Believe it or not, we're taught to use mirrors here as well. Your original story painted the picture of someone smashing into you in the dark and you said you didn't understand how they could not have seen you when you had seen them. I was trying to explain why you might have seen his lights first. I'm not disputing that it shouldn't have happened and was careless driving, I was just trying to put a point across regarding lights.

Was watching the BBC news, seems much of the snow is now gone - to be replaced by some flooding http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/sad1.gif
What's it like over where you are, we've just had our first rain in over three weeks - really needed it!

Because you've been banging on about doing 3mph in anything more than drizzle for days now. You're way too cautious.

It's raining in Manchester, but it's always raining in Manchester. We don't really get sun, just less grey cloud at intervals.

I'm in the same "group" as DM in that I'm perfectly happy to drive at the speed limit on unlit motorways because the risk of not seeing something in the road in the dark is not worth worrying about. Plus, the slower you drive under the speed limit the more risk you pose to other road users driving at the speed limit, and almost everyone drives at the speed limit on dark motorways around here.

The only difference in opinions between mine and DM's is that he reckons that he will be able to see and stop for anything in the road while doing 70mph. My opinion is that if it's something small and non reflective, I won't. But is this extra risk going to make me drive slower than the speed limit? No way, and if you think I'm an idiot, I can assure you I'm one of the slower drivers on the motorway in our country, so you might as well say everyone in the UK is an idiot.

I should have put a minimum size limit on that lol. Anything bigger than a large dog.

first crash: did the ****ing wheel just fall off? (it did)

second crash: we are going to land in the river! (we didn't, but hit the bridge instead)

Nah, I've been banging on driving at a speed where you can stop in the clear road ahead, if the car has poor lights or the driver has poor night vision, they should drive at a speed to allow that, in the slow lane if needed.
If you can see ahead, no reason to slow down - unless there's some other reason to, of course.

Sucks about the weather - I always thought it was a joke about the Manchurian (sp?) rain http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/laugh1.gif.

We get about 140 days of rain a year on average. Not actually as bad as the rest of the UK but Manchester never really gets past dull and grey for the rest of the year.

What you think right before you might get into a car crash
 

So I was driving home tonight and it was snowing/rainy and I almost got T-boned pretty badly by another driver who was not being cautious. I was able to avoid her swerving car even though it went into my lane and did a 360 or two. It was interesting what my thoughts were right before it happened though. In the few seconds that the entire thing happened I had the follow thoughts (in sequence)...

1. Wow, she's going pretty fast on that on-ramp and she's swerving
2. OK she's over correcting her skid and has lost control, I am probably going to get hit
3. I can't believe it, of all the cars I could get hit by, I'm going to get hit by a god damned beige mid 1990's Saturn S-series
4. I wonder if she has insurance
5. I wouldn't mind using the insurance money for down payment on a new car
6. I could get myself an Acura TSX, that would be sweet
7. Missed her, *phew* what a stupid bitch driving so fast in the snow, I should have honked my horn

I must say I didn't expect #3, 5 and 6 to be going through my mind at that point. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/tongue1.gif So for those of you who have had near misses or even a sure collision, what crazy/funny thoughts were going through your mind?

I usually have one thought. And the filters won't let me type it.

It starts with a letter S and ends with a letter T, and there is a letter H and I in between. And lots of exclamation marks: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then i go

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo.../confused1.gif

[cursing]

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/cry1.gif

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/wacko1.gif

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/unsure1.gif

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/blush1.gif

[yawn]

The first and only accident I've ever had so far goes like this. After a major dust cloud hit my area (and most of the state(s)) I was doing a delivery for my job. There was still a bit of dust on the road and I was not aware that dust + water = slippery.

Anyways it was a dry day but rained literally for a couple seconds only on the way back and the road still looked relatively dry. I was going around a corner at 50km/h (outside lane so it was wider) at the same speed I took it going in. And this is my reaction:

1. Funny, I don't remember the car being on such an angle when turning this corner before.
2. WTF!!!
3. Holy **** I think I'm drifting
4. WTF, is that the tires screeching, time to correct myself.
5. WOOOAAAAHHHH!!!!
6. Heh, it seems I've crashed.

Anyways, I drive off the gutter and park, inspect to see if I done any damage. nothing noticeable however on the way back every time I applied the brakes they shuttered the whole car. Turns out I bucked the rear wheel.

Funny how being my first crash I was effected by it so little. However I don't take the corner at the same speed anymore even when it's dry. Not long after they placed two speed humps on other side of the cornerhttp://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/blink1.gif

I never went through anything like that.

It's usually,

Oh OH [surrender]

And then either ends with

**** [cursing]

or

Phew [shocked] [cursing]

In a car, usually to busy avoiding it, but sometimes "this is going to hurt", with a swear word or two... when a woman came through a red light (which she didn't see), I just had time to think - "but my light was green" - before she drove into my drivers door - ouch!
My worst crashes have been on pushbikes, and I didn't really have time for anything...

Yeah pushbikes crashes can happen fast. One minute your riding along on a bike, then next you are riding along without it, and then you realise the bikes gone and the grounds coming for you!

Either that or you find yourself on the ground all of a sudden wondering WTF happened http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo.../confused1.gif

I've only been in a couple of car crashes, the last one was in 2001 in Harrogate, UK. There is a six lane road (from memory) that goes into town past Betty's tearooms. My mate was driving his Nissan Micra, he pulled out and stalled and what seemed like an hour passed while an unyielding Volvo estate lumbered into the side of us. I remember thinking "this is going to hurt". I was right as well, it did hurt.

I had a crash near Thirsk, which is also near Harrogate as it happens. Left the A19, or tried to. The exit road was slippy, maybe ice. The car went head on then sideways into some tree's. Ended up with with a tree a few inches from my face and the front on the car decimated. Didn't really have time to think at the time. The only thing I remember is not being able to see what I was heading for.

I was driving back from Heathrow along the M4 at about 5am in the morning. The motorway was pretty dead and it felt like I was the only car on the road. The first rays of dawn were just starting to light up the road a little... when I saw some lights flashing in the distance.

1. What's going on there, is it an accident?
2. There's a coach on the hard shoulder with hazzard lights on... it could be a big one.
3. Errr... why is there a mini in my lane with no lights on?!
4. Oh CRAP, it's not moving.
5. It's too late to brake now... do I swerve and hit the central reservation or brake as hard as I can before I hit the mini...
6. SWERVE!!!
7. Right, need to countersteer this skid... prepare to lose it and hit the barrier.
8. CRAP, there's another car infront of me. I've just swerved into the path of another parked car. I'm done for.
9. What the hell, I actually managed to dodge both of them and control it!
10. Wow, this car is better than I thought..
11. I wonder how many cars behind me are going to hit that mini
12. Hmm, what's that burning smell... ah, must be the tires.

I was doing about 60 when I went past the first parked mini in the middle of the road... I had to drive around both cars in an S shape whilst trying to keep the car on the road. I dread to think what would have happened if I had hit one of them or lost control... [help]

I had a school bus cut me off about a week ago and then stand on the brakes to make a right turn into the school. I was pulling a backhoe. Only thing I thought was oh f**k as I also stand on the brakes and grab the air horn.

Got stopped in time but was unsure for a second there. Takes some distance to stop 66,000 lbs.

erm..... brake,take evasive action.

simples

anyway cos I'm so damned awesome I'd be scanning the road two cars ahead for any potential hazards and be prepared for them,pre-emptively