A rethink in my attitude

ottostreet

As some of ye are already aware, a close family relative of mine was killed on Sunday morning in a single car accident, a young man of 17 who had just completed his Leaving Cert. I know the assumption that people make (and indeed, I made) when you hear that combination 'crash+17 year old male+ early hours=speeding.'

Your assumption would be correct...it appears he was speeding. On a stretch of road that he knew like the back of his hand, a stretch of road I would drive very very regularly. It's not exactly what you would call a dangerous stretch. Wide, open, very very slight long bend. However, speeding isn't what appeared to have been the cause of the accident, it appears it was a tyre blowout at an estimated 70-75mph.

The last two days, I have had the opportunity to see what my own funeral would have been like if i had crashed on one of the nights of sheer driving lunacy i used to regularly have. He was a very similar person to me, in terms of what he did, what he wanted to do, what he drove, his interests and tastes, and in physical appearance. I saw the utter despair and hurt that each family member went through, and I saw the consuming loss that they all felt.

Since I started driving four years ago, I've had a somewhat relaxed attitude towards speed. I've been pulled over countless times, have had a good few penalty points, and have crashed cars. In the last year or so, I have calmed down a lot. I was never one for speeding around towns/villages or busy areas, but I was quite bold on motorways/national roads. I have more or less obeyed every limit for about the last year ( Partly down to penalty points, partly down to growing maturity), despite having a quicker car now than I've ever had. Despite my own driving, I've never had a problem with people speeding or going too fast on open roads, if that was what they felt like.

The passenger in the car with him Sunday morning escaped with a broken elbow. He has reported back every detail of what happened. And whats becoming obvious is that, with a lower speed, he might not have died. OK there's no guarantee, but apparently he struggled to keep control of the car for up to ten seconds prior to impact. If he had been going slower, he may not have hit the wall.

This young man was due to go to his debs tonight, after getting his Leaving Cert results last Wednesday. Right now, he should be at home, putting on his suit and texting his girlfriend. Instead, hes in his grave, wearing the same suit. I am sitting here, dressed in my funeral clothes, ready to get on with the rest of my life. In just over two days, you can be dead and buried, and thats it, the person you were is...gone.

I am not the only person on Boards who has lost a family member or friend in tragic circumstances. Far from it. I'm partly writing this to vent my own sadness, partly to tell you that the stereotype you form when you hear of a young drivers crash may not be true, and partly to say my new view on speeding.

It's not a case of 'all speeders must be shot' or that I'm gonna become one of the high horse brigade. It's more a case of....for every extra mph you go, the greater the chance that if something goes wrong, the less chance you have of escaping. This goes for old and young, girls & boys. Is the extra 5mph really worth the utter destruction of the lives of all around you?

I'm sorry for rambling on a bit, I'm still a bit upset. It's something you never see happening to you. But it can happen to you. His death has done what no advertisement on telly could ever hope to achieve. I saw the extent of his injuries, and it was a violent death. Quick, but violent. No mother should have to do what his mother had to do. No father should ever have identify his dead son by the remains of his arm. No brother should ever want to wear the bloodstained bracelet taken from his corpse. No sister should ever have to stroke the cold, dead, waxy hands in his coffin.

If you can at all, even just 5mph, just slow down a tiny bit. It could be what prevents you from becoming the latest headline.

af_thefragile

I'm really sorry to hear about the loss.

But I doubt there's much you can do if the tyre blows.
I guess the more important thing would be to make sure you tyres are in good condition before going out in the car...

My front tyres have a few cracks on them though they look very superficial but there's always a risk that they could give way and blow out... Which could be disaterous if on the motorway....

So I guess it does come down to it being important to mind the speed!

Owen

Sympathies, I've lost friends too on the roads. But speeding isn't the problem, and telling people to slow down isn't the solution.

CK2010

Sorry for your loss.

Nothing anyone says on here could make any of this easier for you, but im sure your post has made a fair few rethink their attitudes to driving, which might (hopefully) prevent others having to going through what you are.

corktina

af_thefragile wrote: »

I'm really sorry to hear about the loss.

But I doubt there's much you can do if the tyre blows.
I guess the more important thing would be to make sure you tyres are in good condition before going out in the car...

My front tyres have a few cracks on them though they look very superficial but there's always a risk that they could give way and blow out... Which could be disaterous if on the motorway....

So I guess it does come down to it being important to mind the speed!

if your tyres have cracks in them they need changing now before you kill someone, maybe yourself.

corktina

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Sympathies, I've lost friends too on the roads. But speeding isn't the problem, and telling people to slow down isn't the solution.

undoubtedly speed is a factor in this sad case.The slower you are going in an emergency, the better chance you have

af_thefragile

corktina wrote: »

if your tyres have cracks in them they need changing now before you kill someone, maybe yourself.

You can't see the side wall thread or anything. Its just cracks on the rubber from me hitting the kerb a few times. And they're expensive continental tyres.
Still I've got to be careful... Might get them replaced sometime in the future. Right now that's the least of the problems with the car. It needs new clutch and all, just standing in the driveway till I start working on it in my garage...

ottostreet

My post isn't really to create a discussion about speeding (god knows theres enough of them!), or to cause an argument or debate or anything.

Neither is it looking for sympathy, I'm not the one who needs it.

90% of those reading it won't care in any shape or form. Even though I think Plebs was nasty, I can see where his attitude is coming from. I'm not sure what the Bebo reference is to though.

I've heard that the tires weren't particularly old on the car either, but I'm not sure as to how true that is.

I don't doubt that telling people to slow down won't work. I don't think anything will, unless you see the effects of a crash yourself. I'm sure any AGS members on here would be able to offer their perspective on a serious crash.

I'm not even particularly sure why I'm saying to slow down. All I know is that I'm about to get on with the rest of my life, while his is over and done with. And who knows...if he'd been going even 5mph slower, he might have survived, or hit something softer. It's worked on me, there are times when I'd push the pedal down. And now, I'm gonna be too scared to. Even though I know speed limits are fairly arbitary figures.

Big Nasty

af_thefragile wrote: »

Might get them replaced sometime in the future

Touch wood but that comment could come under 'famous last words'. Your tyres are the only thing between you and the road. Change them - seriously!

Big Nasty

Otto - very sorry to hear about your loss dude.

af_thefragile

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Touch wood but that comment could come under 'famous last words'. Your tyres are the only thing between you and the road. Change them - seriously!

I've got to see how much money I've got left after I get all the parts fixed on my car... Like they're expensive tyres and have barely done 5000miles on them. They've barely lost any tread...

johnos1984

Hi Otto,

Very sad to read your message and to hear your news. Its very hard to understand the whys and hows when these events happen but rest assured somewhere in all this there is a positive somewhere, even if it is small and hard to see.

Even if its just people going out and checking their tyres, slow down a bit or even just thinking about their own driving. Its a large sacrifice to have to make to get people to do those things.

I had to witness a fatal accident near Roscrea a couple of years ago (I was driving behind as it all happened) and that put an end to any notions of speeding that I had. Its sad it took someones life to achieve that

My thoughts are with you and others affected by this sad news

-Chris-

Jesus, Ottostreet. That's an incredible post. Thanks for taking the time. It's making me rethink too.

My heart's with your family.

ottostreet wrote: »

My post isn't really to create a discussion about speeding (god knows theres enough of them!), or to cause an argument or debate or anything.

I was just about to say something like that. I don't think this is the place.

ottostreet wrote: »

90% of those reading it won't care in any shape or form. Even though I think Plebs was nasty, I can see where his attitude is coming from. I'm not sure what the Bebo reference is to though.

That post's deleted. Don't worry about it.

joanofarc

sorry for your loss, good therapy putting your feelings in words here, and i think more readers will take heed then you think. i certainly will. take care.

El Guapo!

Very sorry to hear about your loss Ottostreet.

Thats one hell of a post.

Seriously makes me think twice. Anyway, my sympathy and best wishes to you and your family.

dr.fuzzenstein

I'm very sorry to hear and you're right, this is not the time to point fingers and blame every young driver.
Sometimes stuff just happens, like in this case a tyre blowout, and nothing anyone could have done about it.
Sadly it's the nature of life that you never know the cards you have been dealt, or the rules of the game or even how your points are stacked up. I'm sorry to say it's not always fair and not always makes sense.
All you can do is take it one day at a time, never give up and just go on with life.
It's still an incredible journey and we're here to experience and to learn, it's not how long you play but how you play.

Ali Babba

I'm sorry for your loss too OP, I too have lost people dear to me, suddenly and over periods of time but i'm a firm believer that when your number's up it's up.

Wibbs

ottostreet that's one of the best posts I've read on this site, never mind forum. It's also one of the most measured on this subject. Deepest sympathies to you and yours. If just one person reads it and slows down and drives within their and their cars limits it will have been worth every one of your hard typed letters. Kudos.



FWIW otto a blowout can just happen. OK It's much more likely with old, worn and improperly inflated tyres, but it can happen even with new or nearly new tyres. Happened to me not too long ago. Had a front blow at near 60 in old money. They were less than 4 months old of easy driving. I was very lucky as I had enough room to manoeuvre and good brakes. Nothing to do with driver skill anyway. What ended up as a "you'll never guess" story in the pub for me could have very easily gone either way. So your post is sobering reading for me too.

Check your tyres folks. Weekly and before a long journey. So few do. Don't wait until the NCT to check your brakes(pads, disc wear and fluid levels) and steering components. Learn about them and if you feel its beyond you, then bring your car to someone who can check it for you. We tend to think so much of engines and horsepower and funky extras, but they won't save your life.

kerten

OP Sorry for your friend and his family. Your post is very meaningful.

I would like to add a different angle to fact you are pointing as I live in Ireland for 3 years only and drive every day. And driving habits in my home country is so different than here.

OP points that speeding is dangerous which is correct as less control on the car in any kind of situation.

All discussions around speeding ends up conclusion with speeding is dangerous so what is the proper speed we need to travel on roads?

Is obeying speed limits ok ? No I think it is dangerous sometimes

I think speed limits in back roads are set too high or too low most of the times. General approach I see in boards or everywhere is sticking with speed limits always which can be dangerous easily in poor backroads of Ireland.

I have no problem with motorways and national roads as they are designed in a safer way with hard shoulders, barriers and wider lanes. But backroads don't tolerate any mistakes of driver or fault in car like blown tyre.

Narrow Lanes + trees or walls next to lanes + sharp bends + potholes = you are always in danger because every human being is prone to do mistakes.

In my home country, we never obey speed limits(I know I know) but our roads tolerates small mistakes as they are designed with this expectations. They are not straight 6 lanes roads but there is always some tolerance. I drove fast back there but I never drove fast enough to feel unsafe. So we drive faster in comparison of speed but I feel safer there than irish backroads. Let me explain:

At backroads, I am one of slow drivers who doesn't stick to speed limits(80 km/h that my e46 3 series can't handle easily on this particular road continously) most of the time as I expect worst while driving. But on the road I see jeeps who turns bends at high speeds without seeing road ahead or tailgaiting ambitiously while you are doing 70 km/h on a 80 km/h road. I see many driver drives their car in its limits at bends like their tyre grip will be always same or braking on a sharp bend won't cause a spin. People always drive like there is nothing on this road other than themselves then can't react to hazards.

Let's take the OP's friend as an example. He can be perfect driver who travels in his supersport car at 70-75 mph at a backroad. what happens if a banger with bald tyres slides on a bend 15 cm and touches backside of his car. that's enough for a fatal crash for OP's friend while he didn't do any mistake other than speeding. Let's say this road has 80 kmh speed limit and he sticks to this limits in same situation, he may survive but injured badly.

So correct behaviour should be anticipating dangerous/risky areas in the road that other drivers can do mistakes easily and slow down there until you see a straight road to reduce damage


So I think people needs to learn to anticipate what is the safe speed on back roads regardless speed limits.

Irish backroads are not safest in the world so people should re-think about their driving habits at backroads for their safety

Wibbs

kerten wrote: »

Irish backroads are not safest in the world so people should re-think about their driving habits at backroads for their safety

I agree 100% kerten. Some, actually many of the speed limits on Irish backroads are daftly high. And too many Irish drivers see them as a target. I drive a yoke that is better than a large proportion of cars out there as far as handling at speed on the twisty bits and on many roads if I was to drive at near the limit it would be work, sometimes hard work and the car would be fighting the road. So I take it handy and yet I'll get passed by people in cars doing those speeds on the limit of adhesion and the drivers are blissfully unaware how close they may be to disaster. Yes its easy to point the finger at those drivers, but its a cultural thing too. Its not just young men either. Ignorance of speed and ignorant of the danger of what happens when their limits are breached. "Oh it can't happen to me/I've got four wheel drive/I have traction control/etc". Ive been unlucky enough to have come behind and seen three fatal crashes in my driving life. I dont mind admitting I had nightmares after. All but one weren't going that fast, but too fast for the road. In one way I was lucky, because it slowed me the hell down.

TCP/IP

You have a way with words that strike home more than any road safety authority could.
I dont know if this is right to say by super post.

Mr.David

An amazing post, I'm sure everyone who reads it will reflect in their own way on their driving habits.

Condolences to you and your extended family, I can only imagine how difficult the situation is.

Well done again though on the post, its definitely worth doing.





af_thefragile - maybe if you post some photos of the damage to the tyre you can get some opinions (on a separate thread obviously).

Big Nasty

One of the scariest spots in the country is the section of the N4 between Kilcock and Kinnegad. Many drivers take this route every morning / evening to avoid the €3? toll on the M4, probably costing themselves more in fuel then the relevant savings. That stretch of road is now reduced to 80kmph on a bumpy undulating road and I have regularly seen drivers doing 120kmph+ and overtaking on bends. I would consider myself as a pretty fast driver but this is truly scary stuff!

kerten

Wibbs wrote: »

Yes its easy to point the finger at those drivers, but its a cultural thing too. Its not just young men either. Ignorance of speed and ignorant of the danger of what happens when their limits are breached. "Oh it can't happen to me/I've got four wheel drive/I have traction control/etc".

Agreed Wibbs.

I think driving test in ireland can focus on backroads driving at higher speeds(60+ kmh) to assess driver's anticipation of narrow roads and bends.

I think questions about esp and abs to increase awareness of these systems can be useful to get people to understand that if you are in a position to need them, it means you have dangerous driving habits.

I have a strange guess about backroads as they are kept narrow and unlit on purpose to apply a psychological restriction on speeding to prevent accidents but it doesn't work.

just wanted to add;

A blown tyre is bad luck if tyre is not older than 4 years and not bald. But please don't buy cheapest possible chinese brand tyres when you shop for a tyre to save 10 euro per tyre. Expensive tyres are not for race cars only, they are expensive because they don't lose their grip quickly after a while. They have better quality control process to prevent faulty tyres to be sold Save on everything but not on tyres. At least go for known asian brands if you are on a budget not for linglong, sunny, triangle, etc.

chasm

Ottostreet, that has to be one of the most heartfelt and thought provoking posts i've ever read on boards, and I Thank You for sharing it with us.
May I extend my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

moonshadow

Otto as some one who has lost close relatives in collisions and also admit to being an auld fella of 39 years old,of the 142 guys that were in my final year 22 of them (that i know of) have died as a result of collisions,
Your post is one of grief,shock and sense.
My thoughts and sympathies go to you and your family,if this is not post of the day then it should be post of the month

dr.fuzzenstein

moonshadow wrote: »

Otto as some one who has lost close relatives in collisions and also admit to being an auld fella of 39 years old,of the 142 guys that were in my final year 22 of them (that i know of) have died as a result of collisions,

Otto's post was moving, but that is truly scary stuff!
There's a statistic that puts it into perspective, how is that possible?
That is carnage and I never thought it would be that bad.

techman

Great post.

Everyone should read it.

stealthyspeeder

Sorry for you loss ottostreet, Im genuinely moved by your post, going to check my tyres tomo morning.

knifey_spoonie

I dont think you can really put into words what reading that post does to you, It is the very first thing i have ever read on here that i have actually stoped and honestly thought about. This is the kind of thing we need out there, in road safety campaigns. It really hits home that driver training shouldn't start with a learners permit, it should start at 15/16.

Its a real thought provoking post, will I drive slower, I dont know, I sure as hell have thought hard about my driving in the past 10 minutes, and I think thats what alot of people out there have to do.

kwalshe

otto, as I read your post his face was glaring up at me from the cover of the carlow nationalist beside me. He is only a kid, he had only started life. I'm sorry for your loss.
Recently having my 3rd child made me slow down to be always under the limit. If i had not done it already, your post would have stopped me speeding.

Guy:Incognito

I really dont see how people can say it's not a speeding issue. Is it really just a comabtative attitude in response to authorities telling people to slow down or what?

The OP clearly said the guy was speeding. Theres a big difference between a blowout at 40mph and one at 70-75. In this case that difference has resulted in a huge loss for a lot of people. He might well have been killed ta 40 but chances are a lot better that he wouldnt. The faster your going the harder it's going to be to correct a problem or react to any emergency.

These things happen all too often under similar circumstances and beign pig headed and refusing to spow down because the evil government/Gaybo etc tells you too is not going to change that.

ottostreet

Stekelly wrote: »

I really dont see how people can say it's not a speeding issue. Is it really just a comabtative attitude in response to authorities telling people to slow down or what?

The OP clearly said the guy was speeding. Theres a big difference between a blowout at 40mph and one at 70-75. In this case that difference has resulted in a huge loss for a lot of people. He might well have been killed ta 40 but chances are a lot better that he wouldnt. The faster your going the harder it's going to be to correct a problem or react to any emergency.

These things happen all too often under similar circumstances and beign pig headed and refusing to spow down because the evil government/Gaybo etc tells you too is not going to change that.

Speaking from my own perspective, it has very little to do with government/Gaybo. Yes, the message 'slow down' is somewhat condescending in its message, but the real reason that I disregarded road safety messages is...it doesnt happen to me. It happens to strangers in donegal.

There is no way of getting people to slow down. I'm inclined to agree...why should they? We're all safe and secure in our cars...theyre our friends. This road...sure I know it well. Tonight, driving home from his burial, I had to force myself to press the pedal to go past 50mph. Every single vibration in the car had me gripping the steering wheel tighter. I pulled over three times to check my left front tire because I was convinced it was losing pressure (it wasn't).

The fact is....there is no fear. On my part, and with all the lads my age who were at the burial who I would know, there is a fear there now that just did not exist prior to Sunday morning. And I know that poor Shane struggled to keep control, and he would have seen what was coming, and it was going to hurt. I'm not saying slow down always, or having a holier-than-thou attitude towards it. All I know is that the probability of Shane surviving that crash would have been far higher if he had not been speeding, even though speeding itself wasnt the reason he crashed. And that fact is what has terrified me.

Tea 1000

ottostreet wrote: »

Speaking from my own perspective, it has very little to do with government/Gaybo. Yes, the message 'slow down' is somewhat condescending in its message, but the real reason that I disregarded road safety messages is...it doesnt happen to me. It happens to strangers in donegal.

There is no way of getting people to slow down. I'm inclined to agree...why should they? We're all safe and secure in our cars...theyre our friends. This road...sure I know it well. Tonight, driving home from his burial, I had to force myself to press the pedal to go past 50mph. Every single vibration in the car had me gripping the steering wheel tighter. I pulled over three times to check my left front tire because I was convinced it was losing pressure (it wasn't).

The fact is....there is no fear. On my part, and with all the lads my age who were at the burial who I would know, there is a fear there now that just did not exist prior to Sunday morning. And I know that poor Shane struggled to keep control, and he would have seen what was coming, and it was going to hurt. I'm not saying slow down always, or having a holier-than-thou attitude towards it. All I know is that the probability of Shane surviving that crash would have been far higher if he had not been speeding, even though speeding itself wasnt the reason he crashed. And that fact is what has terrified me.

That's the key there. No fear, or sense of self destruction, complacency behind the wheel. Speed is what those other nut-cases do... not me, I only do 80 when it's safe... Admittedly, we all have it. I know I do.
But at the end of the day, if everyone did slow down that 5mph or 10mph, then the chances of surviving that odd-ball freak external attribute that causes the accident are drastically increased.
Speed isn't the cause of all the accidents, but reduced speed actually is one of the most effective solutions! There'll always be external errors, they can be reduced by checking tyres, educating dumb other drivers, filling dangerous pot-holes, whatever. But reduced speed increases your chances of coping with one of those external factors.
My sympathies on your family's loss Otto. Fair play for posting.

tom traubert

To Ottostreet.

Much respect to you for choosing to post and create this thread on what is a numbing day for you and your extended family. The manner in which you posted leaves me somewhat at a loss for words to be honest.

I believe you may have done a great service for a lot of people who read through your thoughts tonight and in the coming days, I certainly hope so!

Another poster said something along the lines of ...... but speeding isn't the problem and telling people to slow down isn't the solution.

To that person I'd say two things:

If you can't acknowledge that speed is a factor in many deaths due to road collisions then you're simply not worth engaging with.

If you think it's acceptable to wade in with a vacuous two liner such as the one you posted after the opening post then you're simply not worth engaging with.

Voodoomelon

Sorry to hear of your loss OP, my sympathies.

Whilst in this case a lower speed may have resulted in no loss of life, I still don't believe not conforming to the posted speed limit is dangerous. In a lot of cases, the posted speed limit is completely unsuited to the road that is being driven on, whether it be too high or too low.

Thats why to me it is nonsensical to just follow whatever limit you see. Its all about doing the appropriate speed for the road you are on, and the present conditions. You could say that a slower speed might have saved your friend, but could also have killed his passenger, you just don't know.

Any whilst my heart goes out to you and yours (and everytime I read a story like this it does make me a bit more aware on the road afterwards), it doesn't change my attitude towards speed (excessive speed yes, but not "speeding" as such).

Sorry to hear about this, very sad situation. A friend of mine died the autumn after we did the leaving back in 1999. I see his brother occasionally who is still grieving. Still think of him myself quite a lot. My Dad's brother was killed in 1975 in a fire (he was a fireman), Dad I think, never quite got over it. Time helps but you'll always miss your friend, missing lost ones can be a comfort in a strange way. Do all you can to ensure you don't go the same way, I've never seen a post thanked as much as yours.

Tea drinker

ottostreet wrote: »

If you can at all, even just 5mph, just slow down a tiny bit. It could be what prevents you from becoming the latest headline.

All I can do is agree with you, 5 mph can make the difference.

Very sorry for your loss, it must be very difficult for the family

patrickc

Ottostreet, my sympathies are with you and your family. I know the spot well where it happened. R.I.P

something in the last year has made me slow down alot, but this also hits home, could of easy been me, or any of my Carlow friends etc.

Thanks for your post

djimi

Otto Im very sorry for your loss man.

I have to say that is an incredible post. Reading that has had more effect on me than any RSA campaign Ive ever seen. I cant even begin to imagine what you are going thru at this time, and your post has made me stop and think about how I drive. I dont speed a lot, but it only takes one time, one incident, and perhaps your words will come to my mind the next time I find myself going a little too fast. I hope that your post has the same effect on everyone who reads it.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

dill park

Otto i know ur not looking for sympathy but sorry for ur loss. Your post has really made me think about how fast i drive nd how often i change my tyres. I dont speed much anyway but it has definitely made me think about how i drive on motorways nd open(safe) roads.

unkel

What a sad loss of such a young life. I can't imagine the pain all who knew him are suffering right now, especially his parents

ottostreet wrote: »

Since I started driving four years ago, I've had a somewhat relaxed attitude towards speed. I've been pulled over countless times, have had a good few penalty points, and have crashed cars.

Not having a go at you at all, ottostreet and your composure in your original post is amazing. But above is what's the problem with young (both inexperienced and poorly educated thus pretty incompetent) drivers in this country. The "I did some stupid things when I was young" culture is killing people here who will never even make it to be able to say those words

Mint Sauce

Sorry for your loss ottostreet, and thank you for your post.

Brendog

Can one of the Administrators save OP's post please?


That post alone hit me harder than any road safety ad.
It serious dropped my jaw.





Thank you for this valuable insight
and also sorry for your loss. Take care bro...

Muas Tenek

Brendog wrote: »

Can one of the Administrators save OP's post please?


That post alone hit me harder than any road safety ad.
It serious dropped my jaw.





Thank you for this valuable insight
and also sorry for your loss. Take care bro...

I would suggest that this post should be stickyed for a while to remind us every day to take care of ourselves out there.
If we all take a little more time to think of this then the OP's friends passing will have done some good.

Sincerest sympathies on your loss.

af_thefragile

Muas Tenek wrote: »

I would suggest that this post should be stickyed for a while to remind us every day to take care of ourselves out there.
If we all take a little more time to think of this then the OP's friends passing will have done some good.

Sincerest sympathies on your loss.

I guess yeah.

This would make me think twice before speeding... Though I don't usually speed, but it'll make me be extra careful. Especially about looking after my car tyres and such as well as being careful on the roads...

Gary ITR

We have seen figures that prove stickies are not read or are missed and for that reason alone we'll leave it unstuck for now.


Ottostreet that is a heartbreaking post and fair play for making it. Thoughts are with you and your family

SV

As some may be aware here, myself and ottostreet are close friend in real life.
As most should be aware here my attitude to driving and speeding has always been..wreckless at best.

We grew up with this attitude to driving, that it was all grand to drive however we wanted as long as there was noone else around. We got lucky to get away without even an injury and we didn't even realise how lucky until this happened..it has stopped my in my tracks.



This tragic event has made me think in a way that no television advert ever could, that no Garda ever could, that no stern words from the parents ever could.
I'm out at ottostreets house now and for the first time, since I started driving, I drove out here at and below the speed limit. The road was completely empty.
Not because I believe the speed limits are there for a reason but because I drove at the speeds at which I know I could control the car under..This has removed any delusions I had about how things would happen should I lose control.

The fact is you don't know when something will happen and you don't know how you will react if it ever does..My driving now has just increased my chances of keeping the car under control..that's all it has done but it's all that can be done short of refusing to drive.


I don't know how to word my thoughts properly on this subject really without going into details of how it happened and out of respect for ottostreet I won't be doing that.
however..even if you feel that you're not driving dangerously..just think about some common problems that could happen with your own car and think, could you control it right now at this speed if that happened? if the answer is no, then slow down..because you never know if it will happen.



R.I.P Shane, I never got to know you but you've changed me for the better.

psycho-hope

Otto, my thoughts are with you, your family and your cousins friends tonight, if your post here today makes just one person stop and think about there speed then your cousins death wont have been in vain.

R.I.P

Slidey

Excellently composed post OP and my thoughts are with you and your family.

My friend used to be a bit of a loon on the road but luckily got away with it. Then he started to drive for a tow-truck crowd that has the Garda contract. He said nothing has ever affected him more than lifting car after car (and motorbikes) after they were involved in fatal accidents.

Davidth88

Otto,

My sympathies to you ,your family and friends . A great , well written and very thought provoking post.

Thanks for taking the time.