Ever been in a car crash?

ScummyMan

Driving back to college this evening, narrow enough road between Tipp Town and Limerick with bends everywhere. Got caught behind a Corsa going slow enough, not crazy slow mind you, around 70km/h. Some lunatic stuck behind me decides to overtake both me and the Corsa, coming towards a bend on a solid white line.

Of course just as he was passing me a car comes round the corner towards him. He had nowhere to go it looked like there was a head on at speed coming. I slammed on the brakes and he managed to squeeze in between me and the Corsa and skid into the hard shoulder, but there was literally inches in it.

Not going to lie it shook me up a bit, I'm not driving long and that's the closest I've come to a crash. I can only imagine how terrifying an actual crash is, anyone have any similar stories?

Well done on the quick thinking

Never *touchwood*

javagal

Yeah A pretty serious one when I was 18, was a backseat passenger when someone pulled out on a junction at fonthill road and hit into the side of us.
lucky to escape with a broken collar bone and bad bruising over my whole body.
makes me a very careful driver though.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Yep. Rear ended two travelers in a transit van one night. Pitch black out, I could see their brake lights, and I was slowing down as I approached them. Next thing: Bang!

I got out first, then I copped that they'd been towing a trailer, no lights, number plate, reflectors no nothing on it. Then I heard their accent and I just thought "oh shyte."

I pointed out to them that they should have had something on the trailer to make it visible, they didn't quite concur, funnily enough. I got the impression that they were looking for money off me on the spot, so I decided to say "I've no money on me anyway, so we'll have to do it properly, get the guards involved and go through my insurance."

Thought I was gonna get a hiding then, but they just totally ignored me, turned on their heel and got outta there. I became a bit more careful after that though!

Kathy22

yeh I was in one a few years back. Some guy was speeding over a bridge and after coming over the hump of the bridge he realised there was a traffic jam in front of him. He swerved to my side of the road, I had to swerve into the side of the road and took out 2 giant road blocks and destroyed the front of my car. He tried to drive away and I swear to God I never knew I had so much anger and strength in me but I sat on his bonnet and made him pull in. He admitted liability but it was an absolute pain as I had only recently had eye surgery (one month) and ended up going back in due to burst stictches. His excuse for coming to my side of the road? He saw a baby on board sign on the car at the end of the traffic jam. Scared me to bits and I have zero tolerance for speeders as a result. I think the way people act on the road reflects how they are in life, inconsiderate, selfish knobs!!!!

KERSPLAT!

3 in the space of a year, 2 when I was driving, only one in anyway serious. That was 9 years ago, thankfully none since.

LenaClaire

I have been a passenger during 2. Both were cause by snow and black ice and loss of traction. It is scary knowing the driver has no control.

Luckily, both ended with no injuries.

_Brian

Unfortunately yes.
2009, guy in a large fully loaded transit came out a side road and blindsided me.
Permanent injuries to neck, shoulder ad lower back. Had to change work because if it and change lifestyle. In pain each and every day as a result.

On the bright side for a split second I thought he was going to kill me.

Greenmachine

Yes I have been a passenger in a that was side swiped by an articulated truck on the n4. Luckily it was the cab or we could have ended up under the truck. Polish driver in the truck couldn't speak a word of english.

Buona Fortuna

I was in the back of a lorry in the 80s trundling along about 40mph. Car comes up behind us and overtakes. Only thing was in front of us up the road was a car stopped turning right, and another car coming towards us.

The overtaking car jumps in front of the lorry and stands on his brakes - I suppose at that point he had little choice.

The lorry jammed on. Locked the wheels and we were off skidding, for what was obviously a few seconds but looking back seems like several minutes. The lorry driver is running out of road. So he puts the lorry acoss the road and down a bank.

Going across the carriageway the oncoming car hits our left hand rear mudguard. Lorry goes down the bank and nearly rolls but rights itself.

No one was physically hurt. The car that caused it fecked off double quick. When we got out the lorry and up the bank, the girl in the front seat of the car we hit was still sitting there, white as a sheet. The bonnet of the car had folded itself right up to her windshield and thankfully stopped, but she was well shaken.

Pinch Flat

Met by a car coming up the wrong side of the m7 one evening with full beams on - that's what made me cop him it would have been too late to avoid if I had if assumed it was coming up the overtaking lake going the opposite direction

Moved left to avoid him, but as he passed a woman in front of me panicked and stopped in the middle if the motorway. The new bridgestones I had fitted a few days earlier probably saved my life.

Graces7

Twice just since moving to Kerry. Once on the narrow top lane here when a car sailed round a bend and the driver went glassy eyed and made no attempt to avoid the collision. I swerved to avoid him but....I was livid and near home and needed the loo desperately so I made him clear the road,, he followed me home but never got out of the car then sent the Gardai round and claimed he had been stopped all the time. Only learned later he is the local drug dealer.... started then harrassing me in public. Account for the glassy eyed look

Second time recently... was driving home from Killarney, nearing Torc Waterfall, and I always drive very slowly along there as the car park is chaos.

A big red car was preparing to turn right and of course I expected the man to stop.. he didnt and I realised in that split second that he was not looking in my direction....Dreadful moment when you realise a crash is unavoidable and that you might get killed.

Delighted with my reactions; saw there was oncoming traffic and I could not use the other side of the road, so braked and swerved. A young Italian in a hire car who had a terrible shock as he was of course driving on the wrong side of the road... Kept saying "I didnt see you"

An Australian couple saw the event and the Italian admitted it was entirely his fault so I filled his hire car company form out for him, along with the Australian. Felt so sorry for the guy.

His car was a mess;tyre and wing... I drive a little Suzuki WagonR and they are built like tanks and minimal damage.. wasnt wearing seat belt and took week for my ribs to calm down and I am now very jumpy re folk coming out of side roads.

Been driving 50 years and never a collision before

whiskeyman

Nope, never been in one.
I'm such a great driver, I'm fully able to text when driving too.
I just don't believe I'll ever be invol

Jezek

Only involved in minor scrapes etc...but once witnessed an idiot in front of me on the motorway head straight into the great big sign that pointed to the diversion ahead....he was driving so bad that I was thinking to myself -this guy's going to crash >then he did!

hidinginthebush

Yep, about ten years ago in Galway Hill in Waterford. Dark, windy night, we didn't really know the area and went through a y-junction as we didn't see the yield sign, smack bang head on into a jeep. Both drivers were fine, I was a front seat passenger and took the brunt of the impact on my chest from the seatbelt, ended up messing with my heartbeat as the doctors informed me it was akin to having a heart attack. Was weak as a kitten for a few weeks but no lasting effects thankfully.

mikemac1

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Moved left to avoid him, but as he passed a woman in front of me panicked and stopped in the middle if the motorway. The new bridgestones I had fitted a few days earlier probably saved my life.

You should head over to motors firum. They're having a big debate about premium tyres versus cheap Chineese crap brands.

Skatedude

Nothing major,
But last time i was sitting in a yellow box waiting to turn right. lights started to change and the oncoming traffic stopped at the light. So i started to turn right when i heard a car revving and saw that the driver 3 cars back on the opposite side of the road mounted the footpath. drove past the two stopped cars in front of him.
Hit me, hit a traffic island and sent the bollard into a shop window, which hit a mother,but missed her pram by inches.

Guards were called by multiple people and the guards turned up and promptly gave out stink to me about wasting his time. When i left, the guard was surround by the witnesses demanding to know why he wouldnt do anything, considering that a baby had almost been hit by the driver and the mother was been taken away to hospital.

Pinch Flat

mikemac1 wrote: »

You should head over to motors firum. They're having a big debate about premium tyres versus cheap Chineese crap brands.

I had been postponing new tyres for months - it was coming to Christmas and money was tight. The old ones I would say were sailing close to the wind in terms of thread but given the bad weather we'd has over the previous winters, I changed the tyres anyway around this time of the year.

Having had my life saved by a pair of branded tyres (i just barely managed to come from a slowing 100 - 120km/hr to standstill to avoid cars in front of me), it's branded all the way for me.

connundrum

5 crashes, 2 my fault.

1 very serious, the others were more of a pain in the arse with insurace etc.

Inspector Dhar

Friday 13th (!) October, 1978. I was offered a lift to work by a neighbour who had just started driving. While turning a corner, at speed, the steering column broke, yer man hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and we hit a wall. The driver & front passenger were thrown out through the windscreen, the car did a flip and ended up on it's roof, the back seat came loose from its mooring and landed on my leg. Fire Brigade had to cut me out. 3 years on crutches, 7 operations and to this day, I have a very bockety leg.

Couple close ones, but not in one, no. Touch wood.
Some mentaller pulled out fully halfway across my lane from a junction on a national 100kph road a while back, just at the last second so there was no chance of braking or anything. Had to swerve nearly into oncoming traffic to avoid them, then swerve back again. They were waving apologetically as I passed, bit late now!
Another time we were all doing 120 on the motorway, when the cars in front of me braked pretty much to halt fairly quickly, and I'd someone driving up my backside. I don't know how we didn't all end up in a pile up, and I've no idea wtf they were braking for - there had been an accident on the other side it seemed based on the flashing lights, but no reason to go from 120 to 0

Summer wind

I've been rear ended 3 times while sitting in traffic at the lights. One fella said he was lighting a cig on approach to the lights and didn't realise they were red! It has made me nervous you never know when it's going to happen again.

razorblunt

Nothing compared to the posts above, but I pulled out of a t junction onto a dual carriageway, something happened a few cars up ahead , thought to have been someone diving into the slip road, all the car broke hard. I stopped with centimeters to spare, looked in my rear view to see the car behind wasnt going to do the same.

Luckily we were all fine, back seized up later that night, but nothing mad. Unluckily for the driver who went back into me it caused a chain reaction being knocked forward so she had an almighty claim going back 5 cars to hers and she wrote off her own.

allibastor

Yes,

2 actually.

One as a passenger in a car, low speed but with no seat belt on, hit another car side on. I did a sort of press up on the dash board to stop my face smashing into it, ended up tearing my muscles

Other was on a motor bike. Lucky to not have been more serious.

cletus van damme

GF missed her train to work one day
had to drive her to work to open up- which was 30mins in the wrong direction for me so was kinda driving angry.
was driving fast and woman two in front stopped suddenly. I rear ended the fella in front of me who then hit the lady who had stopped.

completely my fault and admitted such
Fella in front was lativan and very sound - couldn't understand how in ireland that it was my fault, he completed blamed the woman in front and said he'd barely missed her.

But in fairness was my fault. luckily a few dents in all 3 cars was the only damage.

The Backwards Man

Been in a few, witnessed quite a few, never been in one as bad as some I've witnessed so far, touch wood.

AnonoBoy

Couple of minor fender benders but that's it.

Thinking back on the people I accepted lifts from in my younger, stupider days I'm very lucky to not have been in something serious.

Buona Fortuna

Almost forgot - my first ever

Just passed my driving test and Dad let me take the car out to fill it up - not much money in them days.

I was stopped trying to filter in to Shepherds Bush Green (before they put all the lights and stuff on it to control the traffic). All of a sudden bang. A guy in a Merc goes smack into the back of Dad's lovely Mk2 Cortina

Turns out he was in the Eurovision Song Contest, singing with Lindsay DePaul. Cortina was fucked. Dad was mad

Shrap

Was in a few, none serious thankfully. The worst was rear-ending a car into another car (an audi, unfortunately). They'd had to make emergency stops round a blind corner where some knob-end had stopped his van to have a chat across the road. I had less space to stop than they did, but it was still my fault according to the insurance company Nobody hurt, thanks be to fcuk, but made a mess of my car's front end, the boots on the 2 other cars and the audi's twin exhausts. Van driver scarpered, as did the person he was talking to.

bear1

I've been in a total of 4 crashes. 1 my fault.
Biggest one was when myself and 3 other lads were celebrating my 18th birthday and we stupidly decided to go and drink on a hill under the windmills.
I had a pile of ****e Tempra with 4 funcitoning gears - 1st/2nd/4th and 5th. No insurance/ no licence and no brain.
In we get and the smartest thing we did that night was put our seatbelts on.
Away we go and the lads are drinking like the world is about to end. We get to the narrow country road which leads up to the windmills and we barrel on down the road.
Met a corner and I must have taken the corner too wide as the rear tire starting kicking out which then led to me over correcting it, next thing we know we are in a tank slapper situation.
The lads pissed out of their heads thought I was doing it on purpose until the car started heading straight for a wall.
Smashed into the wall which then caused the car to flip over twice and land (engine still running) in an Italian Job type situation - Half hanging over the wall with a river underneath us and the rear tires on the road.
Few cuts and bruises but the front pillar on my side had collapsed to such an extent that if I were 1cm or so taller I'd have had the pillar go straight into my head.

Kevin McCloud

Just the one years ago, car came out the worst. Had a track machine crash too.

kirving

I've been rear-ended twice. I wasn't driving in either incident, but the second one this year left me with bad whiplash for about a week, and still have the odd pain in my back that I put down to that. Had the potential to be far more serious as we were nearly pushed into the path of an oncoming car. That crash influenced me into buying a Volvo, but I've yet to test their safety marketing hype.

Gyalist

Yes, in 1983 right outside the Angostura Bitters factory in Trinidad. I was the front seat passenger and not wearing a seatbelt. It was about 5:00 a.m. and we were hit head on by a drunk idiot driving on the wrong side of the road.

Because I wasn't wearing a seatbelt my face hit the metal support to the left of the windscreen and I suffered some serious cuts which required reconstructive plastic surgery to repair, and also fractured my left ankle.

smcgiff

ScummyMan wrote: »

between Tipp Town and Limerick with bends everywhere.

Probably the worst driving I've seen has been on that road. There are dips, bends and straight roads where the boy racers try to overtake in 1.0 litre cars.


Driving in town when a 4X4 went through a gap in the stationary traffic on my right into my side. Car was an insurance w/o - only had it a month. I got out of it with zero injuries. Sore neck for a couple of days but nothing else.

Didn't put in a personal claim and got a cheque for replacement car within two months.

Irishcrx

Yep, once and it was my fault when I was 18. Had consumed I'd say a jug of vodka and proceded to drive home, mounted a curb coming around a bend and send the car up into the air, even done a mid air turn over but luckily came back down on the wheels and smashed into a barriers which started to slow the car down and stopped just in front of a large tree had I hit the tree I was in serious trouble.

Very very lucky to get out with minor injuries , managed to get out of the car via the roof as the doors were ****ed and then collapsed outside the car and was taken to hospital when services arrived. Guards didn't prosectute me as I wasn't conscious to be tested for drink driving but I should have been.

I remember just thinking when car went into the flip '****' that's all I had time to think of and then brace yourself for death, I remember the noise , the sparks of the car coming along the railings and checking myself inside the car afterwards that all body parts where still there.

I learned from it and never ever ever contemplate doing something so stupid again, It haunted me for a long time afterwards not the fact that I could have died I made that choice to get into the car but had I have killed someone that night who was walking home , a child ,a mother , a father...I couldn't live with that I really couldn't.

razorblunt

smcgiff wrote: »

Probably the worst driving I've seen has been on that road. There are dips, bends and straight roads where the boy racers try to overtake in 1.0 litre cars.


Driving in town when a 4X4 went through a gap in the stationary traffic on my right into my side. Car was an insurance w/o - only had it a month. I got out of it with zero injuries. Sore neck for a couple of days but nothing else.

Didn't put in a personal claim and got a cheque for replacement car within two months.

How did you get around for 2 months? Who covered the cost of that?

3 Pages in and it's already been proved, wear your bloody seatbelt!

Generic Dreadhead

I've been in several, some more serious than others

Mozzeltoff

Graces7 wrote: »

Twice just since moving to Kerry.

Since moving to Kerry myself my eyes have being opened as to how bad people are at driving down here.

Last year: Myself and OH were heading home from Killorglin one night. We were heading out the Iveragh road. We were driving along and before I know it there's a Taxi ploughed into the front left wing of our car. The guy was coming up to a junction and never laid eyes on us and by the time he did see us it was too late. A week before Christmas and it was all we needed. Luckily no one was hurt.

Two Years ago: This isn't an accident so much but thought I would tell the story. I was driving home from Cahirciveen. I was heading back towards Glenbeigh. Anyway was after coming onto the Coast road by mountain stage. As I turn the bend I can see up ahead that there's a woman driving a car down my side of the road. I slow down but she keeps driving towards me, no notion of getting back onto her side of the road until the last few seconds. Turns out she was French and forgot where she was.

Was driving into Killarney one day and just as I was leaving Fossa a woman swerves to the wrong side of the road. She nearly takes me only I swerved to avoid her.

OH and myself are heading to Limerick one evening. There was a white jeep in front of us since Abbeyfeale. Now the guy was driving pretty erratically and one stage we passed him outside Rathkeale but he passed us again, speeding with all of hells fury. Anyway we get to the start of the motorway at the other side of Adare. The guy in the white jeep slows down and pulls into the hard shoulder. But just as we're passing him, out he pulls again and damn near slammed into the side of us. OH followed him until the guy pulled in. Apparently he was having a screaming match with his girlfriend and that gave him the excuse to drive like a total **** around the road.

Ciaran_B

Summer wind wrote: »

I've been rear ended 3 times while sitting in traffic at the lights. One fella said he was lighting a cig on approach to the lights and didn't realise they were red! It has made me nervous you never know when it's going to happen again.

I'm always totally para if I'm the last car stopped at a traffic light that I'm get smashed into.

Remmy

Kinda but not on the road. In my teens a friend had a farm and a "field car". Ever see those Saudi Arabian drifting videos ? At the time that seemed like a great thing to recreate. While sideways it popped up on two wheels as if in slow motion and then hit a divot and then kinda hopped sideways . Luckily it didn't flip. We were not wearing belts or anything prudent like that. That scared me straight from ever acting the maggot on the roads.

blacklilly

I've been in 5.
3 of which were minor.

One was when my ex was driving out from the avenue entrance to my home house, there's a bend to the left and right of the entrance so you have to take extra care when turning right in particular. Anyway, on this day, the sun was very strong and it impaired his vision somewhat, he pulled out just as a car came around the bend to the right and it collided with the front of his car, it did a a 180 turn and ended up on it's roof in the ditch.
It was terrifying to watch, car was occupied by a mum and 2 kids, thank God, none were hurt but it could have been so bad.

The last one, was nearly 5 years ago, I was a passanger, my mum was driving on the Dunboyne to Maynooth road, those of you who know it will know that there are some pretty dodgy bends on the road. We approcahed one these bends and an oncoming car took the bend far too quickly, lost control and hit us head on, sending our car in a solid brick wall.

As we saw the car approach us, we both said "fu*k" at the same time and for weeks after I kept thinking that that could have been my last word/thought.

My mum has permanant nerve damage to her right arm and will probably require surgery in time on her back as some of the upper discs were damaged.

I have been left with compressed discs in my lower back. Both cars were completely destroyed. We were all so lucky to get away with what we did.

Hoop66

I was driving from Leamington Spa towards Banbury/M40. An American guy in a layby pulls out and drives on the wrong side of the road. The woman in front of me slams on and goes right, I slam on but there's nowhere to go so I hit him. Car written off, but no injuries. He admitted full liability, as well he might, and my company car insurance sorted everything.

Despite all this, his insurance company sent me forms to describe the accident 3 times. I asked my company solicitor about it and he told me to ignore them - he reckoned they were just trying to get me to make a mistake so they could call into question the whole accident scenario and deny the claim.

OldNotWIse

Yes, my parents were nearly wiped out by "boyracers" a number of years ago. Thankfully my Dad was going slow at the time. Mam ended up in hospital for months. No sympathy when these f.uckers go out and smear themselves on the road, but I feel sorry for the people coming towards them.

OldNotWIse

bear1 wrote: »

I've been in a total of 4 crashes. 1 my fault.
Biggest one was when myself and 3 other lads were celebrating my 18th birthday and we stupidly decided to go and drink on a hill under the windmills.
I had a pile of ****e Tempra with 4 funcitoning gears - 1st/2nd/4th and 5th. No insurance/ no licence and no brain.
In we get and the smartest thing we did that night was put our seatbelts on.
Away we go and the lads are drinking like the world is about to end. We get to the narrow country road which leads up to the windmills and we barrel on down the road.
Met a corner and I must have taken the corner too wide as the rear tire starting kicking out which then led to me over correcting it, next thing we know we are in a tank slapper situation.
The lads pissed out of their heads thought I was doing it on purpose until the car started heading straight for a wall.
Smashed into the wall which then caused the car to flip over twice and land (engine still running) in an Italian Job type situation - Half hanging over the wall with a river underneath us and the rear tires on the road.
Few cuts and bruises but the front pillar on my side had collapsed to such an extent that if I were 1cm or so taller I'd have had the pillar go straight into my head.

At least your story has a happy ending...that is...there was nobody else involved.

Graces7

Summer wind wrote: »

I've been rear ended 3 times while sitting in traffic at the lights. One fella said he was lighting a cig on approach to the lights and didn't realise they were red! It has made me nervous you never know when it's going to happen again.

Ive noticed in towns and at road works that the car that has stopped ahead of me switches his hazard warning lights on and it makes sense so I do this now. Now I know why from reading your post... thanks

bear1

OldNotWIse wrote: »

At least your story has a happy ending...that is...there was nobody else involved.

And Thank God for that. Utterly stupid carry on by myself.

iDave

When I was 10ish. Some eejit came round a corner and edged over the white line and hit the side of our car. Had about 7 kids in his car, 2 in the front seat. Laughably tired to claim my Dad who was driving actually went onto the wrong side of road. The judge saw it differently.

Graces7

razorblunt wrote: »

How did you get around for 2 months? Who covered the cost of that?

3 Pages in and it's already been proved, wear your bloody seatbelt!

I know but one of my family got trapped in a crash because she was wearing her seat belt,..

Graces7

blacklilly wrote: »

I've been in 5.
3 of which were minor.

One was when my ex was driving out from the avenue entrance to my home house, there's a bend to the left and right of the entrance so you have to take extra care when turning right in particular. Anyway, on this day, the sun was very strong and it impaired his vision somewhat, he pulled out just as a car came around the bend to the right and it collided with the front of his car, it did a a 180 turn and ended up on it's roof in the ditch.
It was terrifying to watch, car was occupied by a mum and 2 kids, thank God, none were hurt but it could have been so bad.

The last one, was nearly 5 years ago, I was a passanger, my mum was driving on the Dunboyne to Maynooth road, those of you who know it will know that there are some pretty dodgy bends on the road. We approcahed one these bends and an oncoming car took the bend far too quickly, lost control and hit us head on, sending our car in a solid brick wall.

As we saw the car approach us, we both said "fu*k" at the same time and for weeks after I kept thinking that that could have been my last word/thought.

My mum has permanant nerve damage to her right arm and will probably require surgery in time on her back as some of the upper discs were damaged.

I have been left with compressed discs in my lower back. Both cars were completely destroyed. We were all so lucky to get away with what we did.

It amazed me that both times I was rammed by a youngster the only term I couLd get out was "STUPID! YOU ARE STUPID!"

Kevin McCloud

Alot of people getting rammed in the rear.

Graces7

Hoop66 wrote: »

I was driving from Leamington Spa towards Banbury/M40. An American guy in a layby pulls out and drives on the wrong side of the road. The woman in front of me slams on and goes right, I slam on but there's nowhere to go so I hit him. Car written off, but no injuries. He admitted full liability, as well he might, and my company car insurance sorted everything.

Despite all this, his insurance company sent me forms to describe the accident 3 times. I asked my company solicitor about it and he told me to ignore them - he reckoned they were just trying to get me to make a mistake so they could call into question the whole accident scenario and deny the claim.

Sounds about right. Thankfully I never heard from the Italian hire car insurance but he had taken full responsibility.

Lost count of the number of close shaves with tour buses on the Killarney to Moll's Gap road... one was so close it moved my wing mirror. On another occasion I saw two buses coming way ahead of me and stopped in a small lay by to let them pass... and waited and waited.. there was a sheerrock face blocking visibility.. finally edged round and the tour buses had also edged off to wait for me.. I know many of them now from the markets.. we all waved.