Car crash at 75mph: was I lucky?

Arequipa

Approx 1 week ago I was driving on a motorway.
I was travelling at 75mph on the inside/slow lane. I had been working very hard and was quite tired. Also I was taking antihitamines for really bad hayfever.
Long story short...i think i closed my eyes without realising it. I opened them & i had drifted across the hard shoulder...I opened then and i was just about to enter the grass verge. I swung the steering wheel to the right and applied the brakes...the car skidded across the two lanes and smashed into the concrete meridian..the 2 air bags exploded and the car bounced back across the road and stopped just on the hard shoulder.
I would consider myself a good driver and jhave never had an accident before.
Subsequently, i pushed the door open, got out and called the police etc..the car engine caught fire and all my stuff in the car & the car was destroyed.
I have a slight pain in the chest from the seatbelt and a couple of scrapes on my arm; i have been checked out and no injuries to me at al thank God...

I realise now that I was more tired than i realise. I feel really bad for potentially putting other road users at risk...
Luckily there were no other cars beside me, just behind me or in front of me...
I will never drive in a sleepy state again...


So given the details: was I lucky to escape uninjured?
I am just trying to come to terms with what happened..

Thank you..

PLUG71

Wow, glad you are ok.

Its a scary thing to happen at that speed and hitting the armco barrier I would say you were very lucky not to get any injury.

Tiredness is scary because it creeps up on you especially motorway driving!

dutopia

Yes you were very lucky. The fact that you opened your eyes before hitting the verge and applied the brakes coupled with steering probably slowed the car down enough to lessen the impact. Also, you were wearing your seatbelt and the airbags went off. If any of these factors were different it could have been a much worse outcome.

dmc17

All things considered I would say yes. Considering the circumstances of the crash I can think of many worse outcomes but not too many better outcomes than not hitting anyone else and escaping uninjured.

Arequipa

Thanks for the reply...
Just to riiterate, i feel bad for allowing myself to get that sleepy..
There is no issue with the guards at all, as luckily the only person and car damaged was mine..
if there was a car in the fast lane beside me or a big truck behind, the outcome could have been a lot worse...

PLUG71

Arequipa wrote: »

Thanks for the reply...
Just to riiterate, i feel bad for allowing myself to get that sleepy..
There is no issue with the guards at all, as luckily the only person and car damaged was mine..
if there was a car in the fast lane beside me or a big truck behind, the outcome could have been a lot worse...

Dont beat yourself up over it!

Your fine and your wheels can be replaced.

CiniO

In general having accident at 120km/h and having no injuries is very lucky anyway.

You shouldn't have driven so tired in a first place but putting this aside, if you had advanced driver training to be able to recover from skids, in the moment you opened your eyes, and sharply turned your wheel and braked, you could probably easily recovered from it if you knew how.

That's why I think it's important to have training and constant practice of recovering from skids, as otherwise skid = accident, which doesn't need to be the case.

projectgtr

Yes your very lucky! This wasn't on the m50 after the toll plaza by any chance?

Arequipa

I wont reveal too many details...but there was some valuable stuff of mine in the car and i sorta think i could have gone back and taken them out...it took the fire 20 -25 minutes to really engulf the car...but as my brother said; these things are all replacable;you are not....

When i got an xray; the woman said, 'ah yea...the car is gone,...could have been you...'

Arequipa

No mate, I wont say where it happened, but it was a few weeks ago...

Gmol

You were very lucky to walk away from that, as said the car etc are replaceable

coffeepls

Glad to hear you're ok - I think I'm going to be way more wary about driving if a little tired thanks to your story. It's just too easy to think "ah I'll be grand, I'll be home in no time" sometimes when you're tired.

goz83

Very lucky!!! But you may have injuries you are unaware of. I was reaer ended at maybe half that speed a couple of months ago and my lower back injury wasn't obvious, due to neck injury/pain getting the most attention. It was a month before the lower back pain really kicked in and I now need surgery for a herniated disc. I haven't been able to drive for 2 weeks now, because my condition has deteriorated. Glad you were able to walk away though OP.

eviltwin

Very lucky, I'm sorry you lost your car and belongings but it could have been so much worse. It takes times to get past these things, don't be afraid to seek help if you need to talk it through.

NIMAN

Very very lucky, glad to hear you survived without any great damage.

Are you able to tell us what type of car you were in?

Arequipa

I wont say what the car was, just as insurance situ isnt sorted yet... But it was a few years old..
Also, she looked after me well; the 2 airbags blew and the seatbelt restrained me..

Nothing prepares you for the impact and those airbags exploding: it was like the biggest punch in the chest i could imagine..

At one point as i hit the barrier, my thought was fcuk... The car it gona roll over: this would have possibly caused more injuries...
Thankfully it careered back across and onto the hardshoulder..

BrianD3

Shows the value of a median barrier - had that happened a few years ago on an Irish motorway you'd likely have been across the median into traffic on the other carriageway. Some of the most dangerous situations on a motorway are:

-Vehicles on the wrong carriageway driving against the traffic
-vehicles crossing the median
-people sitting in vehicles stopped in the hard shoulder

Losing control due to falling asleep or some other reason and striking the median barrier while driving a modern car with your seatbelt on - you were lucky enough but still, I'd expect to survive that with minor injuries.

Renegade Mechanic

Glad to hear you made it out, op. I wouldn't call it "lucky". The very term gives people an often fatal sense of security. A large number of factors came together for you. Waking up, braking slide slowing you down, being belted up, being in a good solid car and, mainly, being alone. Whose to say some warehouse worker called in sick and was off the road, out of your line at that moment, as a result? The amount of variables in any situation are far too many to think of.
The mistake people make is imagining the same variables will happen next time. They may not. You just happened to make it out. The best thing you can do is move on quickly with little thought of it and better prepare for the future. Being that tired at the wheel suggests you lead a very busy lifestyle that doesnt allow for much rest but no job is worth your life. Dont dwell on it because only the negatives will stick, get another vehicle and stay going. But get more rest.

pa990

next time dont brake and swerve

Do one or the other.

Arequipa

Thanks mate! Yea, you dont often realise the speed you are doing on the motorway & because of their nature; they do lull you into a false sense of security..
In many ways, you felt more alert on the old bational roads, because of their twists and turns, slowing for villages etc...

fits

I took antihistamines once and it was like being drugged. Very wary of them now.

Ardennes1944

I was in a crash last December at 120kph where I almost t-boned another car OP (their fault), I hopped out with a mild graze on my arm. That was a 12 year old BMW, cars are fantastically strong

DubVelo

You crashed at 75mph? Yeah, of course you were pretty damn lucky.
If you'd drifted into a grass verge the car could have pulled sideways, wheels dug side-on into the soft ground and ended up rolling and at that speed you'd have rolled several times.

As for your 'valuables', fingers and toes and eyes, they're your valuables, no sense going back to a burning car. Stuff is just... you know... stuff.


One thing though; does the little leaflet with your antihistamines say 'Don't operate heavy machinery' by any chance?
Drugs and driving do not mix well.

smemon

i know the feeling of being super tired and facing a long, boring drive home...

apart from stopping somewhere for a few minutes to get a drink / food / stretch legs / have a short nap (which is obviously the recommended course of action), roll down the window and get some cold air hitting your face... or take a different route home on a road you're not that familiar with...

turn on the cabin lights for a while too or keep some baby wipes around to rub your face with or listen to the radio rather than an iPod / CD... basically you wanna **** up your senses and routine as that will put you on high alert / keep you awake.

if you find yourself tired regularly, buy one of those driver sleep alarm things that goes over your ear for extra peace of mind..

Arequipa

The anti histamines i take are the one a day.. Generic version of Zirtec: think they are called ceti relief: they are meant to be the least drowsy inducing...
Without them, my hayfever symptoms get really bad...
The pollen count seems to be at its highest from late May to about mid-July & then it eases off again...

I inagine a lot of people on the roads at the moment take some form of hayfever tablets...

Marcusm

Cetirizine only induces drowsiness in a very small number of users; if you are prone to it then you are either going to have to stop driving, stop taking cetirizine or start taking a stimulant alongside the cetirizine. To do otherwise, risks a repeat of your unfortunate experience.

DubVelo

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?medicine=Cetirizine%20tablets

This medicine may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.

Sorry, but this is why your car is in pieces all over the road.

visual

You should be prosecuted for dangerous driving as a minimum. So yes your very lucky

Jesus.

For feck's sake, why do the HHB always swoop down on threads like this?

The bloke was taking a tablet for Hayfever FFS. If everyone who took tablets for minor ailments were to stop driving, the whole Country would grind to a halt in the morning.

He was tired and made a mistake. Get over it.

bear1

visual wrote: »

You should be prosecuted for dangerous driving as a minimum. So yes your very lucky

He has lost his car, his valuable belongings, has pains in his body, will definitely have a higher insurance premium and more than likely still in shock.
Yet he should also be prosecuted
He made a mistake and has paid for it in my mind, no need to add salt to the injury with a stupid post.

porsche boy

ignore visual's post suggesting you be done for dangerous driving, he's an ass.

I work in Tallaght, on my feet all day every day in a cold garage. I then have to get in my comfy warm car and do my nest to stay awake for the drive home.

I'm not ashamed to say I have pulled in to various garages to have a snooze, sometimes it's hit me so hard I've had to pull into the hard shoulder for a rest.

my wife gives me a hard time over it as on occasion I have been over an hour late home but at the end of it all I'm staying safe and protecting other drivers on the road too.

The other thing about it is I regularly see the same dozen or so cars doing the same as me so I never ffelr too bad!!!

visual

bear1 wrote: »

He has lost his car, his valuable belongings, has pains in his body, will definitely have a higher insurance premium and more than likely still in shock.
Yet he should also be prosecuted
He made a mistake and has paid for it in my mind, no need to add salt to the injury with a stupid post.

if he isn't fit to be driving he shouldn't be behind the wheel. Its stupid selfish acts like this that kill others on the road.

Jesus.

visual wrote: »

if he isn't fit to be driving he shouldn't be behind the wheel. Its stupid selfish acts like this that kill others on the road.

CarrickMcJoe

Jesus. wrote: »

For feck's sake, why do the HHB always swoop down on threads like this?

The bloke was taking a tablet for Hayfever FFS. If everyone who took tablets for minor ailments were to stop driving, the whole Country would grind to a halt in the morning.

He was tired and made a mistake. Get over it.

+1 and at least he's not heading up to your dad.

visual

Jesus. wrote: »

There is a reason they put tachograph in lorries and why your advised not to drive when tired but it really goes over your head that driving tired is as if not more dangerous than drunk

so lest of the sarcastic remarks

whiskeyman

You were very lucky and I hope you're recovering after a very scary experience.
Thank you for your post and id almost recommend you post into newspapers anonymously.
Accidents due to tired drivers are a huge problem, and we don't take it seriously enough IMO .
You've learned the hard way and I hope someone who has read your post realises that feeling tired or woozy could have serious consequences.

Renegade Mechanic

smemon wrote: »

i know the feeling of being super tired and facing a long, boring drive home...

apart from stopping somewhere for a few minutes to get a drink / food / stretch legs / have a short nap (which is obviously the recommended course of action), roll down the window and get some cold air hitting your face... or take a different route home on a road you're not that familiar with...

turn on the cabin lights for a while too or keep some baby wipes around to rub your face with or listen to the radio rather than an iPod / CD... basically you wanna **** up your senses and routine as that will put you on high alert / keep you awake.

if you find yourself tired regularly, buy one of those driver sleep alarm things that goes over your ear for extra peace of mind..

All good but Id have to disagree with one point: turning on interior lights greatly reduces your vision of the road at night so might not be the best course of action in most cases.

Arequipa

Hey! Yea, i made a mistake & accept responsibility for it...
I think making mistakes is part of the human condition... The key is to learn from it & not make it again....

Visual, is entitled to his opinion... 'Off with their heads & all that...'

I think the boring nature of motorway driving & warm, humid weather does contribute to people feeling drowsy/sleepy....

DubVelo

Jesus. wrote: »

For feck's sake, why do the HHB always swoop down on threads like this?

The bloke was taking a tablet for Hayfever FFS. If everyone who took tablets for minor ailments were to stop driving, the whole Country would grind to a halt in the morning.

He was tired and made a mistake. Get over it.

Tablets for hayfever are commonly known to cause drowsiness and impair coordination and reactions. A quick Google says they can be as bad as drinking and driving. The OP crashed their car on a big wide empty road FFS!

I had an ex who couldn't be trusted not to walk in front of traffic after taking them, never mind drive.

Anyway no one got hurt, lesson learned...

bear1

visual wrote: »

if he isn't fit to be driving he shouldn't be behind the wheel. Its stupid selfish acts like this that kill others on the road.

Sometimes it takes a stern lesson to learn the consequences.
The OP has been lucky in that no other cars where around him and has admitted that his lesson is learnt.
There would be no gain in prosecuting him other than to further impede his life.
I have also once fallen asleep at the wheel (no medication was involved nor alcohol), I was driving in Europe at around 2/3am and needed to arrive at whatever place by whatever o clock.
I was knackered and knew I wouldn't make it the whole way and was looking for a place to get an hours sleep.
I never made it and instead woke up with the car bouncing off the median.
I also learnt my lesson that day not to ever take such a chance again and I've stuck by it.
So no, the OP does not deserve prosecution at all.

visual

Arequipa wrote: »

Hey! Yea, i made a mistake & accept responsibility for it...
I think making mistakes is part of the human condition... The key is to learn from it & not make it again....

Visual, is entitled to his opinion... 'Off with their heads & all that...'

I think the boring nature of motorway driving & warm, humid weather does contribute to people feeling drowsy/sleepy....

its precisely because of this reply I don't think you realise that your are a danergous driver and should have been prosecuted for it.

Feeling drowsy sleeply on boring motorway are all the warning signs you needed to pull over but you knew you where tired taking a drug that makes you more susceptible to falling asleep (warning on the packet) but you selfishly put other road users at risk with a ton and half missle going 120kph while you get a few zzzs

you should read up on micro sleep
its when someone is over tired is forcing themselves to stay awake but the body shuts down anyway. What they preceive is a blink is sechonds and the longer they fight the sleep the longer these miro sleeps become until they drift of completly.

It not an accident or a mistake you fell asleep at wheel it is totally preventable. No one would accept a drunk driver calling it an accident or mistake neither should you.

What you done was dangerous driving and it is only luck that you didn't kill someone else.

Patrickheg

CiniO wrote: »

you could probably easily recovered from it if you knew how.

Wow that's condescending. Not everyone is as great a driver as you.

visual

bear1 wrote: »

Sometimes it takes a stern lesson to learn the consequences.
The OP has been lucky in that no other cars where around him and has admitted that his lesson is learnt.
There would be no gain in prosecuting him other than to further impede his life.
I have also once fallen asleep at the wheel (no medication was involved nor alcohol), I was driving in Europe at around 2/3am and needed to arrive at whatever place by whatever o clock.
I was knackered and knew I wouldn't make it the whole way and was looking for a place to get an hours sleep.
I never made it and instead woke up with the car bouncing off the median.
I also learnt my lesson that day not to ever take such a chance again and I've stuck by it.
So no, the OP does not deserve prosecution at all.

It was other road users that are lucky. Driving tired is a big killer on our roads much more dangerous than drink driving or speeding.

From all the OP posts it appears he felt he made a mistake but that isn't the case. It was and is preventable, it is a choice that was made and it is dangerous driving.

Being tired feeling drowsy feeling sleepy are all more than enough reasons to pull off the road.

Arequipa

Visual, i accept your opinion & that when you put a thread on a public forum; you have to be prepared for all types of responses..

Obviously you are a perfect human being, who has never made any mistakes & never done anything out of order your whole life...

I mention the fact that the design of motorways and warm, humid weather can contribute to drowsiness..
I was feeling a bit sleepy but opened window, played music and didnt realise how tired i actually was...
Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone....

bear1

visual wrote: »

its precisely because of this reply I don't think you realise that your are a danergous driver and should have been prosecuted for it.

Feeling drowsy sleeply on boring motorway are all the warning signs you needed to pull over but you knew you where tired taking a drug that makes you more susceptible to falling asleep (warning on the packet) but you selfishly put other road users at risk with a ton and half missle going 120kph while you get a few zzzs

you should read up on micro sleep
its when someone is over tired is forcing themselves to stay awake but the body shuts down anyway. What they preceive is a blink is sechonds and the longer they fight the sleep the longer these miro sleeps become until they drift of completly.

It not an accident or a mistake you fell asleep at wheel it is totally preventable. No one would accept a drunk driver calling it an accident or mistake neither should you.

What you done was dangerous driving and it is only luck that you didn't kill someone else.

visual wrote: »

It was other road users that are lucky. Driving tired is a big killer on our roads much more dangerous than drink driving or speeding.

From all the OP posts it appears he felt he made a mistake but that isn't the case. It was and is preventable, it is a choice that was made and it is dangerous driving.

Being tired feeling drowsy feeling sleepy are all more than enough reasons to pull off the road.

It's very easy to sit back in your chair and become a keyboard warrior, what isn't easy however is to put a thread up and admit to others that you have made a grave mistake which could have cost the OPs life and those around him.
He should play the lotto he was so lucky but I for one will not say how stupid/irresponsible he was as I'd be a hypocrite.
He made the mistake, it's over and that's it.
You are trying now to get a rise out of people by posting these kind of posts, you've said your bit and that's it.

visual

Arequipa wrote: »

Visual, i accept your opinion & that when you put a thread on a public forum; you have to be prepared for all types of responses..

Obviously you are a perfect human being, who has never made any mistakes & never done anything out of order your whole life...

I mention the fact that the design of motorways and warm, humid weather can contribute to drowsiness..
I was feeling a bit sleepy but opened window, played music and didnt realise how tired i actually was...
Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone....

Your still convince you made a mistake and was unlucky to have crashed.

This is why I strongly believe you should have been prosecuted for dangerous driving and banned from driving.

We all make mistakes and bad judgements while you where slightly injured and car damaged but you escaped prosecution and only by luck didn't kill anyone and end up on man slather charges.

Its good in one way you posted your experience as it highlights the lack of awareness on the subject.

We will have to agree to disagree as I'm only repeating myself.
There is no excuse for falling asleep at the wheel.

slimjimmc

Patrickheg wrote: »

Wow that's condescending. Not everyone is as great a driver as you.

Perhaps you didn't read all CiniO's post in it's entirety, you seem to have missed or ignored the bit where he predicated that with
" if you had advanced driver training to be able to recover from skids".

What he said was perfectly correct, if the driver was trained to know how to deal the loss of control he probably could have easily recovered. That's not condescending.

Patrickheg

slimjimmc wrote: »

Perhaps you didn't read all CiniO's post in it's entirety, you seem to have missed or ignored the bit where he predicated that with
" if you had advanced driver training to be able to recover from skids".

What he said was perfectly correct, if the driver was trained to know how to deal the loss of control he probably could have easily recovered. That's not condescending.

In my opinion the use of the word "easily" is extremely condescending.

Blue Whale

Renegade Mechanic wrote: »

. Being that tired at the wheel suggests you lead a very busy lifestyle that doesnt allow for much rest but no job is worth your life. Dont dwell on it because only the negatives will stick, get another vehicle and stay going. But get more rest.

Back when I worked full time and studied at night, while commuting a far bit, I was smacking myself in the face to wake up in the mornings, completely not worth it, dangerous. Enough Sleep is ridiculously important!

ShatterProof

Patrickheg wrote: »

In my opinion the use of the word "easily" is extremely condescending.

You must be easily upset.

OP was lucky.

Other road users were extremely lucky.

Jesus.

There's a troll at play on this thread. Don't respond to him and he'll go away.