I Literally Got In 2 Accidents In One Day

[Owen]

Figured I'd share a cute story here. Today it is snowing pretty badly and it's icy. I was driving to a client's business and on the way everyone started breaking really hard. I was kind of far behind the guy in front of me, and he started to slide a little. I slid a lot and my car smacked the back of his car. Here's some pictures of the accident:

My car:
http://i.imgur.com/XiYeLqQ.jpg

First guy's car:
http://i.imgur.com/P3xXHXn.jpg


The second accident occurred literally 5 minutes later. I turned around in a gas station and some guy drove into my car when he was pulling out of the gas pump. I flipped on him :p Probably shouldn't have but I was already in shock from the first one. I don't have any pics. His car has no damage, he did dent the side and hit the mirror. I hate Maine :(

[Freelancier]

I used to live in Colorado. I lived the same thing, although I was usually the one sliding through the intersection....

[Owen]

I used to live in Colorado. I lived the same thing, although I was usually the one sliding through the intersection....

Ouch. At least my airbag didn't deploy. That would be expensive :p

[Fulcrum]

Please define "kind of far behind the guy in front of me".

Aside from that - Been there. Done that. Got the $4K repair bill to go with it. I think I was meant to lose that bumper that day - slid into another truck before leaving my parking lot and had to pick between a hard pack snow bank or an 8 lane intersection.

Ice can be a frightening thing to drive on. ABS won't work if all 4 brakes lock up (depending on speed this could be why your air bags didn't go off). Traction control systems in most vehicles limit engine RPM and apply the brake to the slipping tire. Even leaving your vehicle in gear while braking has enough force to keep you sliding.

Glad to hear your okay. Next ice storm, find an abandoned parking lot and have some controlled fun learning how your car handles on ice and how to get out of slides.

[Owen]

Please define "kind of far behind the guy in front of me".

30 feet away, I slid about 20 feet.

[Freelancier]

Next ice storm, find an abandoned parking lot and have some controlled fun learning how your car handles on ice and how to get out of slides.
That's how -- years ago -- my brother taught me the phrase "it's a rental". ;)

[Owen]

That's how -- years ago -- my brother taught me the phrase "it's a rental". ;)

I don't think there was much i could do to get out of it. I didn't have enough time to go to the sidewalk and if I went the other way it would've been a head on collision. :(

[turboguy]

Two accidents in one day doesn't make it a good day. I have heard of it happening sometimes though. I can always remember the plant manager who worked for me for a couple of years and drove like a madman telling me about his day. He lived back in a wooded area with a long, long driveway about an hour from us. Basically in the boonies. One day he got in his car and took off down the driveway and hit a deer. He went back and got his truck and headed down the driveway like a rocket again and hit another deer.

These involve only one wreck but I can recall one gal I lived with for 3 years taking my Camaro Z28 to the laundromat late one night and coming back to tell me that it was damaged. She was making a right turn into an underpass when the wall came out and hit her.

My wife is from Russia. She came here almost 9 years ago and had never driven. I started to give her driving lessons and made the mistake of teaching her on back streets in our town. On our second day of lessons she stopped at a stop sign made a right turn and just kept turning, right into the porch of a house. She scared the old lady who lived there half to death. I didn't want to turn that into my insurance with her being a new driver so I paid the 5 grand of damages myself. After that we found big open parking lots to teach her to drive in.

Sorry to hear about your accidents Owen.

[Fulcrum]

That's how -- years ago -- my brother taught me the phrase "it's a rental". ;)

Yeaaahhhh, "it's a rental" would've been great. Although, farm trucks were always fun. 20 years later and that fence is still on the ground (stopped about 30' short of a major highway).

John Denver said it best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRgL92K5zuE

[Harold Mansfield]

That's more accidents than I've had in 20 years.

[vangogh]

Sorry to hear about the accidents Owen. No matter how they made you feel, the most important thing is you're ok. I assume everyone else is too.

Also welcome to the club. I'm pretty sure most of us have been in some kind of accident over the years. I remember a time when I was maybe a year or two older than you, when I drove into my boss' car pulling out of a parking space after work. Totally my fault and for about a month I signed all my paychecks over to him.

[bthomd]

I'm glad everyone including you are okay. Hate the snow and ice...don't hate Maine! lol I live in Canada...so I have had a few shattered bumpers from time to time. I'm just glad spring is around the corner...I am so tired of clearing snow. haha My father has a name for the type of fender bender you had first: he say it was slippery out and the guy needed traction so you gave him "a $3000 push". I hope tomorrow is a better day. Take Care.

[M.Ehrmantraut]

Glad to hear you are all right, I've been in more than a few car wrecks (none while I was driving, but several as a passenger) and it can be a frightening experience no matter the damage involved. It rarely ices over here in Houston - let alone snows - but one of the few times just so happened to be the night Metallica was playing here back in 1989. We were in high school and packed in my friend's car headed to the old Coliseum and slid several times, the last into one of the few other drivers on the road. Luckily no one was hurt and not not much damage was done, insurance was exchanged and we made our way to the show - that's a whole other story...

[billbenson]

Had an accident 7 years ago or so. It was a rural freeway in FL with cross roads. Elderly couple didn't see me. I was probably going about 55. The stopped at their crossroad stop sign. Then they started up when I was about at the crossroad and they tried to cross. I hit them in the left rear quarter panel. I just nicked them, but it was enough to send them spinning in a couple of circles. I was happy when they got out of their car. It had the potential of being a really bad accident. The woman had an oxygen tank.

I told the officer what happened and he sent me on my way, no ticket. I must have scared the hell out of them though.

I'm 60 and have been in 3 other accidents I can think of. There might be one or two more that I don't remember.

I grew up in a suburb of Chicago. I used to go to vacant iced over parking lots and do doughnuts etc. I think that helped me in emergency manoeuvring as an adult.