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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to seek some reassurance that I'm not the only person in the world to have

73 replies

RedbreastRobin · 27/09/2013 17:03

...been in more than one car accident?!

DH is a perfect driver who passed first time with no errors and has never been in any form of accident pass him a medal

I on the other hand have been in a couple. In the two years that I have been driving I have hit a stationary object - causing a rather large dent -, had someone reverse into me - their fault, insurance in my favour -, touched a bumper in a car park - he was a bumper width over the line into my spot and there was absolutely no damage, he thought otherwise and was a complete cunt said he would be in touch, never heard anything. And now I have just gone into the back of someone at a roundabout. He was going - there was room - and he stopped - and I hit him.

I haven't told DH yet. He's going to go berserk. Please reassure me that I'm not the only one out there accident prone Sad

OP posts:
bsc · 27/09/2013 18:39

3 accidents- other driver totally at fault each time, 12 years of driving.
The last one wrote off my car, and the driver said "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't look"!! Shock Angry

IdaClair · 27/09/2013 18:52

I, thankfully, have not, but DH has - and he is a very good driver (don't tell him I said so) His accidents have included someone driving into him head on (their fault - they were going the wrong way up a one way street) someone driving into the back of him at a junction (he was stationary) a blowout on the motorway in a rented van and him veering off the road to avoid a sudden small landslide on a cliff road....!

I'm not sure you can put any of those down to anything but bad luck on his part

CatsWearingTutus · 27/09/2013 18:53

Nutritious, you're the only one here who sounds like a dangerous driver to me and you may have been lucky so far but keep going as you are and you could well kill others. Have you thought about getting some advanced driving lessons? I had one through my work and it was extremely helpful. Sorry to be blunt but you sound scary which is probably what those people you call judgy pants are thinking! OP you sound fine.

As for me I've pranged one bumper in my 24 years of driving. I don't consider myself a naturally good driver (my advanced driving instructor classed me as an average driver) but I do take it seriously as driving a car you are in charge of a deadly weapon.

PosyNarker · 27/09/2013 19:01

OP you sound like an inexperience driver. Maybe some additional training would help your confidence, but to be honest these sound like the sort of minor things that happen to some people in the first couple of years of driving. As long as you don't make the same mistakes, I wouldn't get too worried.

Nutritious You sound like you ought to buy a bus pass / train ticket...

phantomnamechanger · 27/09/2013 19:06

I agree with cats - anyone can be the victim of another bad driver etc, but no amount of excuses makes up for basic bad driving/accidents where YOU are in the wrong, and it's not to be laughed/shrugged off as one of those things. Only by sheer luck are they not more serious incidents - yet.

speed (coupled with road conditions/weather), condition of your tyres, loud music, driving too close, failing to indicate, non functioning bulbs, not paying attention to signs or other vehicles/obstacles about you - all things the driver can and should control/monitor.

I have been driving 24 years with NO accidents, more than a few near misses caused by the carelessness of others though- thankfully I have been quick witted and cautious enough to avoid disaster. I treat driving as a huge responsibility akin to being in charge of a weapon of mass destruction.

garlicbaguette · 27/09/2013 19:11

Perfect drivers never have accidents. This is true. Perfect drivers are aware of all the other dickwads on the road, what they might do, and take evasive action well in advance - like mrstigs's friend, who now leaves a big enough gap.

I'm not perfect, I've had 'dings'. But I have got some advanced driving refresher lessons lined up, and am quite excited!

Definitely worth it, ime, and enjoyable as well :)

garlicbaguette · 27/09/2013 19:13

I treat driving as a huge responsibility akin to being in charge of a weapon of mass destruction. - It is! Propelling a ton of metal at high velocity. You do right, Phantom.

PigletJohn · 27/09/2013 19:16

My previous car got hit three times when parked outside the house. Reversed into be neighbours twice; hit by neighbour on bike once.

It looked quite smart with all the resprays. Nobody hit the bonnet but I got that resprayed myself.

I've only had one biff myself.

cathpip · 27/09/2013 19:19

Well at least you didn't drive into the back of your dh's car writing it off, he was not best impressed........(mine had no damage though, it helps that I drive a tank) :)

Original poster
RedbreastRobin · 27/09/2013 20:45

Thanks for all the reassurance - I feel it's outweighed the outraged replies somewhat!

OP posts:
Donkeyok · 27/09/2013 22:32

Reassurance what that its ok to be a crap driver? Its not, both my dp died in separate car accidents not their fault. Nutritious your attitude is deplorable. Don't laugh this off get yourself some more driving lessons. Go on an advanced driving course or one of those short driver awareness courses.

Ms23 · 27/09/2013 22:38

The day I passed my driving test I scraped my parents car along a wall. Neither wall nor car were ever the same again! 15 years later and never had so much as a scrape since.

magimedi · 27/09/2013 22:44

So soryy to hear that, Donkeyok.

*Nutritious - you should either get some lessons or get off the road - far fewer 'worse things happen at sea' than peole being klilled or seriously injured in an RTA.

Imaginethat · 27/09/2013 22:50

Heavens, I've had 3 write offs and countless dings and prangs.

You're just getting started!

There is absolutely no point whatsover in getting upset. Be glad no one is hurt, get the car fixed and try to forget about it.

They are accidents.

tigerdriverII · 27/09/2013 22:50

I'm shocked that there is a culture of thinking that its ok to have afew dings when you're a new driver. It's not ok to have accidents at any time, although they will happen. I've had four accidents in over 30 years of driving. Only one was my fault, the others were people driving into me who weren't paying attention to the road conditions. We are all obsessed with speed limits and road signs without realising there is road craft too.

stiffstink · 27/09/2013 22:54

I have a friend who drove into the back of the guy she'd just been shagging.

stiffstink · 27/09/2013 23:05

I just totted up how many times I've nearly been hit by other drivers in the last 2 months.

s.ven near misses by other drivers switching lanes wout looking or ignoring road markings by turning right ht at one particular "no right turn" junction on my way home.

I have actually been hit twice in two months. So nine actual/possiblepcollisions caused by other drivers in two months.

Get your Pass Plus and your IAM, OP. Please.

gobbynorthernbird · 27/09/2013 23:13

It's not ok to be having car accidents. It's not ok to be hitting other vehicles. And to write off a car every 18 months makes you dangerous.

WorraLiberty · 27/09/2013 23:17

But apart from hitting the stationary object, you seem to be taking no responsibility here OP.

Surely it's not always someone else's fault?

BackforGood · 27/09/2013 23:26

I too am shocked that people think it's fine to have had that many bumps in just 2 years of driving. A car is potentially a lethal weapon. If you can't control it in normal driving conditions, then you shouldn't be driving it, quite frankly.

I'm not even going to start on Nutricious. That really is very, very worrying that you think it's OK to still be driving.

homemadecookie · 27/09/2013 23:32

I've been driving over 20 years and considered myself a good driver with no accidents... then I remembered! most of these are minor bumps not worth mentioning or taking up head space. OK the roundabout one is more serious, but very easy done! Had my first roundabout incident this year at the dunblane roundabout while I was listening to andy Murray serving for set point at Wimbledon! Thankfully the other driver was listening to the same, there was no damage and andy had won the set by the time I got home! Good luck telling DH. :-)

Lurleene · 27/09/2013 23:54

I hit someone with my car about a year after I passed my test. It genuinely wasn't my fault , he hadn't realised there were two lanes of traffic and darted across the road with his bike right into my path. I saw him and did an emergency stop but he still bounced off my windscreen. Thankfully he wasn't injured.

There was a police car behind me that witnessed it and after the man had been checked out the police told me I couldn't have done any more than I did to prevent it. I smiled and nodded, drove off then got round the corner and my body just turned to jelly. I completely went into shock.

I was so so frightened by what could have happened, and never want to feel like that, or worse, again. Anyone out there driving against their better judgement please please reconsider.

NatashaBee · 28/09/2013 00:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 28/09/2013 01:27

In the past 12 years my cars have been:
hit by a driver coming out of a side road when I was on a main road.
I was 20 weeks pg and had my 2yo DS in car

Hit by someone speeding in a carpark and ignorring a Give Way + A No Entry + A Turn Left sign to go straight on into my car (then complain I didn't give way to them. Even though it was my ROW and they hit the front of my car) My car was written off

My car got hit by a van that was shunted by a lorry when those 2 vehicles had a collision

(I did reverse a bit into a bollard and scrape my bumper ) Blush

Tricycletops · 28/09/2013 07:00

Ah, Mumsnet. Driving at 80 on the motorway is a crime against humanity, but apparently being a terrible driver who has multiple accidents is ok. OP, reassurance is not what you should be taking away from this thread. I hope you don't live anywhere near me.

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