Auto Accidents and Fault

[alnorth]

I was talking to someone today who got hit by a careless driver, they always seem to get hit by bad drivers every year and I suddenly realized that in the few accidents I have ever been in, they were all my fault. Guess I'm lucky like that. Then I figured this might be an interesting topic for a poll, to follow...

[BWillie]

Ha. These responses remind of when I used to do auto claims as my 1st job out of college. You really start to learn how untruthful people really are as long as it benefits them.

Ever since then though, I've been a much better driver. Just realized the bad things that can happen in a car. So many people just worry about their own bubble when driving and don't pay enough attention. For example, now when I'm going through a green light, I still look right and left to make sure no yahoo is barreling through a red light. When I'm next to another car in the other lane I constantly keep a tab on them to make sure they don't start drifting over into my lane. Maintaining better lookout when backing up in parking lots. It's probably helped me avoid 3 or 4 collisions over the last 9 years.

1) 1st collision, 16 yrs old, my fault, rear ended a SUV in the K-mart parking lot while not paying enough attention. Gave them $1,000 cash, was really minimal.
2) 2nd collision, 16 yrs old, my fault, two lane 35 mph rd, car in front of me suddenly slammed on their brakes because they missed their turn, I swerved to avoid and hit vehicle in other lane with my blind spot
3) 3rd collision, 25 yrs old, was rearended by some kid when it was really snowy. Just took the cash in lieu for $2,000. It was minimal dmg to the bumper cover, back quarter, trunk lid etc. They were mainly just not aligned anymore. I sold the car a few years later and the buyer didn't even notice it.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Wait. Are you new here? You should never use the words "My daughter" and "rear ended" in the same sentence.


So I got in my first accident last year. Totaled my truck. Driving some girl to church on a sunday morning (I'm an atheist...). In the rain. On I-35. Come to the top of a hill going about 55, see three cars sitting in the middle of the interstate. No way I'm going to stop... I hit a minivan in it's backside, carrying a family to church. The first two cars just drive off, before we can even get a pic of them or the license plates - conjecture of myself and the van driver is that they were in an accident before he got there - so it all ends up being my fault somehow. And now my insurance is about a trillion dollars a year.

It sounds like God was trying to use you to kill a bunch of churchgoers that day.

[ThaVirus]

He works in mysterious ways

[tmax63]

Had 2 wrecks that were technically my fault but I had good excuses for both.

1. hailstorm, I'm on 4 lane street in town in my pickup left lane. Signal to pull over right so I can stop before I lose a windshield and ashat in a junker Datsun micro car hiding in my blindspot gets his front end removed while the Dakota lost some dirt off the bumper. Got a ticket for unsafe lane change.

2. Top a hill in Dakota, light turns green couple hundred yards ahead. 2 guys in a Ranger talking, ignore light change and by the time I realize they're talking not driving it's too late. Pushed his receiver hitch to within 6" of his differential. Drove the Dakota to the repair shop. Ticket was for following too closely.

Of course these 2 incidents happened within 6-8 months so insurance did the non-renewal thing and I paid out the nose for 5 years. The other couple I've been involved with were the other guys fault. That's running 500-600 miles a week for the last 19 years.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by tmax63

Had 2 wrecks that were technically my fault but I had good excuses for both.

1. hailstorm, I'm on 4 lane street in town in my pickup left lane. Signal to pull over right so I can stop before I lose a windshield and ashat in a junker Datsun micro car hiding in my blindspot gets his front end removed while the Dakota lost some dirt off the bumper. Got a ticket for unsafe lane change.

2. Top a hill in Dakota, light turns green couple hundred yards ahead. 2 guys in a Ranger talking, ignore light change and by the time I realize they're talking not driving it's too late. Pushed his receiver hitch to within 6" of his differential. Drove the Dakota to the repair shop. Ticket was for following too closely.

Of course these 2 incidents happened within 6-8 months so insurance did the non-renewal thing and I paid out the nose for 5 years. The other couple I've been involved with were the other guys fault. That's running 500-600 miles a week for the last 19 years.

So you didn't check your mirrors before you made a lane change, and you rear ended someone. Yeah that's your fault.

[tmax63]

Yep, I'm as bad at driving as you are at reading comprehension. I'm a real menace to society.

[Dayze]

Only one back in 1993, and it was my fault.

[oldman]

A deer got me a couple years back, so my insurance company said that was my fault. Other than that, 1 my fault many years ago, and the other 2 were definitely the other person's fault. I've been legally driving for over 50 years.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by listopencil

So you didn't check your mirrors before you made a lane change, and you rear ended someone. Yeah that's your fault.

99% of drivers DO NOT have their side view mirrors set correctly.

The side view mirrors should be set FAR OUT to catch the ENTIRE lane on your left and right to eliminate 90% of your blind spots from your REAR VIEW mirror. When a car passes me on either side, I see the entire car coming and once I do not see it anymore, it's in my sight of vision. I may miss less than 2 feet of the vehicle.

Most people set their side view mirrors too far in and capture most of what you already see in their rear view mirror, leaving a very long blind spot as cars move out of the rear view image and before you can see them in your line of sight.