To have said this to this woman?

[GobbleGob]

Was driving home this morning from doing my shopping and out of nowhere a small child (no older than 3 I'd have said) stepped out into the road. She didn't run in front of my car but she was definitely about to if I hadn't slammed my breaks on and startled her.

Her mum was no where to be seen at first and then came sauntering round a corner about 30 seconds later with not a care in the world.

I basically had a bit of 'a go' and said she should keep a closer eye on her child, it was a main road for goodness sake. She told me to mind my own business which considering I was seconds away from hitting her child with my car, I thought was pretty daft.

I was absolutely sick afterwards with panic, shaking and if I'm honest nearly crying. If I'd have been going faster or not been paying as close attention I could have killed the poor wee girl. I've not stopped thinking about it since, what could have happened. It's really shaken me up.

I wasn't unreasonable was I?! Honestly she didn't come round the corner concerned about her DDs whereabouts, she had quite clearly wondered ahead and mum just wasn't bothered. She could not see her from round the corner when she stepped onto the road.

No you weren’t and this woman sounds like a twat

YANBU at all. Stupid and irresponsible, shame on her.

Terrible experience for you OP.

I can't stop playing the what ifs in my head! Which is silly I suppose because thankfully nothing did happen.

Really it's lucky the roads were a lot quieter due to lockdown.

The mum is an irresponsible idiot. Sorry, it’s really scary when you have a near miss

No you were right. The mother was a cunt who shouldnt have kids. The same happened to me once except i wasnt driving i was waiting for a bus. 2 awful people with a baby in a pram were too busy smoking and talking to each other the pram rolled straight into the road in front of the bus. I yanked it back and pulled it to safety before the bus hit it and the mother gave me the dirtiest look in the world and silently ripped the pram out of my hands. If i hadnt been in shock i would have really layed into her. Dont overthink what could have happened because it didnt happen. And be proud that your driving is good enough you saw a danger and reacted accordingly.

YANBU. I say this as someone whose stepdad was knocked down and killed by a car 16 months ago.
It makes me mad when parents let their kids run into roads etc.

This happened to me about 25 years ago and I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I frogmarched the child who was about 8 to his parents house where I screamed at his mum and she promptly screamed at him and gave him a clip round the ear. It was 100% fear from me. I was shaking as it was so close. If one thing had been different I would have killed him and I was doing below the speed limit as knew there were children all around there. You were completely reasonable IMO.

You did completely the right thing - but did you expressly tell her you almost knocked the child over? If she thought you just pulled over and got out to tell her she was being irresponsible then that would have got her back up (even if she WAS being an idiot).

She's incredibly lucky...if it had been a speeding driver or someone not paying attention the outcome would have been very different. If that had happened to me, I'd have probably have done the same as you op and told her exactly what I thought.

I could have said definitely said worse to her, I was furious. But I was too upset to stay so just said what I said and got back in my car.

Oh no sorry to clarify yes I did tell her what had happened, should have included that in my OP.

She came round the corner and I said excuse me is this your DD?! To which she said yes. I said she just stepped into the road and i was very close to hitting her with my car and said what I said in my OP about keeping a closer eye, how it was a bloody main road!

I didn't shout but I was quite clearly angry.

YANBU.

I darted in front of cars on holiday when i was about 6 once. I heard my dm actually scream in shock and then when she saw me reach the other side of the road unscathed she ran over and slapped me and shouted at me because she was so frightened. I have no idea how this little girls mother wasnt a bit arsed her kid was almost hit.

If she is so negligent in keeping her child safe that you were put at risk of killing her child, then yes, it is your bloody business. Stupid, stupid, woman.

Yanbu at all. She’s the stupid woman.

Some people shouldn't be parents.

Yanbu.
Hopefully this woman has had time to think about what happened and will be more observant of her child in future.

I don't know whether she was perhaps in denial because she didn't actually witness it herself? Maybe she thought I was exaggerating or something but honestly, she was so blase about it I couldn't believe it.

I don't drive so don't have that worry, but have seen many near hits! So many women on their phones with kids walk miles behind them, little ones being left to cross the roads on their own while Mummy dearest is yelling at her partner down the phone!

There was also a woman who had a lead from her hand to her child's wrist, a really long one and didn't bother to check she had crossed safely - ok these are side roads but of course cars still go down them!

My sister was knocked over when she was around 4 outside our house. She ran right out into the road and was knocked down. Thankfully only suffered alot of grazes to her body.
My mum always remembers the man carrying her in our house and my mum told him to sit down and she'd make him a sweet tea, while my dad was waiting for the ambulance. When my mum came in with his tea he had gone, but she said he looked visibly shaken and upset and she often wonders about him and whether he is ok.

So many women on their phones with kids walk miles behind them, little ones being left to cross the roads on their own while Mummy dearest is yelling at her partner down the phone!

And the ones who cross a busy road between two parked vehicles (often one of them is a bus), shoving the buggy straight out into the road without a thought for what maybe coming, and that drivers can't see them.

You were not unreasonable, no.

She might have been over-defensive because she knew she had well and truly messed up - some people react very badly and defensively when shouted at, no matter how far in the wrong they are.

Well done for stopping.

Hopefully she will think on, in future.

My DD was hit by a car 2 years ago and I will never forget it. She has ADHD and autism and I was holding her hand and she pulled out of my grip and ran in front of a car.

She wears a helmet for epilepsy which saved her life but it has definitely scarred me for life!

We passed a dog that had been hit by a car in the country last weekend and it wasn't on the lead and I was so upset. I think people have lost all sensibility when it comes to road safety.
We had just passed a very young child waiting for her mum up the road and she was walking very slowly to her.
You are not being unreasonable.

Too often I am astounded by people believing their children are safe near a road when they can't even see them.

YANBU at all.
Some people just appear to give zero fucks about the potential for their children to be run over.
I remember watching a child of about 3 or 4 zooming down the hill on a scooter, with his parent a long way behind, not at all bothered that the kid wasn't going to be able to stop at the road that was coming up. He didn't stop - luckily there weren't any cars! The parent didn't even shout at the kid to stop. I was openmouthed with shock, to be honest.

YANBU
What an awful parent. Hopefully you've frightened the child enough to not step in the road again.