads the risk takers are seen as more attractive genetically and consequently the "Darwinism" mantra is actually a load of nonsense.
I felt a pang of envy - I would have killed for a 400/4 when I was 16 and still want one 33 years on. The epitome of Japanese design in its time !
Edited by Pugugly on 25/01/2009 at 11:46
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Oh I like that, yes, I'm definitely attractive, it's just that all the non gingers havn't caught on yet!! (save your sympathy, it's darkening with age).
We didn't realise at the time how luck we were with the 400/4. It was rather silky, sounded lovely and made easy 80+ with the two of us on. We went through a pair of Suzuki IT465's for pit use after that - very hairy single cylinder 2 strokes. Absolutely fearsome powerband. It really is a wonder I didn't get seriously hurt. Since been through a CBR600 and Firestorm (Litre twin) but 2 wheels only now on account of the kids. I'm misty eyed now - not for the past, SWMBO has scraped beloved Golf GT TDi on another car today. I've had better days....
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I meant 4 wheels only, of course
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You must come to the Bikers' Caff opening event.
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Far too many to comprehensively list but a couple spring to mind, all nut related:
Travelling down to Lydden Hill as a passenger in a friend's Cavalier SRi, he noticed a vibration through the steering in the 55-75 speed range but no vibration below or (ahem) above those speeds. It was decided to press on regardless. Inspection at Lydden showed front o/s wheel nuts were loose and just perched on the end of the studs.
Rushed a chain adjustment/wheel change on the bike, rushed off on my (then) normal 30 mile A-road commute trying to make up for lost time. Early spring, thought the roads weren't quite as grippy as normal. Thought the same thing on the more sedate journey home.
Got home, found the rear wheel nut and split pin waiting for me on the doormat where I had left them, to keep them safe while I popped the wheel back on.
f2
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April 1974 A1 north of Catterick, 5 in the morning, driving back from Sunderland after visiting young lady friend. Fell asleep at the wheel, woke up rolling down central reservation. Friends 1600 GT Cortina written off - me very shaken. Quit job went to N Sea found job bought replacement TR6 for friend been in Oil Biz ever since. Told everybody tyre blew out but now the truth is out.
Jim
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Here's my classic.
1971, in my delightful charcoal gray Fiat 1500 (the precursor to the 125) FWY 999C belting up the A64 York Road in Leeds at somewhat more than the 40 mph limit. To my left, a fair distance away, a brand new Mk1 Ford Escort is waiting to leave Killingbeck Hospital turning right across the dual carriageway towards the central reservation. I am in lane 2 passing a line of three cars as the Escort lurches across lane 1. I hit the chrome horn ring and come off the gas. The Fiamm horns shriek as the cars I am about to pass skid untidily to a halt. I am confident that the Escort driver has heard my horn, has realised how important my journey is and has decided to stop. The truth is, the Escort is wearing "L" plates and the driver has made a bold but unsuccessful attempt to cross both lanes of the carriageway but has stalled. As I am batting towards her, back on the gas, listening to my fruity exhaust, the Escort's engine fires up and the learner driver tries to complete her manoeuvre at full throttle and without looking.
I guess I was doing about 50 mph when the Fiat contacted the offside wing of the Escort. The front-hinged bonnet of my car sprang up as the cars ploughed up the central reservation so I couldn't see the Escorts front offside wheel move to where the engine had been. The Fiat's engine fan tunnelled through the radiator and there was a lot of steam. Despite being dazed and having a massive bruise from the seat belt buckle, I came in for a lot of abuse from the learner's passenger. I never met the driver; she was apparently too shocked to participate in exchanging names and addresses.
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