Floyd R Turbo
Well-known member
My first accident was my '72 VW Scirocco vs Tree in my front yard during my first winter as a driver. Was trying to cut a corner turning onto my street, hit black ice, locked up and stalled, boom. I didn't report it 
So I Had My First Accident
- Thread starter Amaury
- Start date
Amaury
Well-known member
Got in touch with an officer.
I just told him that I was backing out of a parking space, and when I got going forward again, there were oncoming vehicles that were kind of in the middle of the lane, and I thought I had enough room to get by them and a parked SUV, but ended up hitting the SUV's bumper. I had a look, and there were marks on our car, but no damage on the SUV's bumper.
He just told me to make sure to provide my information in the future should it happen again (though I hope it doesn't!), but he appreciated me calling it in. The chances are slim, but if someone does end up calling it in, they'll get in touch with me again and because I reported it, they'll have the upper hand with me somehow.
I just told him that I was backing out of a parking space, and when I got going forward again, there were oncoming vehicles that were kind of in the middle of the lane, and I thought I had enough room to get by them and a parked SUV, but ended up hitting the SUV's bumper. I had a look, and there were marks on our car, but no damage on the SUV's bumper.
He just told me to make sure to provide my information in the future should it happen again (though I hope it doesn't!), but he appreciated me calling it in. The chances are slim, but if someone does end up calling it in, they'll get in touch with me again and because I reported it, they'll have the upper hand with me somehow.
My first and only 'accident' was reversing at about 2mph into someones bumper. Thankfully both his and my bumpers lined up perfectly and there wasn't even the slightest sign of damage. I apologised and he said not to worry about it.
8 years of driving and no claims yet (*touches wood*)
8 years of driving and no claims yet (*touches wood*)
Amaury
Well-known member
Brofist!
I was going about the same speed, actually, and my mom, even though she wasn't there, doesn't think I was that close seeing as the marks on our car are between the middle and the back and not the front on the right side of the car.
To be honest I'd really not worry about it. It's highly unlikely the person would pursue it given there was no obvious damage.
Ideally when you can, you let them know or leave a note, but for something that's not damaged their car, I'd not worry. Worst case scenario is that someone else sees and reports it, even then you'd not be in any trouble given no damage was made.
To give you a frame of reference, some guy on his phone drove into the back of my mums car about 9 years ago. She was at a roundabout, with the handbrake on. Considering he hit the back of her car at over 30 mph, her own car suffered very little damage. His car on the other hand, whilst drivable was a write off.
He didn't get in trouble at all. His insurance company just had to cover the costs. Obviously it would have affected his premium as well. Generally road accidents that don't involve major casualties are pretty much given a status by the police of not being worth of pursuing. Insurance companies just work together, sort out who's paying what, etc.
I guess the only "pro tip" for if theres a next time (hopefully not!) is to keep a pad and pen handy in the glove box
Actually the pro tip is not to take the reg number of the car down, basically if you then report it (as you should) and you have a reg no, the police are duty bound to follow up the case and notify the owner of the car you hit, who obviously will then take you to the cleaners.
If you conveniently don't have a pen and paper handy, the other car owner then has to do all the hard work to report it to the police and track you down, meaning usually they wont bother
Cambion
Well-known member
I am notorious for having accidents...
I actually got into an accident this morning. Granted i didn't hit someone's car like @Amaury but a dog ran into the road as i was driving and i panicked and winded up in a ditch.
After accidentally killing my brother's dog that ran out in front of my car earlier this year, I guess i am willing to wreck myself to keep from killing someone else's pet.
(What is it with dogs running in front of my car lol)
I actually got into an accident this morning. Granted i didn't hit someone's car like @Amaury but a dog ran into the road as i was driving and i panicked and winded up in a ditch.
After accidentally killing my brother's dog that ran out in front of my car earlier this year, I guess i am willing to wreck myself to keep from killing someone else's pet.
(What is it with dogs running in front of my car lol)
TPerry
Well-known member
I try not to do that... seeing as about 85% of my transportation is done via motorcycle.If you are gonna do it, do it right huh... lolz
The only 2 accidents I've had on one was when I was 15 - that involved heavy rain, a little gray haired lady slamming on her brakes at a green light and me laying the bike down because like an idiot I locked the back brake up and didn't want to high side.
The other (was 17 at the time) was on something with a "little" more power to the rear wheel and showing out in front of some girls in bikini's. MC vs tree... tree won and I had a REAL pretty bruise on one leg that ran from the knee upwards to the the apex that was "really" a pretty purple for several days (not to mention making it hard to walk). Did about $2700 to the bike with that one but was still able to ride it home even though the handlebars were at funky angles as well as the front fork.
Neil E.
Active member
Please call these events what they are: collisions or crashes. With enough experience you can usually avoid them. As for animals in the road, don't panic and cause a collision. Most animals you will encounter are "squishables" and it's better to maintain control than brake/swerve/crash. I stop for animals if it's safe to do so (had to wait for a family of geese to cross the road today).
dangonay
Active member
Exactly this. I used to work with Transport Canada and ICBC (our local government insurance) doing accident investigations. People these days often get mad at how easily newer cars get damaged/crumpled and make the typical "they don't make them like they used to" comment. To that I say "good thing they don't".
Insurance companies know that it's far cheaper for them to repair (or even write off) a car then it is to pay for injury claims and medical bills. Much better for a car in a serous accident to crumple up into nothing while leaving the passenger compartment intact, then for the entire car to stay intact and transfer a ridiculous amount of force to the passengers.
TPerry
Well-known member
Problem is to often though you better have some "GAP" coverage, as what several of them will pay is not actually what the car is worth (as for payoff). Last 2 incidents involving my kids (neither one at fault) ended up costing us a couple of grand because of the difference in what the insurance paid and what was owed on the car.
Floyd R Turbo
Well-known member
I've hit deer and I've swerved to avoid them. One is collision, the other is under comprehensive. The rule is, don't swerve. Hit the deer. The deductible is lower.
My 'swerve' was at 65 MPH. I ended up in a sideways slide across the highway and stopped in the ditch after missing a road sign by 2". I did narrowly miss the deer, who was running down the middle of the road at 1 in the afternoon. Luckily, no one else was anywhere close to me. In fact, no one even saw me go off the road. Which could have been bad had I rolled.
My 'swerve' was at 65 MPH. I ended up in a sideways slide across the highway and stopped in the ditch after missing a road sign by 2". I did narrowly miss the deer, who was running down the middle of the road at 1 in the afternoon. Luckily, no one else was anywhere close to me. In fact, no one even saw me go off the road. Which could have been bad had I rolled.
dangonay
Active member
That's a different issue, though. You're talking about whether the insurance company gives you a fair payout and I'm talking about the fact it's cheaper to fix cars than people (and you can't replace people).
Speaking of "GAP" insurance (we call it Replacement Cost or Limited Depreciation), we had a customer at work who had Replacement Cost on his Rolls Royce (a $550k car). It was written off, but insurance fought with the customer over the meaning of "replacement cost". After the dust settled the customer got a brand-new Rolls worth $600K and the insurance company re-wrote their policy on Replacement Cost (high end luxury cars or exotics are no longer eligible). So he was the one and only person ever to get such an expensive car covered under that policy.
wedgar
Well-known member
Go figure, you pay for replacement cost in your insurance premium, you ought to get what you pay for if you have a loss.
dangonay
Active member
Go figure, you pay for replacement cost in your insurance premium, you ought to get what you pay for if you have a loss.
Well, he DID get a new car, worth $50K more than the one he had. From what I remember the wording in the contract was vague enough that they had to replace it. Now they've updated the wording to exclude high value cars.
I also remember the amount he paid for this replacement insurance was ridiculously small (not much more than you'd pay for your average car). So he really got his money's worth.
rainmotorsports
Well-known member
I remember my first accident. Thankfully it was just me slamming into a guard rail!
It was the day after I bought my 66' Austin Healey. The next morning I got into my daily driver and somehow forgot about the whole non power brakes versus power brakes half way into the trip. Went to go from 75 down to 25 and floored the brake... like I would have to in the Healey and of course in a power brake vehicle with no ABS I did a 4 wheel lock up into a slide and then face first into the guard rail.
My most recent accident was running over a deer. Im pulling the radiator to replace the water pump anyways so I am going to do the body work then.
It was the day after I bought my 66' Austin Healey. The next morning I got into my daily driver and somehow forgot about the whole non power brakes versus power brakes half way into the trip. Went to go from 75 down to 25 and floored the brake... like I would have to in the Healey and of course in a power brake vehicle with no ABS I did a 4 wheel lock up into a slide and then face first into the guard rail.
My most recent accident was running over a deer. Im pulling the radiator to replace the water pump anyways so I am going to do the body work then.
OSS 117
Well-known member
Less accidents would occur if people didn't swerve at high speeds. I'd rather see someone plow into another car than swerve, jump the barrier and take 3-4 cars on the other side with them in a blaze that kills a couple families. The best advice I was told as a kid, so a few millennia ago, was that a car is replaceable, you or your body parts are not.
TPerry
Well-known member
In the majority of my driving, I promise you I'll swerve instead of hitting the object if I can. The results of a motorcycle hitting a car at any kind of speed is not usually pretty.
You learn (if you are smart) at an early age riding them to ride defensively.
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