Collisions and other driving issues

[Maister]

How do you rate your own driving aptitude in comparison to other drivers - do you consider yourself an average driver? good? poor? fair?
Are you prone to speed? Do you tend to regard traffic control devices more as suggestions rather than rules? Do you ever tailgate others? Do you find yourself being tailgated very often? Are you ever guilty of talking on cell phones/putting on makeup/shaving/eating or performing other tasks while driving or are you an attentive driver? What are your driving pet peeves? Have you ever been in a collision (regardless of whose fault it was)? Discuss.

[btrage]

I've only been in one collission in my life, but it involved a friend.

We were driving on a state highway back to another friend's mom's house, who lived right of the state highway. Well, I stopped to turn into her driveway, and my friend decided not to stop until the last second. He hit his breaks enough where he didn't do any real damage to my car, but his front end was a little messed up.

I consider myself a very good driver, due to my defensiveness on the road. That being said, I do drive at or slightly above posted speed limits, and I do drive aggressively when the time calls for it.

I rarely talk on my cell in the car, but I rarely talk on my cell at all. I will occassionaly text while driving, but I try and limit it to when I'm stopped at a light or something.

My biggest peeves are people who are doing 15-20 miles per hour less than anyone around them.

[Suburb Repairman]

I've only been in one wreck in which I was the driver. A postal jeep did a U-turn right in front of me--no signal, no mirror check, no nothing. And this was on a 2-lane state highway with clear line of sight. The postal guy was being a dick while we waited for the police to show up, so I called his postmaster while I was waiting and got him to come down and deal with his driver.

I was pissed because the cop that showed up knew the postal carrier and as a result did not issue a citation. But their insurance settled with me easily, so no complaints.

[ofos]

I checked 6 or more mostly because I've been rear-ended several times when stopped at red lights. None were serious. I've also been in 3 collisions where I was in the moving vehicle. The first was when I was 16 and hit a parked car, my fault because I had just dropped my date off at her house and looked back to see if she was watching me leave. Made a big impression on both my parents car and the one I hit. Not so much on the date. Embarrassing. The second I was a passenger in a car with a couple high school buddies and got t-boned at an intersection, not our fault, nobody hurt. The third happened when a neighbor backed out of his driveway into me when there was about 6 inches of snow on the street. Too slippery to stop and going too slow to get past him.

[wahday]

I've only had two real collisions. I got t-boned once when I was 18. Totally my fault as I went through an intersection without looking closely enough (ah, the impetuousness of youth!). Totaled my car, though, and spun me around in the intersection. It was pretty scary. Second time I got rear-ended pretty hard and thrown into the car in front of me (which had stopped short and triggered the event). Other than that, just a few fender benders where we got out, looked at our cars, shrugged and went on our way.

[Rygor]

Got rear-ended once by a dumb teenager. A couple little "bumps" here and there. Only other time I was hit in the passenger side bumper area by a kid going too fast in the other lane behind me as I was turning. I don't know how but somehow I got blamed for that one. Stupid kid's dad was a lawyer.

[Tranplanner]

Other than being rear-ended in a very low speed collision when stopped at a red light (stupid driver behind me took her foot off the brake searching for her cigarettes), I've never been in a car/car collision, but have been in a couple of bus/car collisions and one train/dirt bike collision.

I have scratched/dinged my car a couple of times against stationary objects in low speed/parking lot incidents.

EDIT: Oops, forgot about the car/moose collision...that one was the moose's fault.

[Linda_D]

I had three "majors".

The first one, I tried to beat a light and the guy turning left tried to beat the light. Ouch! Nobody hurt, but the two cars had some damage.

The second one was a life changer. I was going on vacation when I fell asleep at the wheel on the NYS Thruway and woke up as I was heading down the embankment. I cranked the steering wheel and rolled that pickup truck on its roof. I can still remember that sensation of the rollover and the sound of the metal scraping against the road like it happened last week, and it happend 23 years ago (July 7, 1989). I ended up hanging upside down like batwoman, but after the off-duty volunteer fireman helped me down, I slid out. Aside from a sprained neck, a slight concussion, and a nasty brush burn on my left elbow, I was unscathed physically. Mentally, I was a wreck. I couldn't take a left-hand curve at speed for probably six months because I'd have flashbacks. I seldom drove over 55 mph for longer than that. To this day, I will NOT ride in a convertible (I need that roll cage around me), I DON'T EVER NOT USE MY SEAT BELT, and nobody rides with me without theirs on back or front, either. I will NEVER attempt to push myself or another person to drive when tired or further than I or they are comfortable. I take safety much more seriously.

The third one, I'm minding my own business driving on the local interstate, and a ten-point buck with lovin' on his mind jumped out of the center median and into the front quarter panel, driver's side. Darn, if I'd hit him a week later, I might have won the biggest buck contest that the local newspaper ran! It was kind of an expensive way to get a buck, though: $5000 damage to the car!

[dw914er]

The only incident I've had (while I was in the car) is that I've had road debris (big rig tire) getting thrown up and hitting my car. One time it actually caused quite a bit of damage because a new bumper and an alignment was required. Other than that, the only other incident I've had was when I was in school. I was heading back to my car from a hike, and saw a skateboarder crash into my car. It left a sizeable dent too, and he just limped away as fast as he could before I could get his info.

I'm hoping to get by without any actual accidents.

[michaelskis]

First and only car to car accident (knock on wood) was the first full day that I had my drivers licence. Six months before my 16 birthday, my dad helped me find a car to fix up as he through I would appreciate it more. So every night would go to his friends shop and spend hours doing body repairs, installing a new door, new fender, new hood and getting everything just right.

Then when I turned 16, I went and got my licence after class. The next day, while leaving the high school parking lot to go to lunch, I pulled out having not seen the truck driven by another student who was trying to race his friend out of the parking lot and broadsided the box of the truck. No one got a ticket and while there was substantial damage to the box of the truck, my car had a broken headlight, dented fender, and dented hood.

No one was hurt and it made me realize how much I had to learn about defensive driving. I should have looked at the other lane and seen the truck driving faster than I was going, but we live and we learn.

Since that time, I have taken defensive driving courses and had a ton of practice with driving in downtown New York, Chicago, St. Louis Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, DC, and Atlanta, in addition to driving in blizzards in the Upper Peninsula.

I have also hit a deer that jumped a guardrail and destroyed the front of an S-10. (New grill, two new fenders, new hood, new radiator, new bumper...)

[terraplnr]

Thanks, this has made me realize how many little accidents I’ve been in, although most were during the college years. Nothing serious, other than having to pay the deductible and deal with the car repairs and insurance company. I am hyper vigilant about not getting rear ended now because of a few rear-endings (or whatever you would call it )

High school senior – swiped someone’s rear bumper when he was sticking out of a turn lane (very minor damage)

College junior – pulled in front of a semi stopped at a red light (I was changing lanes), I didn’t realize that he didn't/couldn’t see me and he did an accordion number on the back corner of my then-boyfriend’s new (to him) car (fortunately the boyfriend later decided to marry me anyway and it didn’t total the car)

College junior – rear ended by some guy not paying attention to a stop sign (very minor damage)

College senior – slid off icy road into embankment, moderate damage to car

Couple years out of college – rear ended by some guy in a big truck not paying attention in morning rush hour traffic, and I unconsciously released the brake and depressed the clutch when he hit me so I rear-ended the car in front of me and my car was thus totaled (but just minor whiplash injury)

Summer of 2010 – we were moving across country (for the 3rd time) and I was following my husband, he had the 24-foot Ryder truck and I was in his 4-Runner. We stopped at a stop sign, I was behind him, but he got confused and didn’t think I was behind him (he thought I had turned at the intersection), so he backed up to change lanes and backed up into my front bumper. I wasn’t completely sure that there wasn’t someone behind me (the rear window was blocked with boxes/stuff) and so I laid on the horn but didn’t back up in time to get out of the way. That made for some fun times, arguing over who was at fault.

[Planit]

I totaled 2 cars in my college days (both my fault), but other than that just a few minors and none of those being my fault.

1st car totaled, I changed lanes in ATL Friday rush hours traffic only to find the car in the lane stopped and I rear ended it.
2nd car totaled, going through acurve too fast, hit the gravel on the side of the road and slid down an embankment, hit a few things (sign, tree, rocks) and car was not worth repairing.

Minors included car pulling out in front of me (I almost stopped in time), semi rear-ending lightly me stopping for a traffic light, car changing lanes into me, car backing out of parking stall.

[Otis]

Two times rear-ended. First time was a pasenger in a car stopped on the beltway during rush hour. The second time I was driving on a narrow, twisting two-lane road with very high traffic. The car in front of me stopped short. I jammed on the brakes and stopped short of him. The car behind me skidded to a stop just short of me. The car behind her skidded into her, forcing her car into mine, which was my brand new 1987 Toyota pick-up. So the kid driving that last car got credit for wrecking three cars. I got a new rear bumper out of it.

[kjel]

Two my fault, one involving another car that had a turn signal on and slowing down so I turned out thinking he was going to turn in where I was coming out of (there was no other driveway for 1/2 mile) and he ran into me but it was my fault. The other time I hydroplaned into a concrete barricade, so did the car behind me but not because of me.

Two other people's fault, I was in a major car accident that destroyed my nearly brand new car when we were caught in the middle of a police chase. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured. The criminal did 18 months in jail for the accident itself plus another 3 years for the robbery he was being chased for. I think the insurance company sued him for $50K and he went back to Mexico. The other was when my mom was rear ended by a Corvette, I had a moderate case of whiplash from that one.

[NHPlanner]

Was in an accident just last Friday...insurance company totaled the car today.

[Zoning Goddess]

When I was behind the wheel:

Driving my Mom's brand new car, and we were t-boned by a drunk at 10 a.m., two days shy of my 16th birthday. Mom's car was totalled, I had a broken collarbone and glass imbedded in my face and chest. The drunk had spinal damage. Luckily her young grandson in her car was unhurt.

Senior year of high school, a 90 y.o. woman turned left on a full green when I had the right-of-way coming from the opposite direction. She lost the right rear end of her large sedan, my Chevy Nova had front end damage but was driveable.

The day Anwar Sadat was assassinated: driving thru a parking lot in Tampa, a 22 y.o. guy came flying out of a parking space and took out my front passenger door. His dad showed up and tried to talk me out of reporting the accident (too bad, I'd already called the cops) because his son had cerebral palsy and had had over 20 accidents already, and needed to drive to school.

Since then, 2 minor scrapes in parking lots (one my fault) and one on a freeway ramp (I got the ticket, under protest).

When someone else was driving:

Rear-ended by a roller-derby queen who was then rear-ended by a 16 y.o. who'd gotten her license the day before and was driving her dad's new car, which sent the roller derby queen back into us.

[Salmissra]

1) freshman year of high school. Lady stops on the freeway - dad rear-ended her, and was also rear-ended by the guy behind us. No major injuries. The lady was trying to avoid hitting an animal, but no one else saw the animal.

2) freshman year of college. Roommate's car - two in front seat, one in back. Driving to church in a residential neighborhood. Another car runs the stop sign, trying to keep up with his friends. We T-bone him. The three in their backseat are not wearing seatbelts. Two of them are taken away on stretchers with neck braces. The three of us in the other car are shaken up, but nothing major. He got a ticket for running the stop sign and also obstructing police. We were very lucky that the homeowner on the corner was home and was a nurse - I think she kept the serious injury two from freaking out.

3) after grad school. I'm the second car turning left with an arrow. Lady runs the red light and T-bones me. I bounced off the curb and it spins me around and all my airbags went off. Witnesses all tell police she ran the light, and she gets the ticket. Turns out she bent the frame on a less than 2 year old car. Ins. company totaled it, and I ended up with a POS car because I certainly hadn't planned on making a big purchase!

In all three cases I was wearing my seat belt. Only in the college case was someone not wearing it - the people in the backseat were beltless. Just the memory of the young lady's head stuck in the windshield and not being able to move her is enough to make me buckle up, and I make all my passengers buckle up too!

[HomerJ]

I've only been a passenger in two accidents; one that was a minor parking lot scuff, and on that was a fairly serious head on (so many accidents seem to occur because of the variations between different types of drivers and left-turns).

I believe that I am an average driver, but I have an excellent reaction time because of my days working as a car jockey/inventory manager at a car dealership. Usually with that job I had to be in 2 places at once, and I had to fit cars in very tight spaces with a dozen other people trying to do the same thing. I have been in a number of situations that could have been major accidents, but very often people over compensate to avoid hitting one car and end up hitting another. A lot of times people just hit you too, there really isn't much one can do about that so I guess I've been pretty lucky so far (fingers crossed)

[Richmond Jake]

At some point in the early 2000's, in northern Idaho, I drove a Dodge Durango off a ice and snow cover road striking a tree that stopped me before ending up in a river...no injuries. Wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle was repaired and, in fact, was driveable after it was towed up.

In 1978, I was a passenger in the Corvette of a great friend. Both of us 27 sheets to the wind. Drove off the road and hit a tree. Totaled the 'vette. We both sustained major injuries. If I was wearing a seatbelt in that one, I would have been killed. Fire and what not.


EDIT: In my view of things, I'm the best driver in the world so that makes you all second best. I avoid all of you like the plague.

[Zoning Goddess]

. Fire and what not.

lp is gonna hurt you.

[Planit]

Was in an accident just last Friday...insurance company totaled the car today.

Hope all were okay. Were the boys with you?

[NHPlanner]

Hope all were okay. Were the boys with you?

All were OK. It was just me in the car, on my way home from work. It was my fault, and making matters worse was that the other person involved had just lost her job the day before.

There was over $3500 in damage (from the visual estimate) on my car (I fared far worse than the other vehicle...she just had some minor dents to her bumper), and since my car is older (2004), the insurance company decided to total it. My wife is away on vacation this week (originally her car from before we were married)...so I can't transfer the title and get my $ from insurance until Monday. Not looking forward to having 2 car payments at the same time (we have been able to keep vehicles long enough that we replace vehicles when both are paid off, only having one car payment at any time).

Started researching used cars last night...going to try to keep my monthly payment roughly equal to another loan payment that I'll pay off with part of the $ from insurance.

[Fat Cat]

Two stand out, both were trucks that hit me, one was air borne and landed on top of my car, I saw him coming through the air at me and I went to the floor board and probably saved my life because the car was crushed and I had trouble crawling out. The other was a truck with no brakes that was accellerating and rearended me ( I did see him in the rearview mirror just prior to him hitting and realized that he was going to hit me, but there was nothing that I could do) and the drivers seat broke and I ended up in the back seat, but managed to work my way back to the front seat and get my car under control before it went off the road, my car did hit another car before I got to the front seat and this was lucky because it did give me time to get to the steerring wheel and the brakes,I was doing 55 went he hit me and he told the state police that he wasnt paying attention and was accelerating when he hit me. I was going to a job interview and needless to say I did not make the job interview.