How many road accidents have you been in?

[Butterpaneer]

Just musing after someone went into the back of me this afternoon, wondering what the norm is (I'm in the UK) and thought I'd do a Mumsnet dip sample.

I've been driving 18 years and have had someone go into the back of me 3 times. It's always been when I've been stationary (traffic, roundabout...) brake lights on but I've been driving different car makes and colours, all no fault obviously. It seems like quite a lot! I've also come back to my car in a car park to find someone has driven into it and caused damage.

Other than minor bumps when parking at home (catching fence etc)and that one time I clipped a farm animal I've not been the fault party.

I had two car crashes - I was not injured. But cars were.
Almost 15 years ago, it was stop/start traffic. Then went clear all of a sudden. Woman driver in front of me missed the opportunity to turn right, reversed into my car which then was a write off.

Three years ago. Driving in slow moving traffic down a road of shops. Guy coming out of a parking slot (he was parked the wrong direction to the road) came out and smacked the back corner to my car. He didn't stop. Went round to the shops the following day and asked if they had CCTV of the car in question either parked in the slot or of the incident. Nope. £400 out of pocket. I do have car insurance but I would be paying more than £400 over the next 4 years on my car insurance.

Last year, parked in a retail car park which includes a DIY chain. Parked with with a space inbetween to a van. No other spaces Came back and my passenger wing mirror was damaged - mirror smashed and casing damaged. Guessing the van driver bought something from DIY chain and smacked the wing mirror with whatever they bought. CCTV didn't cover that part of the car park. £150 out of pocket as the wing mirror was more damaged than it was.

I have been lucky.
15 years of driving and only once someone has reversed into the side of my car by accident.

3 in 30 years of driving.

2 were not my fault and cars were damaged but no injuries to anyone

1 was my fault, I was injured but no-one else.

I drive as part of my job (20+ years of it)

I'm up and down the motorways most days going to different cities and towns

No accidents

And no points on my licence

When I was a very young driver I scratched my car on a post very lightly. So lightly I was able to rub out the scratch with a soft cloth and my absolutely car obsessed father didn’t notice.

That’s it. No other incidents in 35 years. Not even a parking ticket.

1 in 13 years of driving. I was stationary waiting to go round a parked car and someone went into the back of me because they were on their phone.

In 20 years' driving I've backed into things slowly like 3 times, including one time that smashed the back windscreen. I'm bad at backing. I know it and avoid it where possible now! Other than that, someone crashed into the back of me once -- they admitted fault.

One where someone came through a red light into the side of me. One where I came round a corner of a dual carriageway and straight into standing traffic, I slammed on the breaks, swerved to the left but ran slowly into the back of the last car, airbag went off and bumper fell off but no other damage. And one where, on a small country road, a car raced round a corner straight into the front of me, even though I was stationary and pulled into one side.
That's in 35 years of driving

26 years driving and been driven into 3 times!

First was a head on collision when other driver drifted to my side of the road and I had no way to escape it, resulted in my car hitting the tailgating dickhead behind me, airbag broke my ribs and various soft tissue injuries.

Second was a rear end shunt at a roundabout when 5 months pregnant, whiplash for me, baby was fine.

Third was on a narrow stone bridge and driver (who I'm sure was on his phone) drove straight into driver's side front wing, taking out my wheel, and pushing car into bridge wall. Minor injuries for me, damaged my passenger's arm/shoulder.

Only once, it wasn't serious. Been driving 24 years.

I've also reversed into a bollard but only caused a small dent so don't think it counts!

Cyclist cycled in front of my car - she had a hood up and didn't look - no damage to my car but she broke her leg and sued me for personal injury - insurance decided it was 70:30 fault in my favour, so she got £9000, which was 30% of her claim. My insurance was huge after that!

Wrote a car off after spinning on black ice on a dual carriageway - I was thankfully unhurt and no other cars involved.

Someone drove into the back of me at traffic lights. No one hurt but fairly extensive repairs needed.

I drove into the back of someone at a junction - no excuse, just lost concentration. Moderate damage to both cars.

Been driving 25 years.

None, had a driving licence for 30 years. Never been in one as a passenger. A miracle considering my parents' driving skills, drinking habits and where we grew up (deep country in the winding hills).

Twice as a cyclist- once when the car didn’t see me and turned across me, and once when they opened the car door in my path and sent me flying.

Once as a new driver when I bumped a fence.

Been driving 26 years, used to drive 30k plus miles a year before Covid. Had one accident where I was reversing in a car park and someone came round a corner and went into me.

Bumped into another car that pulled out in front of me, shared fault. Also hit an elderly lady, her fault.

Both 10+ years ago now, luckily nothing since

4, 2 as the driver. I reversed into a tree and someone went into the back me at traffic lights. The other two were minor too.

Only twice in 43 years.

First was by a cow that had been hit by a lorry coming the other way and bounced into my car.

Second was when a moronic neighbour forgot to put her handbrake on and her car rolled off her drive into my car parked and empty outside my house.

Both write offs 😡

I've been driving for 45 years, the first six years on a motor bike.

On the bike, two - both car drivers pulling out of side turnings without looking, despite my headlights being on.

In a car, four, twice I've been hit from behind, once when a deer jumped a hedge and landed on my bonnet, and once on a motorway when the cars two in front of me collided, and I had to swerve. I avoided hitting anyone but ended up slithering to a halt pointing in the wrong direction on the hard shoulder.

Nothing in the last 23 years, but I do far fewer miles than I used to.

As a new driver reversing my passenger seeing me out (40 years ago) said "right hand down fast"

Turned wheel right, hit the gas, and hit the fucking sign I was trying to avoid.

It's seeming like my experiences aren't so unusual then!

One not my fault, someone squeezed by parked cars and scratched all the side of my car
One which went knock for knock. I was parking and the car next to me opened their door

no injuries in either accident

I was in an accident twice as a child with my mum driving, both times not her fault. I got compensation as a 4 year old for one of them.

Two accidents as an adult, both non fault. One a prang and the other one involved being the middle of a 3 car sandwich. Every single panel was damaged including the roof but i got away with just whiplash.

Oh I forgot when the man opposites car rolled into my car parked outside my house and I was going to sell it for about £400 before this happened but the man opposite gave me £400 as the car then had to go to scrapyard so I wasn't out of pocket, no insurance involved

None at all in 25 years of driving.

I had a bus go into the back of me during a driving lesson when I was newly pregnant having lost my first son.
I got compensation via the bus companies insurance.
When I was a child (Mid 70s) I was being driven home by a friend's brother in a Morris Traveller. He met a tractor on a blind corner... I was thrown from the back (no seat belts and tip up seats) into the front. I hit my head on the dashboard and narrowly missed the windscreen.
I am now absolutely neurotic about children wearing seat belts!!