I crashed, you can all laugh at me now.

Soldato
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3 Nov 2003
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Southampton
Yes I crashed and it is partly my fault and panic can get the most of you.

Short story is, im over taking someone guy comes flying up fullbeams me. I pull in once I have overtaken he pulls right in front of me. I give him a little flash as I aint happy, nothing major just a quick flick. He puts his fogs on then slams his brakes on.

I lock up :o hit his bumper then do a 360 or 720 down the motorway at 70 and come to a stop. By now hes out of sight. :confused:

I check the car over and the bumper is knocked back and my side lights smashed.

I make my way down the motorway and finally see this Golf half pulled over with hazards on. I get out make a phone call and walk over to the car. It then started driving away.

Finally the opened the window and said they phoned the police, ok fair enough I just waited till they came. They did, took my story and breathalised me. Passed it as my last drink was prob a month ago.

They said they were not going to do me for anything. I asked if I should get some photo's and they said that would be ok, and if they did try to claim for anything more than the busted bumper they would say there was no other damage.

I only got a pic of my car as they drove off while I was taking the pic. Started walking back to my car, it was dark and I nearly knocked my self out by smashing my head on a road sign. :o

The officer also told me a fatal accident had happened not to long ago on the same road where I driver spun his car off the road into the ditch. :(

I am a little shaken up and trying to take the pic off my phone onto my pc took a little while.

A lesson learned.
 
Soldato
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L0rdMike said:
I only got a pic of my car as they drove off while I was taking the pic. Started walking back to my car, it was dark and I nearly knocked my self out by smashing my head on a road sign. :o

A lesson learned.

Sorry to hear about the crash :(

I just pictured banging head on sign that made me LOL :D
 
Soldato
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Hampshire
Gutting :(

I suppose these thing happen though and its one of them things being a driver! Its just a good thing it wasn't a different story and you are still alive to post this thread!

I hope the insurance sort it all out and you don't lose your NCB.
 
Soldato
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Up north in Sunderland
so you goto over take a car on the motorway? guessing you didnt cut up the guy on the outside lane.. he come speeding up behind you will full beams on? so you pull in at first chance? and he pulls right infront of you? how close did he pull into you?

then after some light flashing he slams on his brakes?... or have i got that wrong?

as he sounds like a maniac if thats the way it went..

who called the police?

if ive understood it.. tbh i wouldnt really say you were at fault... its one thing leaving braking distance but someone pulling infront of you then slaming on really aint that much your fault...

crazy

hope ya heads ok lol

them signs can be dangerous ;)
 
Soldato
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8 Aug 2003
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Cambridge(ish)
Glad you're OK. Cars can be fixed, people can't.


When your car is fixed you may want to consider some driver training. Practicing hard braking and spin control in a safe environment can pay dividends when you're faced with a difficult situation on the road.
 
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Soldato
OP
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Southampton
I was overtaking someone and he comes flying up behind me and fullbeams me, I cant move over as a car in next to me. I pull over when its safe. He cuts me up and fogs me and just slams his brakes on.

I did give him a little flash so a little road rage from me, I accept that.

Maybe he wanted me to crash into him, I have no idea why you would just slam ya breaks on after you have just pulled right in on someone.

I dont think my girly ahhhhhhh as I nearly fall flat on the foor helped either. The office ask if I was ok but must have thought it was funny. :(

They called the police and I waited for them to arrive.
 
Soldato
OP
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I got some documents from the police that tell me who they are who they are insured with and the reg number. The damage to the Golf was just a cracked bumper, while mine caved in.

Yeah something needs to be done about no having no abs on my car. If I had it then the whole thing might not of happened. :(
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Apr 2004
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19,807
L0rdMike said:
Yeah something needs to be done about no having no abs on my car.

You could learn how to cadence brake :) I've had a few near misses and I truly believe candance braking has stopped me from hitting the car in front.

Anyway, really sorry to hear about the crash Mike, but it doesn't sound as though you were at fault at all. The driver of the golf sounds like a retard! I've had some idiot so that to me in a Focus before. Some people just really shouldn't be on the roads.
 
Associate
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3 Dec 2003
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Surrey
L0rdMike, I've had two similar situations happen to me in my 10 years of driving - luckily neither of which resulted in an accident.

1. Driving along where another road merges into the one I was on, a silver BMW with the driver holding a phone to his ear almost pushes me off as he merges because he is tailgating the car in front of him and doesn't look into the road he is joining. I follow him until the road splits into a dual carriageway. Thinking that he is a bit impatient with the car in front of him, I stay in the left lane and wait for him to overtake the car he is up the bottom of. After about 1/2 mile, he hasn't so I go for the overtake of them both. Just as I am about to get along side him he pulls straight in front of me causing me to brake hard. I did the same thing as you and blipped the lights to say 'I'm here' (while braking) and he jams his brakes on. How I didn't hit him I will never know as I was going a bit faster than him when he pulled out (ah, the joys of overtaking with a turbocharged car).

2. Going round the M25 in heavy traffic. I was in the outside lane doing about 70 in queue of cars - the traffic was such that all 3 lanes were going about the same speed bumber to bumber. The car behind be cuts left 2 lanes, undertakes a few people, then cuts right 2 lanes back into the outside lane infront of me almost taking my front bumber off in the process. Again, I give a quick flash of the lights (this is in daylight) and he plants his foot on the brake. I locked up all four wheels in the process, but again somehow avoided hitting him. I remember feeling a bit shaken up and then looking into the rear view mirror and thinking 'OK, maybe I'm not as shaken up as the driver of the transit behind me with the look of terror on his face'.

I have no idea what makes people do this on the road, but with experience have got better of spotting the 'tells' of a loony on the road and just give them a wide berth. Hopefully, you will have learnt that if someone comes flying up your back side with full beams on and then cuts in front of you to just back off and let them go.

Although possibly an avoidable situatuion, I would not say that this is your fault, and that the police should possibly be thinking about booking the other driver for dangerous driving (or similar). Although keeping a safe distance from cars in front is your responsibility, you have no control over people pulling in front of you. I suggest that you make this point very strongly to your insurance company.
 
Man of Honour
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Екатеринбург
It happens to the best of us and my advice to you is to take the best out of it and write it off to experience. You'll be a better driver for it. It's true what they say, you learn better from your mistakes. I've been involved in 3 RTA's one of which was partly my fault and one of which (quite major) was on a motorcycle. If anything I am now a much better driver than I once was because of the accidents. I learnt my lessons the hard way but I'll not make the mistake again.

If you come out of it a better driver, even though you might have a bent bumper, it's a positive experience IMO.

Just for your reference, I notice you say the occupants of the other car couldn't speak English very well. It's a long shot but recently a lot of Eastern Europeans have moved to my part of Northern Ireland and are bringing their cars with them. Recently they have been going out in their ancient cars which are insured in Latvia for pennies, putting 4 guys in the car and purposely slapping the brakees on to get people to rear end them so they can put in 4 whiplash claims. They've did it so often that the police are now aware but consider it a possibility in this case. It's a long shot as I say but definitely worth a though.

Good luck :)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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5,312
Scuzi said:
If you come out of it a better driver, even though you might have a bent bumper, it's a positive experience IMO.

I have to agree with Scuzi, driving is a constant learning experience. Glad you are ok.

ABS could well have helped you out. I spoke to a Police driving instructor who told me that there are pursuit drivers who have been taught cadence braking, practice it lots (on the basis of they may drive a car without it) yet in a real situation where they had to brake it went out of the window. ABS can't be replicated by many people...take a lot of skill. I even saw a guy cadence brake on a skid pan and the ABS'd car outbraked it easily without losing all steering control.
 
Caporegime
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21 Oct 2002
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Here
agw_01 said:
You could learn how to cadence brake :) I've had a few near misses and I truly believe candance braking has stopped me from hitting the car in front.

Noooooooooooooo not the ABS vs cadence can of worms :p

Sorry to hear of your crash :( At least it's only the front bumper :) As you say could have been a lot worse.
 
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