[Andrew1978]

Just curious, what did you think as it was happening?

I was driving a couple of nights ago and I hit a slick patch on the road (it had been snowing) and I tried to adjust the car to go back into my lane, turning the wheel to the right, but didn't have any traction, I ended up fishtailing and then going WAY to the right, up onto the sidewalk, all 4 wheels, almost hit a signpost and then almost hit a tree before I got back into the road. Since there was snow all over, it was quite a smooth ride and I checked out the car and there was NO damage on it whatsoever, which, considering I drove a compact car up the sidewalk is amazing. There wasn't anyone around so it was all quite surreal.

The funny things is what I was thinking through all of it. My first thought was "Oh no, not the tree or the signpost please" but then I started thinking about how much it would cost to get the car fixed, then I wondered whether the airbag would deploy or not (was going about 15-20), and I was more curious than anything. I didn't think anything about myself or my safety. What have other people thought in the same situation.

[Xewksghy]

ive had one fairly big accident which was strange for the reason that as it was happening i couldnt see anything beyond the steering wheel. i dont know why, it was dark though. the car ended up in some tree's, hitting them at 50mph or more as i was doing 70. the car might have hit something before the tree's though as the engine had been ripped out. one of those times when you should be in agony but wasn't. it must have been adrenalin or something.

[euylvaygdq]

I was ill but I still drove to work - bad idea.

I went into the back of someone at 35mph whilst they were stationary. I must admit, it was a weird experience. I knew I was going to hit him, when I realised what was going on it must have been about .5 second before impact. But I didn't do anything rash, I didn't try and steer to avoid (which is just as well as I would have gone head on into another car or knocked someone over on the pavement) - I just accepted it like it was a forgone conclusion.

And then my first reaction when I got out was shame. I was so ashamed of myself that I was responsible for one of the stupidest accidents you could have. That feeling did not go for a good week.

[DavidQD]

As a motorcycle rider, I've have had plenty of near-misses. It's amazing how much goes through your head in such a short amount of time. A few:

1. Gas station slip
I was on half way a 150 kilometer trip when I pulled in at a gas station next to the freeway. I was breaking slightly, looking for a pump. Next thing I know I'm literally tumbling over the handlebars onto the ground. As I go, I'm thinking "**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** what the hell happened I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary! I hope the motor isn't damaged, please please please no damage to the handlebars so I can continue my trip, please please start when I pick you up again, please be okay!"

When I got back up again, I found a 20x20 piece of hard plastic next to my motorcycle. Seems reasonable to believe that my front wheel slipped when I drove over it - I was looking at the pumps, not at potential pieces of garbage in the middle of the road. [cursing]

2. Close call in Amsterdam
I was riding on a road where I had right of way. In the distance, I saw a car coming from a right hand street, hesitating to drive onto my road. I slowed down and went to the left a bit, thinking to myself he'd stop and give me right of way. The car was creeping onto my road at a snail's pace so I didn't stop, I chose to veer towards the middle of the road. I got too close to stop, the car got onto my road, and as I zipped past him I was waiting for the toughest blow of my life. I could already imagine my motorcycle impaling the side of his car, could already imagine myself flying over his car into the road.

There was a huge sigh of relief when I passed him.

I ended up scraping my exhaust pipe (which is on the right hand side to the rear of my bike) on his front bumper, my evasive manouvre had brought me fully onto the other side of the road.

[verizon]

ive had one fairly big accident which was strange for the reason that as it was happening i couldnt see anything beyond the steering wheel. i dont know why, it was dark though. the car ended up in some tree's, hitting them at 50mph or more as i was doing 70. the car might have hit something before the tree's though as the engine had been ripped out. one of those times when you should be in agony but wasn't. it must have been adrenalin or something.

yeah i remember that

anyway, Ive seen loads of accidents in my time of driving, was behind a caravan as it started snaking then pulled its car across the carriageway onto the hard shoulder, Ive had people attempt to side swipe me and just recently I lost the ass on my beemer on a round about but I managed to correct it before anything worse started to happen.

[Xewksghy]

[lollypopz]

I've been in many accidents (none my fault) and have had 2 cars totaled

The fun one was when I was on a bus in jamaca. It hit a tractor and flipped. The guy next to me heaved blood all over my shirt and I had to get a shot (in the ass) for it. Best vacation ever [thumbup]

One where I was driving: It was a dark and rainy night (really) and I was coming home when a guy in a white shirt jumps in the middle of the road waving his arms. I didn't know how to react other then swirve right and hit 2 parked cars on the side of the road- totalling all 3 cars. Appearently the guy had a flat tire and his son (in the other car) was helping him fix it. He was waving his arms because- he wanted to make sure I didn't hit his car [rolleyes]

All others I was hit while at stoplights (on the same road no less). Motocycle hits me head on (how he did that I know not) and truck hits me from behind doing 60mph (causing me to hit the truck infront of me and shrinking my car by 2 feet). Oh and another truck dodges a speeding driver but sideswipes my car in the rocess.

edit:
You smell airbag for days.

[Kayakeenemeds]

Twice,one a woman rolled through a stop sign while talking on her cell phone and hit my car,tottalling it. I only really had time to think "she's not going to stop" before it happened.

The other I hit a patch of gravel on a highway exit ramp,swung sideways,almost had it under control,clipped a small curb and flipped,my thoughts were pretty much "****",trying to get the car back under control and then "I'm going over,I hope I survive" and bracing myself. Luckily even though the car was gone I walked out of it with only a scratch on my arm from crawling out through the broken glass.

[chzvacmyye]

"Twa..."

As the guy crossed in front of me at lights (my right of way). I didn't even have time to put my foot on the brake, that's how close he was.

Not the worst I've had but it did right off my car. [thumbdown]

[Pdarassenko]

My one and only car accident was over 20 years ago, a head on collision with 1 fatality. A wildlife officer fell asleep at the wheel. I saw it coming and it seemed it took forever to hit but in my mind during the wreck my thoughts were strangely not for my safety but for how much trouble I was going to be in when my parents found out about their car.
I dont remember alot for several weeks after and everyone has always told me I asked if Willy Nelson was dead or not. For some reason I thought Willy was the other driver.

[shieclulaweew]

Never been in one, but had one pretty close call.

I had been driving for less than 6 months and it was pouring rain. As I was driving down the interstate's 2 way access road, I caught glimpse of a stop sign at the last second, and without any antilock brakes I slid right through the intersection.

Luckily there were no cars, so I wiped my forhead and went on my way.

A few seconds later I see a pair of headlights coming towards me and realize that the road had switched from 2 way to 1 way and I was driving into oncoming traffic. I managed to pull off the road (nearly getting stuck in the mud) and get my car pointing the correct way.

[kavaTeexy]

Coming back from work, on my 100cc motorbike, when I was 19 yrs old and I was going along quite a long stretch of road, about a mile long and I could see two cars in the distance racing each other,
They then stopped one behind the other, indicating to turn into an entrance on my side of the road, I'm doing 60mph and I'm 100 yards away from the first car, when he decides to turn into the entrance across my path, The car behind him also turns in, The car behind is a ford sierra estate, I'm about a second away from disaster, so I stick the front brake on and then the rear just after it, But I started to fishtail up the road, leaving a trail of rubber and smoke,

I'm about 10 yards away from the middle of the estate, I close both my eyes, cos I don't wanna see whats coming next.

The next thing I know, I'm stopped, in a cloud of choking black smoke and I'm still in one piece, Both cars have gone and I get off the bike leaving it in a heap on the side of the road, I rapidly smoke about 5 cigarettes one after the other, I'm just a crying, shaking mess, glad to be alive.

I did drive to the next village, call the cops and then return with them to the caravan/holiday park where the two cars drove into, but after a thorough search, we decided they must have packed up and gone home, b@stards! [cursing]

I left most of my rear tyre on the road, a 90 yard skid, my rear tyre down to the inner tube. [shocked]

Had to put my pants on boil to get the stains out.

[Shiplyopidomi]

I've only been in one accident that wasn't my fault

I was in the right most lane of a 4 lane road, and there is an exit ramp to the right with a light at it. It was green for me, but some traffic cleared so a few people went. Then right before the light I just think "that bitch better not pull out", then she pulls out through a red light and I hit my breaks in 1 or 2 seconds but them BAM, smashed right into her. I pulled off to the side of the road and luckily a witness pulled over as well. He was behind the lady and he knows he had a red light and I swore I had a green one. So that worked out well, as he really helped me out because the other lady was pretending not to speak English

We weren't sure if she was ok or not so he asked the police to send an ambulance just in case. The whole time the police are getting pissed at her because she won't make up her mind if she wants to go with the ambulance or not. Anyways, I then went to the dentist and had my teeth cleaned and that was that!

[gorbasevhuynani]

1. It was night and my friends older sister him and another dude were driving down a straight stretch of road trying to top speed this pos car when it started fish tailing and we hit an embankment going about 65-70 mph. I was in the rear right passenger seat. When the car hit the embankment the ( little pos hatchback Hyundai from the 80's) it started flipping and we flipped prob 3 or 4 times. It was all in slow motion it seemed as you could hear the glass and metal scraping the highway. When we stopped i saw my friend who was sitting beside me holding his knee and he was just screaming I was in a daze but I couldn't believe I was still alive. I also was scared that the car was going to blow up so I climbed out what must have been the broken hatch window. When I got out my other 2 friends were out but the driver my friends sister was no where to be found. Then you kinda of heard a moaning coming from under the car. She was ejected and the car landed on her mid section crushing her pelvis. I had to run to a house which was just up the road maybe 200-300 yards. The owner went down there to help and they were able to lift the car off of her till the ambulance arrived. I just got a wicked laceration on my arm which was about 3-4" long. It did leave a pretty cool scar though.

2. One day after school probably 11th or 12th grade me and the same two dudes from the first wreak. After school we got some beer and started drinking in this field. The owner of the car and the guy buying the beer were taking turns doing donuts and **** in this guys field. Well all was good and we were out of beer and it was time to go home the guy just had to take it out just one more time[rolleyes]

I was now in the back seat and I had that feeling that something bad was going to happen. And when he turned the wheel to turn the car just rolled over. The funny thing was the owner of the car who was in the front passenger seat got out was pissed as hell started running in the opposite direction crying like a bitch! He knew his parents were going to kick his ass. So i was like you two stupid bastards lets flip this car back over and get the hell out of here! We go back to his house trying to beat the dents out of the roof. We took it to the car wash to get the mud and stuff off. We all eventually got caught by the state cops and did some community service for drinking underage, and the guy who flipped the car his dad paid for the damage.

3. I have been in only one wreak when I was driving. I Crashed into a tree head on prob 30 mph. woke up with airbag dust floating all around me. Was wearing my seat belt so no injury's but my new car was totaled.

I have been in other small fender bender stuff none my fault.

[P9CCd35R]

Heading south on the M6 just before it meets the M1 about 3 years ago. I was driving a new 3 series BMW and slowed to a stop on the motorway due to rubberneckers watching the result of an accident in the opposite carriageway. Anyway, I was sat there talking to my boss on the phone (hands free) when I could see this car hammering up behind me. I remember having time to say to my boss that it was going to hurt just before the impact. The car was a total wreck and the quote for repair would have been over 18k against a new valuation of 28k. The accident happened in November and I had picked the car up new in September so I was well gutted.

[Viafdrear]

Yes.....................