My 17-year-old had a car accident - he’s okay, but I’m shaken [Title edit by MNHQ]

[ThatVividPinkOtter]

My 17 year had crashed his car. "Mam I've had a big crash, the car is on its side and i can't get out im trapped". He's fine, shock up and devastated he's written his car off. He was going through lanes ( told him never to go through lanes) and a van came around a blind bend, he swerved to dry to avoid him, went up the banking and flipped into the van. He's been driving for 6 months and all fairness hes a careful driver. He wasn't speeding as his black box didn't show it. Im so gutted for him. Everyone is saying this will be a big lesson for him. Anyone's teenager had a accident and learnt from it? I was really nervous when he first past, but I got over that. I dont want to be over the top in the future 😫

”here” they haven’t said where they live.

like @ShhhhhItsASurprise that is a very common phrase where I live also.

You should get out more.

I can’t believe people are attacking the OP because her son isn’t dead.

Hmmm I suppose. Headlights might let you know you won’t need to stop or find a passing place but 30 mph is still too fast approaching a blind bend.

Yes... I know...

I agree with them. This accident will have thought him something. I had an accident years ago and it's made me extra careful. You poor thing, go put the kettle on and relax for a bit 😊

Did you reply to the wrong comment? I know what the NSL sign looks like. Your comment is a weird non sequitur and I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

Rather than avoiding the lanes, he should see if he could get in for some extra pass plus type lessons, just focusing on how to do country lanes. When I passed I did the otherway around and travelled to a city (as we were countryside based) to do some city type pass plus lessons, roundabouts, dual carriageways etc this I really wasnt sure about. It would give him the confidence of what to do, rather than avoiding them.

So why did you say earlier that you'd be:

"seriously shocked and surprised if a road that isn't wide enough to accomodate two cars travelling in opposite directions has a designated speed limit of 30 mph, as obviously that would be far too fast for this situation."

This thread is peak Mumsnet

Sorry to hear about the accident OP, glad he’s alright

Yes... I know...

Country roads are national speed limit by default, which is 60 mph.

No lights, no signs = national speed limit.

That doesn't mean you should drive at 60 mph. There is a widespread misconception that the speed limit is a designated driving speed. This is false. The speed limit is simply a legal maximum. For many NSL roads, the safe speed is often a lot lower than the NSL.

If this road had a specific designated speed limit, it obviously wouldn't be assigned 30 mph as it is not wide enough to accomodate two cars.

So the road would either be NSL, or if it had a specific speed limit, it would obviously be a lot lower than 30 mph.

You said you couldn’t believe that a road that didn’t have room for 2 cars to pass could have a speed limit higher than 30……….

Nobody said that 60 was a designated driving speed though. You’re making things up now.

Well, your first post was very unclear then as that's not how I read it.

FWIW we have 30mph roads around here where it's impossible for two cars to pass each other in places.

That road is simply NSL by default.

No signs, no lights = NSL.

A road being NSL doesn't mean you're supposed to drive at 60 mph.

You are showing that you hold a deeply mistaken belief that the "speed limit" is the intended driving speed for that road. That's false. The speed limit is just a legal maximum.

Obviously, for the road that you showed, only a complete idiot would actually drive 60 mph on that road because it would be extremely dangerous.

No, you're making assumptions.

As I say, your original post was very unclear and poorly worded.

It doesn't necessarily mean that she 'knew he wasn't ready' - just that she knows the lanes are potentially riskier than the wide main roads and so might have been naturally anxious about him as a new driver using them.

How scary for you both. Really glad he’s ok.

Telling him not to drive down country lanes wasn’t the best idea really, especially if you live somewhere relatively rural, and knowing that in this day and age that it’s common just to stick an address into google maps and blindly follow the directions without knowing what type of roads it’s taking you down. If you knew he wasn’t safe driving on them then what he really needed was more lessons. If you’re too shaken up to take him yourself I’d book some pass plus/advanced lessons with an instructor- this might be the best course of action now given what’s happened and presuming his car needs repairs or is a write off, as he clearly does need more instruction and also I wouldn’t want to delay getting him back out driving again.