ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Skid - thump - smash - tingle.

I've heard that sound before...but never had I been the one to run into someone (or something)

So now, at 25, my thoughts of cheaper insurance are out the window, as are my 8 years no claims.

What did I do? I drove into the back of someone who was stationary in traffic. Somehow I percived him as still moving and not stationary, that judgement of his speed came apparent on my fast approach to his boot (although I was travelling at just under 30mph). Perhaps that momentary glance at the fit bird walking down the road may have distracted me slightly, or maybe the sun shining on the back of the cars so it was difficult to see the brake lights, may have been some diesel on the roads, I can't honestly say.

Wet road, ABS kicked in, refused to slow down the car, central island thing in the middle of the road so can't go round him. Even pulled the handbrake when I *knew* I was going to hit him to try and get the rears to do some work...as obviously the fronts didn't want to know.

Result: mashed bumper on his car, scuffs on the boot, the vehicle I was driving was worse for wear, headlamp, foglamp, bumper bonnet, grill, not pretty. To cap it off the first words from the woman in the passenger was "my neck hurts" Yeah right lady, if you suffered trauma to the neck you don't get it immediately...you get it 24hours later when the nerves get inflamed...I should know - I've been there before.

Hindsight: Pay more attention, and next time aim for the central reservation...a kerbed alloy, bent lower and bumper scuff from the bollard I've taken out would cost me far far far less

Oh and make sure the car I'm driving only has Michelin tyres fitted.

Statistically, the younger the driver the more likely they are to have an accident....with me however it looked like the older I get, the more likely I am to have an accident

I know **** happens, and I have to stand up and take lessons from life. But it sometimes just really sucks

If anyone needs me, I'll be in muppets finsihing off my bottle of Jack Danials.

SiDHEaD

Bad luck matey

You wont be saying bye to 8yrs NCB, it's usually just 2 yrs.

andrewdelvard

Sorry to hear that. But all the same...Perfect reason/excuse to find the extra dough to get an even better car. You know you are worth it

D.K.1

Sorry to hear this Ali ! I hope you weren't hurt in any way !

Dazza01

Chin up Ali m8,

i had a ding dong back in April, my fault and all that, got my renewal papers thru last week.........gone up £56

so finish ur bottle and dry ur eyes m8, it may not be as bad as you think

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Cheers for the sympathy guys

All that's hurt is my pride.

Even more so when the lads find out.

tiggers

Ali-B,

Would you have been any better off in an X5?

Chin up mate.

tiggers

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

LOL, Well, I suppose if I did do an envasive manouver over the central reservation, at least I would have to worry about kerbing an alloy

Doubt an X5 would make me pay more attention to my driving though

Manda_po

And the Muppets.

Markus

If you have/had protected no claims then you should not lose much come premium renewal time. I was *cough* a named driver *cough* on two of my "fathers" cars when I was a lad and wrote both of them off, don't recall it making that much of a difference to the policy (and I paid the policy at the time).

MadGrip

mite sound a bit silly, but I read ages ago of a similar incident where eventually it was the long legged short skirted womens fault.. she was done in court for being "an attractive distraction/menace" not sure if it would stand up, but you never know

[]flame suit on[/]

Phil

Spoon

Not true though, the pain can be instant.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I hit a Mondeo a few weeks back, jibbed across the East Lancs to catch the lights and the Mondeo just stopped, turns out he was visiting the shop on the junction, no indication and jams on and I anchor up an just catch the back of him, luckily I was driving my brothers car ! an old Rover 214 and even more happily he is in Peru for several months !

Anyway, I was taking an ungrateful little **** of a trainee to look at a car as a favour, didnt even get me a few beers are a thank you or anything.

Car was fixed for 30 quid, parts from breakers but the bonnet is still a little dented, the Mondeo driver claimed against my insurance as it was a rental car but hardly damamed, luckily I have protected no claims but it was my pride that was hurt most, 15 accident free years and quite a few thousand miles.

Can recommend Tesco's, have been very helpful throughout.

Leslie

Sorry to hear about that Ali, it can happen so quickly on a damp road, one of the time ABS doesn't help too. I got caught out once on a slippery road when the brake lights were failed on the car ahead. Luckily it was a slower speed in traffic and little damage. He backed off claiming anyway because he was not insured!

Les

CrisPDuk

You can get pills for that these days

Brendan Hughes

Wife drove me home last night. Three lane A-road, we're in the middle. Someone pulls into it from a side road, she (as usual) instinctively swerves into the outside lane to avoid them - despite the fact that their nose barely registered in the middle lane as they were turning slowly on full lock.

As she swerves, someone else comes rushing up the outside lane and overtakes.

We missed each other by millimetres.

My loud outburst of "DON'T F#"%KING SWERVE!" cost me any company for the rest of the evening.

OllyK

My g/f is a bugger for crap lane discipline as well, have cursed her a few times as well

judgejules

Ali,

Happened to me a year or so ago. Up to that point I always thought "how do people run into the back of someone at a roundabout"...

I was behind said Micra, waiting for him to pull out onto the roundabout. He pulled off so I start looking right. I see a spot coming around and its a bugger of a roundabout so I crank up some revs and launch. As my eyes follow the rear of the car Im going to slot in behind, whats in front of me... the bloomin Micra! He's only gone and stopped half on/off the roundabout as he missed his spot, but I've got enough speed from my launch to totally mash the front of my car and push him into the roundabout... where he should have been a long time ago

Luckily I had a few mates in the car to go and see to the Micro guy as I was in a bit of shock. I could have sworn blind that it was clear in front of me... and if the Micra hadnt pulled out on me about 5 mins earlier and almost caused me to emergency stop, it would have all been ok.

Heh, luckily I have no claims protection on my insurance... however I've found that it has kept my premiums from dropping... which seems like a crock to me.

Jules

PS. Dont cut me up, you might just "get it" at the next roundabout

davegtt

lmao, Judgejules, happened to me loads of times, cars roll off onto the roundabout so I dissmiss them as pulled off and I look for my spot, off I go and there still there, luckily Ive not "launched" onto the roundabout and was always able to stop in time (just in many occasions)

SiDHEaD

I always wondered how people managed to ram into the back of people on the motorway. Until it happened to me. It doesn't matter that you aren't tailgating, if some ***** jumps in your lane going 1/2 your speed and you don't notice quick enough

Nexuas

I know excatly how you feel. I am 24 and 1/2, have full no claims from the day I passed my test, have never had contact with another car on the road.

Last saturday, driving along dual carriagway in right hand lane, porsche in left hand lane (Driver clearly talking on hand held mobile) car pulled up on left, porsche pulls accross towards my lane without looking, I stick hand on horn to wake him up, he keeps coming, I brake, rear quarter of his car hits my front wing. Result. One mashed alloy, one dented wing and a HUGE scrape up the side of the front bumper.

He then gets out claiming I am going have to pay for that, no quite sure how it could be my fault, but there you go... he then gets really angery and threatens to "really loose his rag with me" We exchange details and I phone insurance company etc... just waiting to see how it goes. I have protected no claims, but it is not my fault so why should I have to pay?

Brendan Hughes

I think if you tell your ins co about the mobile, they (or someone) can check with his service provider and almost prove he was on the phone.

dpb

If you really were doin 30 , its lucky everybody concerned is okay . .I ran into somone at bout 7 and did 3.5 k worth damage ta his back end - he didnt shift off when i expected him to (looking over shoulder to check for oncoming traffic) .