Was in a multiple car accident. Not my fault, not hurt, but I'm a learner.

[SparkyJJO]

For future reference

Yeah except every time you try that, somebody cuts in front of you because hey there is a spot just for them. Happens all the time around here. Frustrating when trying to maintain proper distance but you can't because there is always someone taking the opening in front of you.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah except every time you try that, somebody cuts in front of you because hey there is a spot just for them. Happens all the time around here. Frustrating when trying to maintain proper distance but you can't because there is always someone taking the opening in front of you.

Yeah same where I live.

In fact when you are stopped at a light or stop sign you should stay 1 car lenght behind. Yearh right, try doing that without having the person behind leaning on their horn. I don't even get why they do it, what is advancing 1 extra car length going to really do, when the light is red? Then there's blocking intersections. If you can't fit behind the car in front without blocking an intersection then you should wait, but try doing that without being honked at. People in my town have serious road rage issues. Funny thing is, you can drive from anywhere to anywhere in less then 15 minutes. Maybe 30 minutes during "rush hour".

 

[rudeguy]

.... Oh dear....

my plan is going stunningly....

 

[Locut0s]

What's important is that you're not hurt - unfortunate that other were, but accidents like this happen everyday. At least this'll teach you not to follow too closely.

And uh, what was the driver in the front doing? I can't imagine that a U-turn on a highway was a legal maneuver in your neck of the woods (or anywhere, for that matter) . . ..

He doesn't want me to pick it up but I live at home any way and am 27 he and my mother both have helped me soo much that I owe them thousands even though they won't accept a penny. When I get a job I intend to pay them back at least 800 whether they accept it or not.

He did warn mr that I was not stopping in time just before this. Not that I was following too close. My reflexes an sixth road sense are not well developed yet although otherwise I'm not bad.

 

[Locut0s]

On thinking about it a little more it wasn't so much that I was following too closely it was more that I did not apply the breaks soon enough. I have yet to develop the automatic muscle memory for applying the breaks right away and am still constantly analyzing every situation which cuts back on your reaction time by 1/2 a second or more. This is what my father HAD been warning me about just before the accident lol.

 

[Locut0s]

Ouch that sucks. Hopefully it does not make the insurance go up too much. But #1 is that you were not hurt.

Was it a Toyota by any chance? Those tend to go pretty fast and the speed is hard to control.

Yes it is a Toyota. No there were no accelerator or break issues lol.

It's a Toyota Camry Hybrid to be exact.

 

[rudeguy]

a lot of times not braking can save your butt. I've avoided tons of accidents by accelerating. I've never thought that slamming on my brakes was the first thing I should do.

But then again I learned how to drive on Michigan roads in cars that didn't have ABS. I trust myself way more than I trust brakes.

 

[Locut0s]

a lot of times not braking can save your butt. I've avoided tons of accidents by accelerating. I've never thought that slamming on my brakes was the first thing I should do.

But then again I learned how to drive on Michigan roads in cars that didn't have ABS. I trust myself way more than I trust brakes.

If I had had the time to thing about it I would have swerved into the right lane but I don't think I could have done that either (I think there were cars there). Accelerating here would have just gotten me killed.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

aren't you like 28?

nm, you confirmed it.
wasn't in a rush to get a license when you turned 17? or whatever the age is in canada.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Unfortunately I and everyone else was still charged with a ticket for "following too closely" which I suppose I was given it was raining but ultimately it was the 1st cars fault 95%. but it's embarassing given that I'm a new driver. Will probably affect my learner status slightly. Oh well

If you're a learner, learn this: If you plow into something that happens in front of you then you're 100% responsible.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Anytime you hit someone from behind you're gonna get a ticket.

i hate that BS.
what if someone swerves in front of you and slams on the brakes?

 

[Locut0s]

i hate that BS.
what if someone swerves in front of you and slams on the brakes?

Well I'm sure there are cases like that where they may excuse the person behind. However in most cases it's seen as just easier to issue the ticket to the person who rear ends regardless of who is to REALLY blame. And in this case I and the other people behind WERE to blame for rear ending them. The way the police woman told me was "in an 'ideal' world you should be following far enough behind to stop in time no matter what the person in-front does". She knew I nor anyone but the 1st driver was really to blame for much beyond 5-10% of it but she had to issue it, she even sort of apologized. lol

Edit: yeah I'm 27 (turning 28). Just got me learners 3-4 weeks ago Still live at home with mommy and daddy, no job :awe:

 

[mugs]

i hate that BS.
what if someone swerves in front of you and slams on the brakes?

Then you wouldn't get a ticket.

Unless they lie and there are no witnesses.

 

[Newbian]

my plan is going stunningly....

To take over the world?

 

[MJinZ]

Well I'm sure there are cases like that where they may excuse the person behind. However in most cases it's seen as just easier to issue the ticket to the person who rear ends regardless of who is to REALLY blame. And in this case I and the other people behind WERE to blame for rear ending them. The way the police woman told me was "in an 'ideal' world you should be following far enough behind to stop in time no matter what the person in-front does". She knew I nor anyone but the 1st driver was really to blame for much beyond 5-10% of it but she had to issue it, she even sort of apologized. lol

Edit: yeah I'm 27 (turning 28). Just got me learners 3-4 weeks ago Still live at home with mommy and daddy, no job :awe:

What do you do all day? Are you trying to get your PHD or something?

 

[wiredspider]

Let me see you are on a learners license driving with your Dad. Seems to me he was supposed to be instructing. If you were following to close it was his job to point that out to you. If I were him I wouldn't make you pay back the deductible. I would probably even pick up the ticket for you. The accident was definately not your fault. He should have warned you that you were following to close though.

Wow, shifting blame....

So OP, where is your $55k to pay that $300 deductible?

 

[guyver01]

Was on a highway going about 70 to 80 km per hr.

seriously?

that's 45mph here in the states.... go 45mph on a highway, and you risk being shot, and run off the road.

hopefully you were in the far right (ie breakdown) lane.

 

[guyver01]

Was it a Toyota by any chance? Those tend to go pretty fast and the speed is hard to control.

did you read the post?

he was going 70-80kph... that's 45mph.

not even close to "pretty fast and hard to control"

 

[Blackjack200]

When you drive a lot, (I typically go more than 30k miles per year) you start developing a sense for when something's about to go wrong.

It's certainly possible to get into a situation where you can't avoid hitting the person in front of you, but I've noticed that there are some people who seem to routinely end up in multi car accidents (or situations where the other drivers did things that made an accident unavoidable) and there are some that just never seem to be in accidents at all.

When he was teaching me to drive, my dad gave me some good advice to avoid accidents:

- slow down as you approach a green light and quickly look both ways. If someone's blowing through the red you'll usually have a chance to slam on the brakes.

- If you're ever on the highway and there's confusion (i.e. someone needs to merge but they can't, or someone's weaving, two cars don't see each other etc.) just slow down 5-10 MPH and keep your foot on the brake. Most of the time nothing happens and you just resume your old speed. sometimes you need to panic stop and that first 5-10 MPH is the difference between a fender bender and nothing.

- ALWAYS know where you can go if you need to swerve. Unless it's bumper to bumper, don't let people drive right next to you or sit in your blind spot. Speed up or slow down. You should check your mirrors and blind spots once or twice a minute. A good test of this is if you need to change lanes, you should already know that the lane is clear. Obviously check before you go, but if there is a car there, ask yourself how he got there without you knowing about it.

 

[mugs]

seriously?

that's 45mph here in the states.... go 45mph on a highway, and you risk being shot, and run off the road.

hopefully you were in the far right (ie breakdown) lane.

Highway is a pretty broad term that can refer to several different types of roads. Also, it was raining. I wouldn't assume he was driving too slowly.

 

[OverVolt]

Yeah except every time you try that, somebody cuts in front of you because hey there is a spot just for them. Happens all the time around here. Frustrating when trying to maintain proper distance but you can't because there is always someone taking the opening in front of you.

I just leave enough room in front of me such that if the car infront of me were to stall or something, I could get into another lane without backing up. That seems good enough to me. It's about 1/3rd of a car length or so.

 

[Locut0s]

What do you do all day? Are you trying to get your PHD or something?

For the past year or so. nothing. Worked for 4 years at 7-11 before that. Went to university for about 3 years for 1/2 a degree before that. Clinical Depression, anxiety (social and otherwise) and other issues sort of wrecked my life and made me something of a shutin since then. But I'm planning on going back to work in the next few months. Then eventually school.

 

[Blackjack200]

Yeah except every time you try that, somebody cuts in front of you because hey there is a spot just for them. Happens all the time around here. Frustrating when trying to maintain proper distance but you can't because there is always someone taking the opening in front of you.

I just leave enough room in front of me such that if the car infront of me were to stall or something, I could get into another lane without backing up. That seems good enough to me. It's about 1/3rd of a car length or so.

I keep it less than a car length when it's dense traffic, I find that most cars won't try to force their way into that, and the ones that do are just not worth fighting to me. You have to be very aware when doing this. I watch the traffic through the windshield of the car in front of me so I know when he's going to need to slow down.

 

[Blackjack200]

For the past year or so. nothing. Worked for 4 years at 7-11 before that. Went to university for about 3 years for 1/2 a degree before that. Clinical Depression, anxiety (social and otherwise) and other issues sort of wrecked my life and made me something of a shutin since then. But I'm planning on going back to work in the next few months. Then eventually school.

I remember reading some of your posts from those darker days. Good to see you're doing better, we all have our struggles and our demons.

 

[Locut0s]

Wow, shifting blame....

So OP, where is your $55k to pay that $300 deductible?

Still in the bank. 40k of it is in a long term deposite. The rest is just in savings. It's more like 51k now since I'm not working. I've offered to pay my parents for everything incuding rent for living at home. They won't accept a single penny. I WILL be giving them at least $800 whether they want to accept it or not once I get a job. Yes like you say I could afford it now but they won't accept a penny now, hopefully I can make them accept it when I get a job.

See my mother is of the more traditional Chinese type who would be horrified at the idea that your children owe you money and or should be kicked out when they turn 18+. My father is sort of like that too despite being white.

But I do feel guilty and will find some way of paying them at least the 800 or so.