Your first car accident was...

Meltdown99

My first car accident was when I was 18-19 on the 401 near Toronto ... it was a wintry day with whiteout conditions, a lady in front of me spun out and her vehicle came to rest crossing two lanes, I was in the middle lane and clipped her front end (no fault, weather was the cause) ... however that accident could have ended much worse ... the lady driving decided to let her husband drive at that point, she was already in the passenger seat, her husband just stepped behind the vehicle to get in the divers seat when I collided with his front end... a moment earlier or later and that accident is so much different.  I'm just glad it turned out with just 2 busted up cars and injuries...

brianlux

It was in 1970 or so.  An S.F. Chronicle delivery van ran a stop sign at an intersection and I plowed into it, ruining the front end of my Riley 1.5 (basically a British MG with a sedan body).  It was a beautiful car before that. Fortunately, no injuries.  I wish I had kept that vahicle.  They are fairly scarce now days.

Meltdown99

brianlux said:

It was in 1970 or so.  An S.F. Chronicle delivery van ran a stop sign at an intersection and I plowed into it, ruining the front end of my Riley 1.5 (basically a British MG with a sedan body).  It was a beautiful car before that. Fortunately, no injuries.  I wish I had kept that vahicle.  They are fairly scarce now days.

I always say the main thing no injuries.  I was 18-19 ... and for weeks after I kept think "what if he wasn't behind the vehicle" ... 

And that would make a great thread ... the things from our we wish we kept.

Nami

University. road trip for beer... beginning of the night, nobody drinking, my guy turns left into oncoming traffic- bam.

Myself..nothing (knocking on wood)

PJ_Soul

Mine was terrible in a way. I stole my mom's car when I was 15 and she was out for the day, popped the clutched and leapt forward right into the side of a minivan, caused a ton of damage, and I got in so much shit, lol. My mom dragged me to the police station and wanted me charged with grand theft auto (wtf?). The cops thought that was a little harsh, lol, so they just ticketed me with driving without a license instead, much to my mother's chagrin (holy, I am making my mom sound bad today, lol. I do actually love her! ). This all legally prevented me from being allowed to get a license until I was 19 as well, so that fucking sucked at the time!

On the bright side, I'm pretty sure this incident is what led to me living car free, which is something I'm very glad I do. I think if I'd got my license at 16, I would have managed to become addicted to cars like everyone else. But this way, by the time I was 19 I was a full time student who worked, was paying my own way through school, and struggling just to feed myself. I couldn't afford a car at all - it didn't even cross my mind to get one because of the circumstances. By the time I could have afforded a car I had reached the point of realizing living without a car was a lifestyle I wanted and felt good about.

Meltdown99

PJ_Soul said:

Mine was terrible in a way. I stole my mom's car when I was 15 and she was out for the day, popped the clutched and leapt forward right into the side of a minivan, caused a ton of damage, and I got in so much shit, lol. My mom dragged me to the police station and wanted me charged with grand theft auto (wtf?). The cops thought that was a little harsh, lol, so they just ticketed me with driving without a license instead, much to my mother's chagrin (holy, I am making my mom sound bad today, lol. I do actually love her! ). This all legally prevented me from being allowed to get a license until I was 19 as well, so that fucking sucked at the time!

On the bright side, I'm pretty sure this incident is what led to me living car free, which is something I'm very glad I do. I think if I'd got my license at 16, I would have managed to become addicted to cars like everyone else. But this way, by the time I was 19 I was a full time student who worked, was paying my own way through school, and struggling just to feed myself. I couldn't afford a car at all - it didn't even cross my mind to get one because of the circumstances. By the time I could have afforded a car I had reached the point of realizing living without a car was a lifestyle I wanted and felt good about.

You stole your moms car?  If I pulled a stunt like that ... well lets just say I'd rather not go there.

PJ_Soul

Meltdown99 said:

PJ_Soul said:

Mine was terrible in a way. I stole my mom's car when I was 15 and she was out for the day, popped the clutched and leapt forward right into the side of a minivan, caused a ton of damage, and I got in so much shit, lol. My mom dragged me to the police station and wanted me charged with grand theft auto (wtf?). The cops thought that was a little harsh, lol, so they just ticketed me with driving without a license instead, much to my mother's chagrin (holy, I am making my mom sound bad today, lol. I do actually love her! ). This all legally prevented me from being allowed to get a license until I was 19 as well, so that fucking sucked at the time!

On the bright side, I'm pretty sure this incident is what led to me living car free, which is something I'm very glad I do. I think if I'd got my license at 16, I would have managed to become addicted to cars like everyone else. But this way, by the time I was 19 I was a full time student who worked, was paying my own way through school, and struggling just to feed myself. I couldn't afford a car at all - it didn't even cross my mind to get one because of the circumstances. By the time I could have afforded a car I had reached the point of realizing living without a car was a lifestyle I wanted and felt good about.

You stole your moms car?  If I pulled a stunt like that ... well lets just say I'd rather not go there.

Well, I mean, it's not like I was some out of control car thieving punk. My parents were out for the day, my dad had taught me how to drive standard not long before that (not well enough obviously), so me and my friend decided to "borrow" the car just to putter around the neighborhood a couple times to bask in the novelty of driving. We thought nobody would ever find out of course, lol. It was definitely me being bad, but my intentions were relatively innocent nonetheless. Obviously I found out that day why a kid shouldn't do that, haha.
Why, what would you mom have done?? Beat the shit out of you?? I got grounded (after her attempt to have be thrown in jail failed, lol!). Really, being told I would legally be unable to get my driver's license only months before my 16th birthday was punishment enough, right?

Poncier

PJ_Soul said:

Mine was terrible in a way. I stole my mom's car when I was 15 

She should have taken your teddy bear away.

PJ_Soul

Poncier said:

PJ_Soul said:

Mine was terrible in a way. I stole my mom's car when I was 15 

She should have taken your teddy bear away.

Omg, you just explained everything.

eeriepadave

first accident, major one?  I think it was in '99 me and my friend were coming out of Veterans stadium from a Dave Matthews Band show and the person in front of me slammed on their brakes and i ran right into them.  Cops came (no one was hurt or anything).  Kinda funny cause when the cop came the exact same thing happened to another vehicle right near us and that person lost their bumper.  I may have had some small fender benders before this but that one sticks out the most. 

markymark550

I was 16 and on my way to school in the morning. Traffic got heavy all of a sudden and I didn't see the car in front of me brake. It was a good lesson in always being aware while driving. Luckily there wasn't much damage, just a minor fender dent in her car.

Thoughts_Arrive

During my probation period (we call it P's here) when I first got my licence at 18. I was in the left lane at a red light and the bus in the right lane turned left and swiped the front of my car then blamed me and starting telling his boss at the depot that some stupid driver that cannot drive (me) was at fault. I lost my shit and a store owner came out of his store to calm things.

Meltdown99

My second accident was an old dude who turn left on a green ... not my fault.  But I had the dumbest cop.  The dude who hit me was drunk, smelled like a brewery and the cop gave him a ticket and sent him on his way.  I ask the cop, "did not not smell the alcohol". he just looked at me.  That was my last accident ... accident free for over 30 years.

pjhawks

I've been both lucky and unlucky with car accidents. Lucky in that no one has been hurt in any of mine.  Unlucky in that I've been hit about 7 times.  Only once was I (well not in my eyes) at fault.

1st accident - in a school parking lot.  i was going through area and kid came flying down through intersection and hit me on passenger side.  damage but no injuries. made the mistake of not calling cops so he ended up blaming me.  didn't matter in parking lot insurance took neither side.

let's see what else.  got hit by a drunk driver who was coming out of a parking lot as i drove down street.  rammed into my passenger side door.  she was plastered. got to see cops  administer test right there and handcuff her and take her away.  had to go to court for her hearing and knew her lawyer.  he said she was the drunkest client he ever had. 

sister-in-law backed into my car parked on their street at Christmas one year. another guy backed into me in a CVS parking lot but little to no damage. Have gotten rear ended twice by teenagers on my way home from work causing damage to bumpers.

only time i was slightly at fault was going to work one day wet road and old guy in front of me decided to stop at a yellow light instead of going through like 99.9% of the people do at rush hour.  i was expecting him to go through and although hit breaks enough slid just enough to hit him slightly.  only small damage so paid out of pocket but still felt terrible for hitting him.

and only two tickets i have gotten have been on the way to work too.  hmm so half of mine accidents and both tickets have to do with work...i should retire.

bootlegger10

My first accident was me waiting in the intersection to turn left.  The light turned red so I started turning left to get out of the intersection and a car coming the other who wasn't at the intersection before it turned red decided to punch it.  The witness said the other car was at fault, but I had to go to court as the other party disagreed and the judge's smart questions basically caught the guy in a lie.  It wasn't a bad accident.  The only other accident was I was stopped at a light and someone hit me from behind. 

I do love to drive fast though.  Been pulled over about 14 times and got 9 tickets.   I've spaced them out so they don't impact my license points or insurance (since I am able to defer them). 

Spiritual_Chaos

Someone crashed into my dads Morris Minor 1000. I was 7-8 at the time, and my 3 siblings was in the car too. No seatbelts in that car.

dudeman

Mine was the night before last. Another driver decided to come head on into my lane at about 40 mph. 

deadendp

dudeman said:

Mine was the night before last. Another driver decided to come head on into my lane at about 40 mph. 

Are you okay? 

dudeman

Yeah, no one was injured. Both cars are likely total losses. 

Mine didn't have a scratch on it until then.

hedonist

I'm sorry about your car - and these fucking road idiots to whom we're all subjected - but that beast looks like it did its job in protecting you!

dudeman

Thanks, and no kidding! I barely felt the impact. Safety was my first priority when I bought that car since we were expecting a child. It definitely did not disappoint!

Gonna miss that one though. The Hemi was no joke!

mace1229

First and only accident. I was about 12 years ago or so. Just bought Neil Young’s greatest hits CD. Was driving home and the freeway off ramp was forever long. There was 1 car at the bottom and I saw t light turn green as I was coming, so I glance down at the CD to check the name of a song. When I glanced up the car hadn’t moved like I assumed it would. Wasn’t quite able to stop and rear ended him, going rather slow by the time I hit him.
almost no damage other than a dented bumper on his car, but since I was breaking my front dipped and it missed my number, going through the grill and causing about 5k damage.

It was a younger guy and his mom. What pissed me off is the mom refused to sign a waiver of no injury, even months later. I had AAA at the time so they said until she signs the waiver they will count it as an injury accident and my rates tripled. I switched insurances and they said that’s dumb, they don’t count it as an injury until they file an injury claim. And my rate actually went down from what it was before. Never going back to AAA again.

dudeman

Yikes! That sounds terrible. 

So far, my insurance company has been great. They are covering a rental for me for up to a month while they sort everything out with the claim.

The brand new Dodge Charger in my garage is helping me deal with the hassle of the accident. 

Still worried about the damage to my insurance rates though.... 

Fifthelement

dudeman said:

Mine was the night before last. Another driver decided to come head on into my lane at about 40 mph. 

Holy crap!  I’m sorry about your vehicle, but glad to hear that you’re okay.  

deadendp

1992 maybe? I was enjoying the view of a delightfully good looking man walking down the sidewalk. Was going slow. Rear ended the old dude in front of me. Didn't even get a ticket. 

And yes, the guy saw me hit the guy in front of me, knew why and walked away laughing. 

PureandEasy

I've been in so many car accidents my friends used to joke I should just get a bike.  I truly can not remember the first.  I have been hit from behind 3 times while stopped at a light.  I have been hit head on by a woman who had a seizure and crossed over the median and caused a 5 car accident.  I was struck head on while at a light at an on ramp by someone trying to make an illegal u-turn to get back on the highway.  I was hit broadside by a vehicle who ignored the disabled traffic light during a storm.  This vehicle went through the intersection, ignoring the fact that it was now a four way stop sign situation.  Ignoring the fact that the three lanes to his left were all stopped for traffic.  I was 2/3 of the way through the intersection and he came barreling into me.  Said it was my fault.  Turned out it wasn't his vehicle, he was driving the car that belonged to his passenger's wife.  One after the other.  None of these have been my fault.  I am thankful that thus far the injuries have been minor.  

deadendp

Forum mental note for all: Always be the driver when traveling with PureandEasy.

PureandEasy

deadendp said:

Forum mental note for all: Always be the driver when traveling with PureandEasy.

Seriously, it's ridiculous.  

deadendp

PureandEasy said:

deadendp said:

Forum mental note for all: Always be the driver when traveling with PureandEasy.

Seriously, it's ridiculous.  

Our track record this year has been ridiculous. I get it. None of them were our fault. 

dudeman

Shitty drivers abound. 

Tonight, I had a near miss about a block from where my car was wrecked on Thursday. 

Jesus, I'm about to give up on this whole driving situation. 

hedonist

Some asshole here ran a red light, and had the wheels on my husband's car not spun, he'd have been T-boned (badly, driver's side) instead of the unlucky guy who got hit instead.  Poor dude's beautiful Mercedes AMG was totaled.

He had one of those "that should have been me" moments that lasted all day.