Thanking my lucky stars.... near miss. So shaken!

[Flyingfish111]

This morning myself and my partner were driving on an A Road (60mph limit) when I looked up and right infront of us, head on, was another vehicle speeding on our side of the road.

They were trying to overtake a car pulling a caravan but in a 1 litre car and struggled to overtake them and therefore remained on our side of the road trying to pick up pace.

Even typing this makes me shudder... my partner was driving and braked but for 3 seconds it was like I had accepted that we were going to be killed and put my head down preparing for the collision.

Thankfully the car, with a second to spare pulled in with a tight swerve and myself and dp were left shaking. I'm still not quite over it and physically feel sick and weak. Sounds strange but driving home, it actually felt surreal to still be alive... I still have so much to live for and I am thanking my lucky stars so much that the outcome was a positive one.

I am not quite sure why I am posting, I suppose for a bit of an emotional outlet and some further encouragement for drivers to please not take a risk when overtaking and to ensure any manoeuvres are done as safely as possible.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

I actually don't want to get back in the car tomorrow, but we live in a rural area, i don't have much of a choice !

I have a 1 litre. I don’t overtake. It’s stupid and you must be feeling shocked. But you’re ok. Nothing bad happened in the end, so have a big glass of wine and try to chill. It feels horrible when something like this happens so totally understand that you’re shaken up

Very glad you're ok! I felt similar after a near miss in my car and for months afterwards whenever I passed the spot I would become very anxious. It's a horrible experience, hope you manage to relax tonight

My 18 year old cousin died like this. I was 16 at the time and close to him. It was entirely his fault. He was driving like a dick. The whole family never recovered.

Glad you’re ok OP and thank you for sharing to make others more conscious of their overtaking behaviour.

Oh my goodness you poor thing! It really shakes you doesn't it.

Yep, I was driving down the M4 late at night, middle lane and the car in the outside lane a few cars ahead blew a tire. It swerved across three lanes, then back again, then ended up facing me in the middle lane. There were cars on either side of me, all doing National speed limit and I had nowhere to go but straight into the car. At the last second, the car on the inside lane drove on to the hard shoulder, I pulled over to my left and the two of us passed through to the left of the car. How no one hit anyone else I don't know. Just thankful it was late and fewer cars...

Absolutely terrifying. I hope you get your confidence back soon!

I haven't had that in a car but I did have an experience where I thought I was going to die and I really did have that "life flash before your eyes" moment and all kinds of daft thoughts going through my head. It's very surreal!

I had a near miss like this the other day, and have been suffering panic attacks the last few days as a result. I was driving alone to work down the country roads where I live, when a police car that must have been travelling in excess of 90mph (60mph limit but quite a narrow road albeit a dual track road, I don't get over 40) came flying round the corner on the wrong side of the road chasing another vehicle. I had to break extremely hard and swerve into the edge of the road to avoid being hit. If I hadn't reacted as quickly as I did, it would have almost certainly hit me. Despite being in a huge, very safe Range Rover, I have never felt so vulnerable in nearly 10 years of driving.

I was in a similar situation except we crashed. Thanks to excellent defensive driving by my friend the crash wasn't head on but our car was totalled. The other driver lost control - later found out he was drunk.

Just want to say take it easy on yourself and be aware you may be shaken for some time. I was very scared for a long time, both of driving and being a passenger, but I am okay now (several years later) as a passenger and I think it's made me a much better (defensive) driver - I always assume that other drivers are idiots and drive my own car accordingly, eg that someone may continue even if indicating, or manoeuvre even if they aren't indicating. I check my mirrors religiously.

Sending you some unmumsnetty hugs OP.

I have a 1.6 petrol and I rarely overtake as there’s just no go in my car. Must have been terrifying for you, got the old adrenaline going for sure.

Thank you for your kind words, it does feel surreal, even now, I can't help but thinking what if..

As I arrived home parking on my drive, i thought, that could have been the last time I ever saw my home, my family, my friends, my dog, its such a strange feeling.

Its crazy that a moment of madness or thoughtfulness can lead to such a horrific outcome. The roads scare me.. I honestly wish more could be done to promote road safety. Its not actually the first time that has happened to me but I do hope it's the last. Its been a while since I've taken my driving test, so I may not be up to date, but I wish more could be done to highlight the real risks of driving unsafely. Overtaking shaves about 3 seconds of your driving, usually you see the same car infront of you down the road stopped at a red light and you think, that hasn't got you very far!

I had a near miss when I was driving down the A1 overtaking a lorry. A car was coming head on for me the wrong way up the southbound carriageway. DS2 was in the car and we’d just come back from holiday so for a split second I thought I was in the wrong. I really thought we were going to die. Fortunately there was a space with just enough room for the driver to pull into by the barriers. DS2 phoned the police, they said they’d had lots of reports but without a registration number they couldn’t do anything.

Another night DH was driving me home from hospital on a dual carriageway when a car turned right out of a side road but instead of going all the way across he turned into our lane. Fortunately the driver to the left of us got over as far as he could so that we could get into the left hand lane. We missed the car by centimetres.

We’ve got dash cams in all our cars now.

@HollyGoLoudly1 I am so sorry you went through something similar, driving home I was so on edge anticipating cars coming out on our side of the road. Do you feel okay driving now, I am not surprised you anxious driving past the same spot, i am sure I will be the same.

@Whoactuallyneedsaname that is heartbreaking, 18 is so so young. At that age you feel invincible its a harsh reality to face and I cant imagine what the family must have gone through!

@sar302 my heart skipped a beat just reading that, seems so close. You must have felt someone up there was watching you, I am so glad you are okay!

M

@Flyingfish111 thank you. He was such a kind, clever, funny and wonderful young man. Usually very responsible. It was definitely an attack of the impulsive invincible teen moment and something most teenagers would get away with, with an “oh, fuck” moment that grows them up. Unfortunately he didn’t get that second chance and we will all remember that day that changed us all forever. He was a fantastic man and I still miss him 20 years later.

Eek! I didn’t mean to post that!
Many years ago, I pulled off of a roundabout, straight into a lorry driving directly towards me! I can only assume the lorry driver thought it was a dual carriageway. To this day, I don’t know how we didn’t have a head on collision as I literally have no memory of it. I was so so shaken, and had to pull over and have a cry for quite a while.

@MiddleClassMother it sounds quite similar, it is seriously a scary heart stopping moment. You sounded like you reacted very well and quick reactions saved your life. It's crazy that a police car (aim to protect the public) has actually put others at risk by driving unsafe, flying around a corner like that is very dangerous, what were they thinking! I'm sorry your having panic attacks, I'm sending hugs and I know how you feel, it's horrible.

I had an accident in a very similar situation and we were hit head on at 60 miles an hour. I don’t remember any of it but apparently I couldn’t get away from the other car as there was a ditch to the side of me but we hit a telegraph pole.

I was driving and had my mum in the passenger seat . We were in hospital for 2 weeks and I had no short term memory for 6 months. Mum had vertigo and a shattered ankle.
The other driver, the one at fault, walked away with no injuries...

I had a horrible experience recently returning a courtesy car to the garage. I had 10 week old DS in the car and has pulled up at a roundabout at the end of a 70mph dual carriageway behind a flatbed truck with metal poles on it. For whatever reason I glanced in my rear view mirror and clocked the lorry behind me was going far too fast to stop. I literally pulled into the lane beside me with seconds to spare (thank god it was clear) before the lorry ploughed into the back of the truck and shunted it across the lorry. If I hadn't moved we would have been crushed between them with the metal poles going straight through us. I walked into the garage in tears to hand the car back and was so grateful to get into mine!

Sorry, shunted it across the roundabout that should say!

Hope you're ok OP.

I’ve nearly had a head on when a woman decided to overtake a lorry on a national speed limit road. I had to slam on and I don’t know if the lorry also braked but she managed to only just get back in. All she did was raise an apologetic hand and carried on!

Another time I’d come round a bend to see a young lad coming towards me who had strayed onto my side of the road because he was looking at his mobile phone. Thankfully it was a 40 mph road and neither of us was going that fast. I put my hand on the horn and came to a stop which startled him into moving back into his lane before he hit me. Another apologetic hand up whilst driving off. If I had a dash cam then I’d have sent that footage to the police for sure.

There are so many similar stories, it's unbelievable.. why do people take such risks.. its absolutely madness. If you asked someone to jump off a cliff with a 30% chance of survival they wouldn't do it... so why are they taking similar risks on the road! Did the driver apologise/ give a reason for their recklessness?
@HelloDaisy omg, my mouth opened in shock. What an awful awful experience to have gone through. I am so glad that you and your mother are okay. Was the other driver ever charged?

Has the incident changed you in anyway? It's probably a very cringey cliche but I am determined to live my life as well as possible as we just don't know how long we have left. I love my life and I am just so bloody grateful I still have it!

Thesale, fast thinking and good reflexes. Was the lorry driver ok?

That happened to me once, tho it was an ambulance in my lane trying to overtake but the car was keeping speed with it. I also stopped and my life flashed before my eyes but luckily the the ambulance managed to overtake in time. I hope the ambulance had footage and the driver was arrested

I lived off a country lane but had to drive over a motorway bridge, I hit black ice my children were in the back one was 10 months the other 2 and a bit, I was on the bridge could see the motorway and had lost control it was just bouncing off the kerb each side, I couldn’t do a thing, it just kind of stopped and I drove off. Terrified doesn’t even cover it

I was hit head on in just those circumstances and as I had just come round a corner, there was nothing I could do to prevent it. I was very seriously hurt and will never fully recover. I still see other drivers overtaking dangerously almost daily when driving and it scares the crap out of me.

I've suddenly got chest pain, I think the stress has caught up with me!

@DanceForMeColin I am so sorry, life changing Injuries because someone was bloody stupid. I am sorry it makes me so mad. Was the other driver ever caught? Prosecuted? I seriously hope they have sent you a sincere apology.