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Reading Gees thread about losing a wing mirror it got me thinking about crashes I’ve been in. The worst crash I was involved in was as a passenger. For many years I worked on building sites as a civil engineer and most of the time someone else was driving the site land rover. On this occasion it was one of the the older guys, I was 21 at the time, who was driving. As we approached the site entrance, off a busy single lane each way road he decided there were no cars coming in the other direction and started to turn into the site. Unfortunately, there was a very obvious car coming in the other direction that smashed into us. I was in the front seat with no seat belt on and bashed my head against the windscreen bursting my head open. I was the only casualty but the young guy driving the other car was absolutely distraught and in pieces but no obvious damage. The old guy driving us was relegated to the back seat after that.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.
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WOW that’s a very sobering recollection from you there @Brydo!
I also used to subscribe to the view that ‘oldies’ might be more comfortable in the back.
I quit subscribing to that view right around the time of my 60th birthday lol.
@Gee I am in my mid-60s and although I am still a very safe driver I know I’m not the driver I was 10 years ago so when I come to a junction I make sure I check each direction at least twice before moving lol.
My neighbour and his wife are 87 and a very sprightly couple indeed but he ran into the back of a stationary car a few months ago and although they were not seriously hurt they have given up driving but more disturbingly she has not ventured out since ?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Hi again @Brydo!
If any good can come out of my ‘incident’ yesterday it’ll be that in future i’ll be extra careful when driving.
“but more disturbingly she has not ventured out since”
Oh that is incredibly sad, even heart breaking.
Kind Regards ?
I’ve only had two car accidents, one in 1996 where I was approaching a junction on my commute, old car in front started to move off, so, seeing as he was moving already I didn’t slow down much, checking the road I was going onto was clear, looked back and he had stalled…eek. Slam on brakes and my Carlton shunted him across the road. Luckily I was hard braking, so he had a dent in his bumper, I had a corresponding dent on the top of my bonnet! He reckoned he wasn’t bothered given the old car and small dent and didn’t want to claim, so I had my car fixed at a garage only for him to claim anyway.
Second one was a 10 ton truck rear ended me in 2006 at a roundabout, he was on his phone. He tried to say he did not hit me, my car was already damaged etc…lucky for me a policeman was watching the whole thing from the pavement & came and took statements, so that didn’t get him very far.
Worst of all was doing 80+ on my motorcycle at midnight in December on a dual carriageway back in 1987, hit black ice on a bend and went into the armco. Very luckily was thrown nearly 70 yards into a farmers field. I broke my foot, fractured my rotator cuff on my left side, damaged my neck and have a lovely 6″ jagged scar on my back from a rock as my jacket rode up to my armpits. Lots of pin holes all over from straw (it even punctured my leather jacket). Bike ran up the armco, peeled off then went up the road on the other side. Front wheel was snapped, petrol tank was the size of a grapefruit and the battery was shattered – which was amazing as it sat under the seat between the frame rails. Needless to say it was a write-off. Police turned up as I was dragging the bike off the road (didn’t want someone to have an accident hitting it), breathalysed me (all clear) and took me home. I woke in agony a few hours later and went to A&E for the above injuries.
I learnt why you should always wear a full face helmet as I had a massive score from chin to top of the helmet, right up the middle of the visor too.
Went to see it the next day, hobbling about with the biggest bruises all over than I’ve ever seen on anyone. Stopped at the local bike shop and told them they could have the V5 if they picked it up. They had seen it that morning and could not believe I was walking the next day. I still get shoulder and neck issues and I can make a fab clicky sound by raising my left arm…lol.
My mum thought I’d give up motorcycling after that, but no, I bought a bigger, more powerful bike a few weeks later…then carried on riding them for decades with no more accidents.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.
A thoroughly good read thank you ?
Ex wife had 4 accidents in her first year driving, followed by many more over the 5 years she drove, finally stopped driving after writing her car off by hitting a parked car on a 2 lane road where you can get 4 cars abreast and the parked cars as well without issue. Sitting in the passenger seat was terrifying, the normal rules of the road, lane discipline etc were thrown out the window.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.
Crikey i shouldn’t laugh but in a strange kinda way that’s a proper rib-tickler of a story.
I remember being the passenger going with a friend to pick up his new (second hand) MGBGT in dashing maroon. On the drive back he decided to show off a little, needless to say the back end flipped out and his limited driving skills led us to slide back and forth across the road as he tried to regain control to no avail – Smash! Side on into a lampost. I thought it was amazing and exhilarating, him not so. Our friendship cooled after that.
On another occasion, a friend had just bought his 1.3 litre yellow Capri, very second hand. He picked me up and we went for a drive, we hit a hill in forth gear and eventually got to the top in a screaming first gear. He was a little crushed. On the way home going around the roundabout the door flew open and I fell out (pre seat belt laws). Being young I bounced unharmed to the side of the road and we carried on home with me holding the door closed.
My absolute favourite was sitting in the back of an old morris marina, five up going to get lunch as a young apprentice. The chap in the passenger seat said ‘have you got any music to put on?’ ‘Cassettes are in the glove box came the reply’ , which was locked. The driver removed the keys from the ignition (to this day I don’t know how he was able to do this – must have turned the engine off, my memory fails when fear enters) and pass them to the passenger to unlock the glovebox. the three of us in the back realised what was about to happen and started screaming, ‘give him the keys back’ Too Late. The ‘click’ of the steering locking as we were poodling along the dual carriageway still haunts me as much as the screams of the driver trying to get the keys back in the ignition and free the lock. Needless to say we hit the curb and then the wall. All escaped uninjured.
I miss being young.
2 accidents, neither my fault I’ll add!!
woman in car on her phone therefore not looking. I was stationary and she walloped me into the car in front. Had my 3008 written off after having to be cut free due to extreme pain in my neck and spine
other time, a woman pulled through a parking space and hit me side on. She was smoking and had some kind of rat dog on her lap while driving…….
@Abercol they say exes are exes for a reason lol
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.@wmcforum best yet! Certainly give me the giggles reading your comment.
@Amanda I see a trend here and it’s women drivers lol. someone shoot me before I get the expected/deserved?abuse ?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.@Amanda I see a trend here and it’s women drivers lol. someone shoot me before I get the expected/deserved?abuse
Ooooh Brydo, have you a death wish lol. Its something I think but not never brave enough to say ??
Only two major accidents and as above neither were my fault!
2007 I was coming round a large roundabout and a lady coming from a side road (quite near where I live now!) shot ot without looking. Luckily I saw her and turned into the right lane but she still took the passenger side off my C-Max and wrote it off. Apart from whiplash I have left shoulder damage, a cracked shoulder blade and torn rotator cuff both of which still give me pain and reduced fuction.
2020 (on my birthday!) I was traveling along a 40mph single carriageway, cars in front and behind. Coming round a right bend I saw the driver of a large Transit van jump out of the door leaving the van coming over the carriageway and stright into my Yeti, no way to avoid it as there was a metal guard rail alnong the side of the road stopping me swerving left. Last thing I remembered was thinking he’s going to hit me then woke up with all the air bags having gone off and the Transit jammed into my drivers door!. Had to get the fire brigade to cut me out, very luckily no broken bones etc. but told I had Atrial Fibrilation in the ambulance and at hospital and sent home with no medication. Saw my practice nurse a couple of months later for a diabetic check, when she did my foot pulse she called a doctor in who put me on blood thinners as I could have had a stroke at any time!
Insurance claim is still dragging on after over 3 years, I still have AF, saw a heart consultant in January this year who monitored me and found my pulse was between 111 and 197!. After almost 3 years of being untreated it’s damaged my right ventricle and a valve. Been on Beta blockers and an ACE inhibitor for the last 8 months getting the dosage sorted, currently on the max of both and seeing the wonderfully named “Heart Failure Team” again this Thursday.
Also found out in January (after finally seeing a neurologist) I have a clot or plaque lodged in the left side my cerebellum from having a stroke while I was unconcious after the accident. This causes me to have poor spatial awareness and coordination on my right side, some memory problems as well. I mis-type things, misjudge doorways, washing machine door openings etc. and am constantly walking into things, banging my right side off doorways etc. and hitting my right hand or leg/knee off things walking past them.
Please excuse spelling/typos. Apart from being a clot it turns out I had one on my cerebellum that's now causing various problems!
Well this is a cheery topic!??
However, last weekend I took my daughter to Silverstone for a single seater driving experience. It was a fantastic experience, except my daughter got the fastest lap, and then I crashed the car…?️
My worst experience somehow resulted in a minor accident.
I was driving at night down the middle of a 2 way road. Lots of parked cars both sides but plenty of room. I was going about 80mph (40 speed limit). In fairness I was driving a company car – a 5 series BMW making lots of noise with lots of lights flashing.
With no signal or lights on a drink driver pulled out from a parking spot on the near side and did a U turn in front of me. She then stopped in front of me upon seeing me barrelling towards her.
Miraculously I swerved round her but in the process clipped a kerb and burst a tyre. By far my most frightening experience whilst driving and a very close call. Of note it transpired she was more than two times over the drink drive limit and she was subsequently convicted for drunk drive.
On the subject of near misses I was travelling along the M8 towards Glasgow and from the distance I could see a tyre, that had come off an artic, heading towards me. The motorway was very busy with cars in all lanes so no where to go, I slowed down as much as I could and the tyre, heading straight at me, bounced over my car and smashed into the roof/windscreen of the car behind me. Luckily the guy was ok but it was a frightening experience where I could see the accident happening but could do little to stop it.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.From the worn-out cars I had back in the day and with cars just being, well crap, it was common for keys and ignition barrels to wear out so much you could take the keys out without turning the engine off. ?
Had the old loose wheel off a lorry wondering down the third lane of the M5 at Exeter many years ago, I was in a Mini van and the wheel was towering above me as I came to an almost stop when the wheel wobbling away suddenly turned towards the central barrier were it came to a rest upright on the barrier awaiting recovery.
Personally my crashes have been run of the mill stuff with the likes of being rear ended twice in my Motability car and once before MB in my own car where I rear ended someone else but couldn’t of happened to a nicer guy, you know the type that stops for no reason other than to give a woman driver a piece of his mind when he wouldn’t say a thing had it been a man causing the none event obstruction in front of us.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>12th January 2001 I was returning from night shift on a motorbike when it seized and sent me into front drivers side of a Vauxhall Belmont. I would have been doing about 50mph on A10 and he would have been about the same, maybe a bit more so initial 100mph impact didn’t do me any favours but somehow my leg got caught in his wheel arch so rapid change of direction and dragged up the road in the opposite direction.</p>
Somehow made it to hospital still kicking (just) and following 7 hours in theatre, 17 pints of blood, smashed pelvis amongst numerous other bones, internal bleeding all over the place and fractured neck, right leg what was left removed and in a coma for 7 days.Then became a MB customer.
Gary that’s horrendous, you must be some fighter to come through that ?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Apparently so 😕 both consultants said they had no idea how I survived.
2 years after met my partner and we’ve been together 20+ years. Never been happier, obviously I’d prefer not to have the disability but it is what it is and you have to get on with it.
However; on 4 wheels I’m unscathed apart from spinning a Morris Marina on a icy back road.
@Gary V that’s brilliant there’s nothing like having a partner by your side who makes you happy.
Are you able to get about ok or do your injuries limit you?
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.@Gary V
The things we have to do to get a Motability car eh, and the Daily Mail makes out its so easy. ??
@Brydo – get about reasonably well, use chair now as have deteriorated over the years due to damaged spinal cord but went back to work after about 18 months but changed career to work in special needs area but recently took slightly early retirement because me and the misses decided life’s too short and so many places we want to see while we still can.
@ChrisK – only way I was gonna get a sparkly new BMW ✨️ ?Not actually myself but a close call as I found out later.
Back in around 1988 coming home from seeing the Blackpool illuminations. Driving back to Stockport on the M6 just passed the Preston junction, time around 12:30am, my 2 sons, 4 and 7 my wife and mother in law. I thought no use rushing as it easy already late so doing about 65mph, weather was cold but dry. The motorway was deserted, then I there was a car behind me but in the outside lane, doing around 70 next second he did a 90 degree left turn about 50 to 70 yards in front of me, he slammed into a bridge parapet and the car did backward somersaults till it landed on its roof on the central reservation.
I stopped on the hard shoulder, my ran towards the car as she saw a girl wandering around in a daze. I ran towards the emergency phone (before mobiles). Within minutes the motorway from being empty was now solid, minutes later the emergency services arrived asked us what we had seen, after that they allowed us to go although all the other traffic was stuck there for a long time.
The police came to the house midweek to take statements from my wife and me. They told us what had happened, all 4 occupants had been thrown out of the car, none had had seat belts on, one girl had instantly the driver had to be resuscitated numerous times on the way to the hospital.
The frightening thing the police told us from further investigations they found the driver had collided with the central barrier a few times before coming passed us, if we had been going any faster or slower he might of collected us on one of his excursions. Frightening to think.
For the record the driver hadn’t been drinking or found to have taken any drugs. I think that they had all fallen asleep.
At the inquest we were told the driver had been to Blackpool the night before and had been driving all day in is job and then went again to Blackpool with his girlfriend and another couple. The car was only 2 weeks old and the police said that before the accident, as far as they could tell there was no faults with it.
Sorry for the long item but to think that if they had been wearing seat belts they all might have survived.
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