Driving - Your Worst Fear?

[nannynick]

For those of you who don't follow me on twitter or don't even know what twitter is, you probably won't have heard what happened to me this week.

What is your worst fear about driving other people's children around in your car?
What can go wrong?

Well, my worst fear is that we are involved in a road traffic collision. This week that fear became reality.

Details on my blog

Thankfully no one was injured. It also happened to be my day off the next day, so I didn't need a replacement car for the following morning but did still need one urgently.

When parents choose a nanny or childminder to care for their children, that may mean that their children will be transported in the nannies/childminders car.

It isn't something we like to think about but driving is a risk. We take our lives and the lives of others into our hands when we get in the car. It does not happen often to most people, it may even never happen at all. So you might say the risk is quite low, but it may be hard to evaluate what the risk actually is. It is likely to be similar to the risk of taking your children in your own car. Whilst your driving may be great, you are reliant on the driving ability of other drivers. My car was hit in the back whilst we were stationary. I don't know of a way of preventing that happening in future as it relies on the person behind you applying their brake at the appropriate time.

Have you ever had a car accident whilst children you care for have been in your car? I seemed to go into an autopilot to make sure the children were ok and to get them home as quickly as I could. I don't know if that was the right thing to do but it's what I did. It's only after the event that you analyse it and wonder what you could have done better.

Is your nanny/childminder having a car accident with your child/children on board one of your worst nightmares? Would having a nanny/childminder who drives ever stop you using them? I expect in some areas there may be no option - in my area there isn't much public transport.

Glad to hear that everyone is ok and unhurt.

I had someone hit the back of my car earlier this year (not while working) - enough to write it off! I would say I'm a cautious driver anyway but I was even more so afterwards.

The important thing is everyone is OK. It wouldn't put me off allowing my DS being taken out in the car. Also, MB is obviously confident in your driving abilities. As you say the risk for a careful driver is quite low. Not nice though - I have had 2 accidents in my lifetime and both times I was a passenger.

My current nanny can't drive so activities are limited to the town, however, I am a little fearful of her passing her test - she has been trying for a few years, but she is quite timid and not confident at all. I would not be happy with her driving DS around.

I've been driving for 19 years. Having a nanny who has just passed their test is presumably a different level of risk. I think I did transport children fairly early on, though it probably didn't happen that often as back then I was at college so not doing full-time nannying.

As you say, the important thing is that everyone is OK. It could have been worse.

Nick so glad it was nothing major and everyone was ok.

I never think about the what ifs, I am the sort of person who will worry so much it would make me more likely to have an accident, so I prefer to drive as I always do (carefully and within the speed limits or whatever the road conditions dictate). I am always aware of other road users (have seen many an idiot on the road) and try and second guess them.

That however does not stop accidents as you unfortunately found out.

Pls do bore us with your insurance experience.

Until you have an accident you never really know just how reliable they are. Especially as we have business insurance covering our charges. Are they reliable???

I realise you are dependant in this case, on the other company, but, how helpful are/were your own insurers?

Apart from my current employer I think all of my previous employers have been in the car with me - giving them lifts to the station/into town etc, rather than them checking my driving (to my knowledge anyway) and have never had a problem with it. Like you I passed my test whilst still in college (so wans't ferrying other people's children around during those first few weeks/months) but I remember going for a job interview and it was made clear to me that one of the parents would like to observe my driving ability before the job was formally offered - which would have been fine with me. I am surprised actually that more employer who require a driver don't request a chance to observe what the nanny's driving is like. I know that a previous employer when reference checking me did question my driving ability.

I haven't been involved in any accidents although I have had a couple of emergency stops - but I still felt that i needed to check the children are alright. I think that you did the right thing in making sure the children are alright and then getting them home to an environment where they feel safe. I am now a mum and I think I would behave in the same way with my own child as I have done with other children.

You can't account for the behaviour of other drivers on the road but as long as you are driving with caution, the children are strapped in and you aren't being distracted by them I think you've just got to go with the flow. Also it's not just driver's who have their safety jeopardised by other drivers as a pedestrian I've had near missed at zebra/pelican crossings and even using the lollipop man/woman.

Not that impressed with the insurance side of things at present. MortonMichel is a broker, so they don't deal directly with claims, they have another company do that. That company seem quite good but they have appointed another company do actually deal with the claim and providing a hire car. That company then subcontract the hire car to Avis. There just seems so much subcontracting going on, hard to know who is really doing what.

The hire car I have does not have 3 (3 point) car seat belts in the rear. There is no way of putting 3 car seats in the rear of the vehicle. So it is unsuitable for me, it is not a direct comparison to my vehicle. I am waiting to hear if I will be able to get a different vehicle or not - problem is hire vehicles are done on size Class, so it's the right class... but it doesn't have the right seat combination.

It took 25 hours from the time of accident to getting the hire car delivered to me. That to me seems a long time, as when I was a lot younger and had an accident, I got myself a hire car within 2 hours of having an accident - but I was paying for it myself.

I have a Guaranteed Replacement Vehicle policy as an additional cover on my insurance. I am wondering what that is actually for. So far I can't even claim on that policy, as it wasn't me who hit someone else, and it wasn't until nearly 3 days after the accident that my car went to a garage. If you have that policy with your insurance, do read the small print... I wonder if anyone ever makes a claim on it. Sure it's quite low cost and probably does pay out in some situations - such as you hit someone else and get your car to a garage approved by the insurer quickly.

With luck the insurance side of things will now go smoothly and not be drawn out by the third parties insurers.

I had a minor accident with an older mindee in the car. Her parents were lovely and she only had minor injuries. I had to fight for a people carrier to replace mine.

My nightmare is a river crash!

And I did once have a family go to a walking minder once, because they didn't want anyone else driving their child - which is fair enough.

I don't want to even think about crashing the car and ending up in a river, pond, on a railway track etc.

I am fearful of some joyrider crashing into my car whether I have my own family or the minded children in it at the time. They usually have no insurance and MOT as you can't have one without the other.

Sometimes I wonder why we pay insurance, it doesn't seem to cover you when you most need it and it seems to favour other drivers who don't have any

My worse nightmare would probably be something hitting me hard from behind seeing as that's where the children sit.

Another which i'm terrified at the thought of, is a carjacking where I can't get to the kids in time. It's a reality today sadly.

Nick whatever cover you have on your policy you are entitled to whoever's fault it is - if it turns out to be other driver's fault (as it obviously is in this case) it is down to your insurance company to settle that with the other driver's insurer - or if they are not insured, suck it up.

Someone is trying to fob you off - tell them it is not good enough, you want them to provide you with what you have paid for.

I was in an accident with my charge in the car. It wasn't my fault luckily as i was stopped at traffic lights and someone ploughed straight into the back of me (they said they were breaking). It was possibly the most terrifying moment of my life i was so scared that i had hurt DC that i also went on auto pilot. Luckily he wasn't at all hurt but it was such a stressful moment.
His parents were totally fine with it because they know that i would never put their son in any danger and they know i am a careful driver.
Definately do not want it to happen again.
I am surprised really that more parents don't check that the nanny has good driving skills, although i have driven MB around plenty of times so she knows that i am fine.

I think if i was a parent i would be terrified of a nanny driving my child around...but then you can't dwell on it i suppose

My worst nightmare would be the train tracks. To get to school we have to cross the level crossing, it's not a big station but frightening to think what might happen. Always extra cautious over them.

The other scenario that worries me is something happening on one of the rural lanes, in the winter - again on the school run we have to go down some quite hairy country lanes and I am hoping for a dry winter. Lots of deer/horses around too...worry if I hit one of those in the dark.

Sorry about the accident, glad all ok.