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 !

Same thing happened to me about 16 years ago, but I only evaded the collision by going off the road into a hedge as did the car behind me. That was driven by a young man who’d only passed his test 3 months before so I was more concerned about him at the time. I felt just like you OP, but it passed after a little time. Glad you’re ok!

@Flyingfish111

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!

The other driver was charged with careless driving and got 6 points and £100 fine! He had dropped his cigarette so put his head down to look for it which is when he veered off his side of the road and into my car.

It did change both of us as the policemen who attended the accident could not believe I survived. In fact when we went to see my car in the scrapyard the men there also couldn’t believe I was ok!

I hear you OP, these experiences do stay with us but like a PP said, they can make us better, more cautious drivers.

My near miss story also celebrates people’s remarkable reflexes, skill and drive to survive!

We were driving into the south of France from Switzerland, where the rules are very strict about stopping for pedestrians who are approaching a zebra crossing. Going down a hill in Provence my exH braked sharply and stopped when he saw a group of adults and children who were waiting to cross the road. Immediately a heavily laden cement lorry coming down behind us thundered its horn, warning us all that he was too heavy and going too fast to be able to stop, and he swerved instantly out onto the wrong side of the road to overtake us. Thank god the French pedestrians were all able to leap back out of the way, nothing was coming in the opposite direction, and so there was no accident. But I’ve never forgotten the sudden split second of awareness of what might happen.

One of those events where it’s a random combination of factors - obviously first my exH not being one who bothered too much with the rear view mirror, us having just come from Switzerland where the rules were very strict, the crossing being on a steep hill, the vehicle behind us being a cement lorry…

Anyone read Maggie O’Farrell’s book about the 17 times she might have died? The event I have described is one in the secret tally I have in my mind for my own children who were in the back seat. Terrifying!

I was 30 weeks pregnant and dozing thankfully (Dh driving)when a drunk driver swerved from his side of the A48 and straight into us. I had to be cut out of the car, and was kept overnight in hospital to monitor the baby (who went quiet with the shock of the impact) If Dh hadn't managed to swerve enough that we were hit more side on, I doubt my dd1 would be alive.

These are terrifying.

I do wonder if my presence last week stopped a potential disaster. I was driving DH for his jab, at the top of the slip road from a main dual carriageway (50mph) is a set of lights, which were at red for us. At this point a car which somehow was already on the wrong side of the road started to steer to the left towards me. Seeing me, he pulled into the correct lane and drove on. I wondered had I not been there would he actually have turned and gone the wrong way down the slip road.

My friend was going home with her parents & little sister after visiting her grandparents in the 1970's, no seat else in the back of the car. They had right of way at a crossroads when a car came across the way which had to stop without stopping, it flipped them in to a corn field, my friend & her mum only had cuts & bruises, her dad had to be cut out & had leg injuries, her sister had head injuries & was in itu on life support, it had to be turned off, she was 5 years old, had just started school, it was the first weekend of the 6 weeks holiday. My friend still suffers from the loss of her sister, she was only 7 when she lost her sister but now in her 50's feels it more than ever despite her parents having another baby 2 years later.

I had an experience where a much loved baby in my care almost died. It wouldn't have been my fault. I spotted an equipment fault at the last possible second.

It must be twenty years ago but my heart speeds up whenever it crosses my mind. But the better part is, I feel so so grateful for that last second, the difference between what might have happened and what did, the years since, for both of us. Not surprised you are shaken and so glad you are okay.

Yes a car spinning out (aqua-planing) on other other side of a two lane A-road, it hit the barrier right next to us, I thought it was going to flip over onto us as we were driving along the other side in the fast lane. Our car was showered with debris. We called for an ambulance, have no idea if the guys in the car were ok, I still remember their faces - it was like a moment frozen in time, very surreal. I

Nat6999 That’s so sad. No seat belts throughout my early childhood - I remember putting the back seat down to sleep in the back on the way home on long journeys, so so dangerous.

I'm so sorry op, that's scary.

I had a driving incident which could have gone so differently had it not been for quick thinking.
I was driving down an A road at national speed limit when I heard a siren. Checked behind me and saw flashing lights so went to stop. Then looked again and a saw a black 4x4 emerge from a side road and turn sharply, missing the police vehicle attempting to jacknife it. Then it wasn't stopping for anyone. Lorry coming in the other direction. I just remember putting the clutch down, breaking harshly and turning and just hoping.
I ended up in a tiny turning which lead to a small farm.uscle memory took over as I didn't even know there was a turning there but I have been travelling he route my whole life as my grandparents used to live at the destination, now my parents Do.
Confirmed with the police the following day it was a high speed chase and the criminal was too dangerous to the public for them to stop pursing him.

@Flyingfish111, poor you, that's so scary. I am so glad that you are home and safe.
I know exactly that feeling of knowing it could have been so much worse. Back in February, I was driving on the motorway, when suddenly another car hit the side of me (He had been speeding and swerving in and out of traffic for miles before, apparently). This caused me to spin and then hit the central barrier head-on. I was then hit by two other cars, as my car was blocking the fast lane on a curve. I will never forget the feeling of spinning and knowing I was about to hit the barrier, and then again of seeing cars about to hit me (although I fell unconscious at some point, so it is hazy). The thought that I wouldn't get to see my child grow up, wouldn't get to go home again. It still comes back to me.
I was haunted for a while. I would wake up screaming, having flash-backs. I saw a psychiatrist who gave me medication for PTSD which really helped.
So know that I am thinking of you, because I've been there. And know to ask for help if you struggle to forget this. So glad you are ok.

We mightn't have many tourists at the moment with covid, but at least we don't have idiots in camper vans crossing the centre line. We're pretty pleased to be rid of "freedom campers" as well - dirtying up our environment because they are too cheap to get a berth at a camp ground. Hopefully the government here will ban them soon.

I was walking with my dd in the pram down the local, national speed limit, no pavement country road the other day. I'd been worried about the bends, and her being in front of me towards the oncoming traffic, but in that respect all was well.

The scary moment was on the straight section, when a car overtook one on the other side of the road, so passed us, at very high speed, by inches. If I'd stepped out at the wrong moment...

This happened to my parents many years ago. Someone was overtaking at night on a road with many small undulations. Suddenly my parents had lights on their side of the road, and braked but there was nowhere to swerve to and they had a head on collision in their little Peugeot 205 GTI.
Luckily they both walked away basically unscathed, mum dislocated her thumb and they both cracked sternums but were fine.
So scary and my mum basically wouldn’t drive at night for many many years afterwards.

I live rurally and I’ve seen some dangerous overtakes over the years. Only one that’s come close to me and literally missed me by a couple of feet, it was awful.

The worst near miss was when an HGV hit the truck in front on the motorway... the accident was in lane 1 and I was in lane 2, truck going circa 60. The front of the HGV exploded and debris and a tyre(!) went all over the road. I was swerving whilst trying to stop (thankfully the road was clear in lane 3 or I’d have been fucked). It was like something out of final destination, really scary.

I was a passenger once just behind a horrid motorway crash. One of the cars in front of us had been hit by a lorry abs literally flew threw the air. My friend who was driving was just looking at the car in the sky and my other friend had to shout at her to break and put the hazards on. You don’t always know how you’ll react and I’m sure it was a split second thing but I just remember how chilling it was seeing the car in the air and my friend shouting break. If we’d have been a few meters ahead we’d have been caught up in it.

I got spun by a HGV and was pushed up the motorway for a couple of 100 yards before he managed to stop. Absolutely fucking terrifying.
Even now, 5 years on, I have to mentally prepare myself as I approach that spot on the m6. Thankfully we moved, so I rarely go that way now.

My eldest dd had her music on, could see what was going to happen, she too has a little shudder when the song she was listening to comes on.
Youngest dd just remembers school making her toast and juice, a paramedic stopped and took them off the motorway and to school, said she'd benefit from a sweet drink.

I had this about 25 years ago - was driving to my dads from uni - I had driven a long way. I was on a country road that was quite busy, as I came around a corner a sporty type car was literally right in front of me as they were over taking on a blind corner - I shoved my brakes on and skidded, ended up across the road, on other side of the road - I was shaking for hours after that - hideous day that got worse still but that's a different story and not related

I'm a nervous driver, I'm terrified every time I'm in the car but this would petrify me.

Hope you're okay op xxx

I was on the nite way when some tube decided to pull into my lane but he didn’t notice I was actually there so he nearly hit me side on. I swerved into the other lane and was just lucky there was space to do so.

The scary moment was on the straight section, when a car overtook one on the other side of the road, so passed us, at very high speed, by inches. If I'd stepped out at the wrong moment..

That sounds terrifying however were you walking on the correct side? Though the driver obviously wasn't particularly paying attention as you could have been a cyclist.

I read this thread last week when it was posted and thought how scary these stories sounded and was grateful I'd never experienced similar....

Fast forward to yesterday and I was driving on the M40, with DH and DC. Two cars both converged on the middle lane at the same time, one from the inside lane, the other from the outside. Traffic was free flowing, I was probably doing 70. I was in the middle lane with one car in front of me. The two cars hit, one shot off onto the hard shoulder, the other stopped dead in the middle lane. The damage didn't seem too bad to the car but I think the airbags had gone off and that's why they stopped.

The car in front of me swerved to the left into the inside lane. I immediately did the same. I had no time to think or look, all I could do was react. There was a HGV coming up the inside, very close behind me. It doesn't bear thinking about what would have happened if they had been a bit closer.

It's made me very aware of leaving enough of a gap now. I always try to but if I'd been right behind the car in front of me, I don't think I would have made it round the stopped car.

Hi OP, a few years ago a drunk driver came racing down the road towards me, lost control and headed right for me. I had the same sensation for a couple of seconds. Thought, I'm going to die now. I gripped the steering wheel and waited for it. The impact hit and my car was concertina'd but I was ok - lucky to have just cuts and bruises. I was gasping for air, as if I'd been held underwater too long. It can only have been a second or two though.

You have my every sympathy. It took me a long time to recover, mentally. You have had a horrible horrible scare but the shock will pass.

One thing that helped me was a woman I knew who ran wellbeing/stress type courses. She asked me to think about how many years I'd been driving (20), how often I drove in a week (lots!) and how many times this had happened before (none). Or to anyone I knew (none). That still helps!