Anxious and upset over driving error

It’s not about being a perfect driver, everybody makes mistakes, but minimising this mistake doesn’t help anybody. It could easily have caused an accident, the other car could also have been an exhausted mum with a baby in the back who got the shock of her life at feeling as if they were seconds away from harm. Has she behaved well- no. But OP did make more than a small mistake here, she got lucky that it wasn’t worse.

As someone who’s had the hospital phone call twice for family members due to careless drivers, minimising cutting someone up on a roundabout as a small mistake is a joke. Acknowledge it was bad, it could have been worse, and be better, but don’t minimise it to make it seem like a small little woopsy.

This. And the other person was a total dick.

She's a rotten bitch. Mistakes happen, don't beat yourself up about it.

Are you honestly saying you've never made a mistake and had a near miss when driving?

Your experience says far more about the other driver, than it does your mistake.
Even the best drivers make mistakes, be kind to yourself x

Oh ffs what a clown she is.

I see driving mistakes like this everyday.

Her reaction was extreme road rage and you could really report it to the police so she's got some nerve taking photographs of your car!

Yours was an error, hers is bad behaviour. Don't worry about it.

The thing is, yours was an honest mistake but the other driver deliberately chose to drive dangerously! Think no more about it - but if you are seriously lacking sleep and feel very tired don't drive.

She possibly misinterpreted your "sorry" hand gestures as a "wtf are you doing?" and you calling her out as if she nearly pulled into you rather than you nearly pulled into her. If she was shaken up especially.

Still doesn't excuse her driving like a dick. Even if she was trying to warn you to drive more considerately. because dangerous driving and seeing someone has a baby with them is worrying.

The photo may have been as "evidence" should you then cause an accident later so she could remember you/the car if she saw anything about it

You were both unreasonable tbh.

I can understand how upset you are OP - big hugs. It’s the last thing you needed.
Recently I was driving down a country road that I’ve used daily for the last 30 years. I know I have right of way when the road narrows ( there’s a give way sign and white lines for the oncoming traffic). I was in a good mood and all of a sudden this woman on the approaching lane, ignored the white line and sign telling her to give way and completely boxed me in and asked me to wind my window down and she had a massive go at me shouting and screaming that . she had right of way. I was very polite and told her I knew the road like the back of my hand but she wouldn’t calm down. The incident just ruined my day. I know it shouldn’t but I got so upset she was so utterly vile to me.
There is no way the other driver should have been so aggressive OP x

She could see your baby in the car, which is probably another reason why she was so angry. You were totally reckless.

If exhausted shouldn't really be driving but done get if someone had made a huge mistake or not driving that great your reaction would then to be to drive close to them. Surely you'd give yourself as much space as you can! Know people react differently but even so...risky

Yeah I think a few things come to mind. The first is that if you are that exhausted and not able to drive safely you shouldn’t be driving. It’s not safe for you, your children or others in the road. We’ve all been there with kids and exhaustion but making good choices sometimes means making ones we don’t want to.

You may have made a mistake and that happens but consider if it was reverse and you badly cut off someone with a small child in the car who had to break really hard to avoid you. Now her kid is crying, she is upset and feeling really worried. And now she’s scared.

Her reaction in this instance was uncalled for and unacceptable but unfortunately actions sometimes have consequences. Yeah she overreacted but if it were the other way around how would you feel?

There are no winners here nor is anyone covered in glory. Your description of how you are feeling and what happened makes it seem you are in a very emotional spot and not thinking rationally (still not excusing the other woman’s behaviour).

She pulled out on someone on a roundabout, and has admitted herself that her driving was careless as she was too tired to be driving.

That's not a very helpful comment. OP did not cause an accident and there is no indication one was likely. She missed someone's signal. Are you the woman who took the photo by any chance?

I'm so sorry this happened. Some drivers are bloody ignorant. Forget about it, there is nothing that can happen, cutting someone up is rude (and could be dangerous sometimes) but not illegal.

You made a mistake and the other driver reacted very badly which was understandably upsetting. But you need to understand had you caused an accident the insurance companies and police wouldn't give a shiny shit about your personal circumstances, except to view it very dimly. You just need to accept you made a mistake (god knows we've all done it) and not attempt to minimise it. If you are ever too tired to drive again you need to recognise this and not drive. I had a car written off by a driver who had 101 reasons why she didn't see me. It was terrifying, I had 3 kids in the car and quite frankly I did not care what had caused her to drive into the side of me (and neither did the insurance or police).

Everyone makes mistakes! When I was a new teenage driver in 2003 I pulled out of a driveway in heavy fog and then drove back in quickly when I realised a car coming down the road was closer than I thought. They stopped in front of me, wound down the window and both shouted and swore at me (middle aged couple in nice car as it happens, so I was shocked). All those years ago I still feel rubbish remembering it. I also followed my satnav the wrong way down a 1 way street past 2 police officers! They were looking in peoples front gardens and ignored me, but I burst into tears! Be gentle with yourself, young kids are HARD work, it gets better x

Clearly the other driver is absolutely perfect and has never ever made a mistake in her whole entire life!!!

I know it's so much easier said than done but please try not to torture yourself about this. As another poster said, one driver was being a dick but that was not you. Everybody makes mistakes, no matter how careful they are. It's awful when you pride yourself on being careful. You know you're not a dick and meant no harm at all.

I also pride myself on being considerate and careful but I unintentionally pissed off someone as I was stepping off a train recently. She had been still getting her luggage off the train but I was exhausted, wasn't really looking in her direction and stepped out of the door before she'd got both massive cases out. She said I was incredibly rude, I tried to apologise (more than once), she ignored me and stormed off. People forget we're only human and not out to get them.

She won’t do anything with the photo because it will incriminate her for using a phone whilst driving. Her over reaction is more of an issue. Flying into a blind rage because someone wasn’t perfect is a big reason why so many drivers don’t deserve their licences. Would love to see regular check up tests, at least for those accruing points on their licence.

Jesus, I didn't say it was the right thing to do just that some people react to near misses aggressively.

It’s funny because if someone does something like cut me up, I feel myself getting frustrated, but when they apologise, my heart weirdly melts and I feel all guilty 😅

Just ignore her OP. We all make mistakes and you held your hand up and admitted yours. We are but human, after all.

I say this with kindness but you should not be driving in that condition.

The other driver an absolute a hole and not worth giving a second thought to.

Was the twat driver still driving whilst taking a photo on her phone? I’d be reporting her for that!

no kicking, but I wouldn't drive if you are feeling exhausted as it can lead to errors of judgement.

secondly, get a dashcam, if you had one then her aggressive behaviour would be recorded, so if she reported you for anything, you would have evidence of the incident and her aggression.