FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1272 times:
I was on my way back from the airport this afternoon after some ground. This lady on my right decides to switch lanes without moving an eye to check and see if anyone was on her left before she made the switch. She quickly merges and, by total instinct I lunged for the horn but I couldn't hit it in time, and I jerked the car to the left to avoid impact, and in doing so, impacted a car to my left and boom.
Luckily it happend like a few hundred yards from a Highway Patrol officer on the shoulder, and me and the girl I struck pulled up next to him. The lady who merged into my lane (and triggered the reaction) sped off. I couldn't grab her plate in time, was too busy controlling the car.
None of us were hurt, thankfully, and the girl I hit was very sweet about it, she was pretty shaken up, understandably, since she didn't see me coming. In retrospect, I'm kicking my self for not just staying in the lane and taking the hit from the merging car instead of taking evasive action like that without the time to look carefully. Happened in a split second, didn't have that much time to process everything. Was total instinct.
Cop said he'll check to see later today if anyone saw what happened (and can support my story), since I couldn't get her license plate. Just one of those crappy situations where I couldn't avoid an accident alltogether. It was either take the hit on my right, or try to avoid it and risk getting hit on the left. I can'tbelieve I jerked to the left. Very stupid, but it was just instinct. It's hard to just watch a car ram into you without being able to do anything about it.
Anyways, has anyone else had something like this happen? Learn from my mistake if not, and unless you're certain the lane is clear, let the other person hit you. It's not worth endangering someone else or letting instinct get the better of you.
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5439 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1256 times:
In retrospect, I'm kicking my self for not just staying in the lane and taking the hit from the merging car instead of taking evasive action like that without the time to look carefully. Happened in a split second, didn't have that much time to process everything. Was total instinct.
Well, that's the point. It WAS instinct, and you shouldn't blame yourself for reacting the way you did.
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
Geedo From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 366 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1243 times:
I'm very sensitive to the space I occupy in traffic. If I am able, that is if I have the space to do it, I try to be the aggressor and move myself along merging traffic, so they know I am there. Then, if I have to back off and let them in front, they still know I'm there. If they don't look over their shoulder, move up and force them to see you from the side.
Your instincts were fine, it sounds like. You got your wits about you and got pulled over safe. You did what you were supposed to. Give yourself a break, you don't have practice for what you went through. It happens and it shakes you up. No one's hurt, right? If your car is damaged, that's what insurance is for.
JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Reply 3, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1227 times:
FSP,
You did everything you could have done...I was in a similar situation, except with a tractor trailer & concrete barrier. Neither option was a very good one.
Give yourself a break! You did everything right. It's amazing what you can do in a split second...so don't worry about the woulda coulda shoulda's.
SonOfACaptain From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1747 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1215 times:
I always try to stay away from the sides of cars, or more importantly the blindspot, as much as possible. There is always going to be idiots driving, so the best way to stay out of a wreck is to be the smart one and think ahead. The same with flying.
JAL777 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1210 times:
I think you should call Greg and sue her. It's the american way.
Don't worry too much about it... little fender benders happen all the time. So long as no one gets hurt, it's all good. Just keep your eyes open and on the road.
Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10213 posts, RR: 21 Reply 6, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1210 times:
The amount I drive I have a near accident in that category at least once a week, and worse maybe once a month.
I've taken to not trying to avoid them by moving into another lane, doesn't work in traffic.
Either accellerate like mad (yo do keep enough distance to you?) or hit the brakes hard and hope there's noone tailgating you.
That way if anything happens at least it will be someone hitting you and not you hitting them, so you go free.
If there's a shoulder that's of course the place to go and anyone using it to speed past traffic be damned.
2 weeks ago I was nearly crushed between 2 lorries when trying to move into traffic on a dual lane highway entrane.
Lorry to my right came left without looking, lorry on mr left refused to let me enter traffic. Could barely avoid them both by hitting the gas and cutting about a meter in front of the left lorry.
Continental From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 5476 posts, RR: 21 Reply 7, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1201 times:
If there's one thing we all learned from safety ed./drivers training, it's to not keep yourself boxed in!!
Acho From Mexico, joined Jan 2004, 339 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1189 times:
Today I had a near miss. I on the freeway was switching lanes, and this guy, just as I was going in (with the signal), went right into the lane I was go into. Here in Mexico, due to the layout of the roads you have to drive aggresivly.
People here drive "al laminazo", as they rather have they cars scrached or crash, than letting you go infront of them.
Buses (peseros) and taxies are a nightmare, you'd be amazed how many near misses you get in one day. (Who do you think was driving that truck, that hit the LH 744 the other day???)
Vaporlock From Canada, joined May 2001, 3645 posts, RR: 58 Reply 9, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1188 times:
FSPilot747, unfortunately like most have said ~~ it was a reaction! The most important thing is that yourself & the other driver were ok. It was also good that there was a cop around. Here in Canada we have no-fault insurance and it is a real pain in the butt!
Phyllis
Life is a bitch sometimes....Smile, laugh, play~~enjoy every moment~~life is too short!!
Backfire From Germany, joined Oct 2006, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1178 times:
...or letting instinct get the better of you
Careful there.
Instinct is an extraordinary characteristic which has taken millions of years to develop, and it's primary job is to increase your chances of survival.
You don't know what would have happened if the first car had hit you. On the other hand, the collision you were involved in was fairly minor and you both walked away from it.
In my experience problems usually seem to occur when people try to get the better of instinct...
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 11, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1174 times:
Thanks for the responses guys.
I am grateful that both of us were fine. I just wish that I could have at least gotten part of the plate number of car No.1. Can't win em all. My insurance premiums are going to skyrocket unless somehow a witness calls in.
Just a week ago, I saw a guy die after some lady completely ran a red and hit him. I ended up being about 10 feet away from the guy as the medics gave up on him on the spot (I was on the other side of the road). They arrested the woman for vehicular manslaughter.
Scares the heck out of me, car accidents. I guess they should.
J_hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1162 times:
FSP, did you notice the make/model/color of the offending car? or any unusual marks/stickers? That may help also..
After seeing a body removed from a wreck about 3 months ago, I went and got my will done...had put it off for years...but that shook me into realizing that it could happen to me...
On trip north for summer, a semi in right lane came up on a old pickup doing about 35-40 on interstate...we were doing about 78-80...was at nite...i was in center lane...i dove into left lane as no one there so truck could get around pickup...met the driver a few miles later at truckstop when we both needed fuel...told him it was me that let him over..he was very happy that i had done so..saved him from slamming on brakes..i try to be nice to truckers when i can....
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 14, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1155 times:
J_hallgren, yeah I got the make model and color, but that was it. It was an Accord so it was way too common to really pick out anywhere, unfortunately.
AZO From United States of America, joined Jun 2002, 765 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 1 day ago) and read 1145 times:
It is tempting to say to yourself that you should have stayed there and taken the blow from the first driver, however you have no way of knowing in what manner she would have hit you (force, velocity) and what the resulting reaction by yourself would have been. Being in the center lane, being hit by her from the side gives you much greater chance of hitting someone else also afterwards. Also be thankful it was not a truck on your left that you merged into, otherwise you would have been demolished.
Kind of like how when there is someone tailgating me I always want to hit the brakes hard and have him rear end me to get in trouble, but accidents are rarely that controlled so as you will have the same results that you think of in your head.
Like everyone has been saying, you did the right thing even though it may not seem that way since you are paying for it now. Just be thankful as well that the girl you did hit is understanding of the situation and not flipping out.
I ended up being about 10 feet away from the guy as the medics gave up on him on the spot
FYI, medics do not just "give up on someone on the spot," it is a doctor's decision (via telephone/radio) unless there are obvious injuries inconsistent with life. And even then, physician's approval is general needed.
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 16, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 1100 times:
AZO, I should have phrased that differently. They didn't "call it" on the spot. What I meant was they weren't working on reviving him when I was watching them. Blood all over his face. The only reason I know they weren't reviving him was because the next day in the paper, they said he died at the scene.
I don't know much about medicine so I might definitely be wrong.
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 18, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1069 times:
"Just be thankful it wasn't a motorcycle you hit"
When you put it that way, everything went pretty well. I didn't even think of that!
Saintsman From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 2065 posts, RR: 2 Reply 20, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 1043 times:
On a similar subject, its a good idea to keep a disposable camera in your glove box just in case you have an accident. Its amazing how peoples perceptions change when it becomes time to fill in your claim. Take photos of the damage and the road layout (especially when you are in the right). If the other party tries it on, you will have the evidence to back you up, especially if you have to got to court. It could save you a lot of money.
Greg From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (8 years 11 months 1 week 9 hours ago) and read 1029 times:
That's actually very good advise. More folks should do that.
I have a Canon digi I keep in my briefcase--which is with me most the time. Oddly enough the only time I've had to use it was to take a photo of a jerk that was incessantly (read dangerously) trying to race me on a city street(yep, I think he was drunk....)
I actually don't think the pic came out...but he sure slammed on his breaks and made a turn when the flash went off!
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