I've written my car off.......

[ThomCat]

I wrote our car off on Tuesday evening and just feel so gutted about it really. It was a horrible evening, dark, puring with rain and the car in front stopped a bit suddenly to let a car out. I applied the brakes and just didn't stop - the car just kept going and smashed straight into the car in front. Thanks God Lottie wasn't in the car - I was on my way to get her. The car in front was a huge jeep thing and the lady driving and her car were fine! it's just our car that is a write off - I couldn't even open the door to get out. I've torn the ligaments in my neck, no big deal. I just feel so gutted and a bit down about it all really. Silly I know - it's only a car and no-one was hurt etc. But just keep replaying it all in my mind and can't seem to shake off the feeling low for some reason.
It was my first ever experience of anything like that, I've never evn scratched another car and I didn't expect it all to make me feel so blue. Anyway as we all do when something happens in our lives I just wanted to bash it out on Mumsnet!

Yeah - I know it's no deffence to say the car in front stopped suddenly - what a bugger aye!!! However it does help me to know that I can put my hand on my heart and know that I wasn't driving like a lunatic and feel sure that if it hadn't been raining for the last 4 days I wouldn't have gone into the back of her. You're right about it making you think more about taking care when driving though, I'll be Mrs Pain in Arse Woman in Front doing 30 mph and not a teeny bit over for a while now I should think!

Thomcat... I so sympathsise I did the exact same thing last week too. Luckily my boys were not in the car either. I know what you mean about feeling low & teary, i did too....only just picking myself back up to 100%.

Don't want to worry you....but mine was a write off too & the insurance company won't release my settlement chq until I send, copy of driving license to prove no points & not disqualified, the cars log book, the cars valid mot & insurance certificate. They no i was taxed because they recovered the vehicle from the accident & then sent me my tax disc back to get a refund!

Cheers Dixie. Everything else is in full working order - just the car tax that we hadn't got round to doing. DP had gone to the DVLA once to sort it out but for some reason couldn't get it done and then just didn't get round to going back. It's his car that I drive and we're all coveed and good boys and girls in every other dept other than bloody car TAX.
Uggghhhhhhh, I hate being a grown up.

So sorry you have had this accident, Thomcat. Hope you feel better soon. Love xxx

ThomCat - poor you. Nasty thing to happen and it is true how distressing a car smash can be, even relatively minor ones.

I've been 'the car in front' and had whiplash, so FWIW, here are a few tips:

Get your neck seen to. The effects of whiplash can creep up on you. If you can afford physiotherapy then try to get a few sessions asap to help reduce internal swelling. If you can't, then get your dp to give you a gentle stroking massage every evening and try not to stick your head out in odd positions (eg telephone tucked between ear and shoulder). Take something like Nurofen (unless Dr says otherwise of course) to reduce internal swelling and pain.

I don't know the ins and outs of whether you'll need a valid tax disc, but you only get refunds on them for whole months unexpired when you return it.

Lottie (ThomKitten? ) should be fine in the front seat if there's no airbag.

No joking - you almost certainly will be Mrs PITA for a while! It took me ages to recover my confidence, even though I continued driving immediately. A lesson or two, or some guidance from someone whose driving you trust and who doesn't drive you up the wall, can help a lot.

Oh dear. Not nice at all...sending cyberhugs {{{}}}.

thomcat, that sounds horrible and a real shock. Do go back to the doctor if it doesn't seem to heal as the underlying damage can cause trouble years later if you just put up with it. I'd second Nurofen too or perhaps the gp could prescribe a muscle relaxant to help as you probably feel pretty tense which won't help the pain.

I was involved in a similar sort of incident 2 years ago. It had snowed, then thawed during the afternoon but by the time I had to drive home again, temperatures had plummeted and more snow fallen resulting in black ice with fresh snow on top. I braked at the brow of a hill when I saw stationary cars ahead but to no avail and went into a 4wd in front. Fortunately it was substantial enough to bear the weight of our car. Noone was hurt thankfully as I had ds and dd (then 3.5 and 3 months) in the car. dd slept on through it, but I did have to ask ds to poke her awake on the way home to be sure.

It did knock my confidence for 6, and I wasn't feeling a particularly confident a driver then anyway, but I live in a world where I need to drive. You will feel better about this in time but you have every right to be cautious in the meantime. Hope you recover soon,

You're all so lovely, thank you.

My neck and shoulders don't hurt so much today but my lower back is killing me and my hips even seem to hurt!

I drove again today and wasn't nervous for most of the time. It's a new, strange car to me though and when I felt a bit unsure It was more down to not knowing the car more than anything else. i did notice I kept a huge distance between myself and the car in front, but that can only be a good thing.

Lots of love - and many thanks for all your advice / kind words.

Thomcat xx

Oh Thomcat I missed this yesterday. Thats awful - I hope you make a quick recovery!