So, I got in a very minor accident tonight...how do you react when it happens?

[GoBlues38]

my immediate reaction is to make sure everyone is ok.

I then try and figure out what happened. If it could have been avoided yes, i would get pissed. But I am more worried about getting details to give the cops to ensure it is not my fault.

Last one I was in was 2000. Gut hit me head on because he was drunk. It was in my 98GT. Oddly, I wasn't mad at all. Just glad to be alive, and glad he hit me hard enough i knew the car was a total loss.

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[GoBlues38]

In my 2000 which is manual I usually sit in neutral. When I see a car approaching I'll tap the brakes a few times to get their attention and make sure they know I'm stopped.

yep. I also try and always leave space in front of me, so I can pull up if they may need more room.

 

[Souldriver]

I had a guy pull out of a spot in a parking lot into me as i was waving and honking at him. That got me pissed, i had to bite my tongue and talk through my teeth to him.

Another time a 17 year old girl with a permit who shouldnt of been driving at night blew a stop sign in daddy's lexus suv with her 26 year old boyfriend in the pasenger seat. I was the pasenger in my friends caf and they tboned us hard and totaled the car. All she did was cry and cry until her parents came and fixed it for her. I really wish i persued this as at the time witnesses on the street said she seemed drunk (this was thanksgiving eve) and i had/still have lasting aches from it.

 

[50hhh]

Luckily my mustang was at the dealership and I was driving a loaner focus. Leaving the dealership about a mile down the road I stopped at a red light. See a chevy van coming fast and just knew it wasn't stopping. I let off the brake and she hit her brakes slid all the way in and pushed me about 10 feet out into the intersection we pulled over to the side of the road, and I shit you guys not there wasn't a scratch or dent anywhere on the car! I checked behind the bumper foam was all fine nothing popped out etc....She gave me her insurance info and we went on our way. couldn't believe that focus wasn't caved in from behind.

 

[Blk2015GT]

To me rear ending someone at a red light isn't an "accident" in the true sense. Merging or changing lanes on the highway and clipping someone is an accident, generally you did your best to see and couldn't- a blind spot or they merged into the same lane at the same time. That to me in an accident.

Rear ending at a red light screams texting or doing something that person wasn't supposed to be doing. No one just thinks "oh I though you were going" at a red light. I've never once thought that behind a car when a light was red.

 

[NightmareMoon]

I'm calm and compassionate when somebody hits me..

... because I need them to stick around long enough for a cop to show up and write them an at-fault ticket.

 

[15RRGT]

Pix? Of the chick of course.....

 

[DivineStrike]

Pix? Of the chick of course.....

Lol, she was cute, but sorry didn't get any pics of her haha. Ya know there's always that one guy in the group...guess you're it

 

[15RRGT]

Lol, she was cute, but sorry didn't get any pics of her haha. Ya know there's always that one guy in the group...guess you're it

Ha yeah just thinking of the bright side lol..... But seriously I was rear ended in our bmw last winter in pretty much the same scenario. Sitting at a red light, first in line but turning left. Light turns green, but no green arrow on the signal and there was a pickup coming from the opposite direction. So although the light did turn green I didn't move forward much because the oncoming pickup had the right of way. But the 17 year old boy behind me saw the green light and just hit the gas and plowed right into the back of me. My 15 year old son was in the car with me, it was Sunday morning we were actually taking his pal home from a sleepover. So having the two of them with me probably helped keep my cool cuz at first I was like WTH are you doing, I wasn't moving! But then after a second I could see how he saw the light turn and just hit the gas not really paying attention to anything else lol.

 

[GTP]

To me rear ending someone at a red light isn't an "accident" in the true sense. Merging or changing lanes on the highway and clipping someone is an accident, generally you did your best to see and couldn't- a blind spot or they merged into the same lane at the same time. That to me in an accident.

Rear ending at a red light screams texting or doing something that person wasn't supposed to be doing. No one just thinks "oh I though you were going" at a red light. I've never once thought that behind a car when a light was red.

I agree. If you saw her holding her phone when she was out of her car - that is a clue right there - she is basically one-handed bc the other one is ALWAYS holding her damn phone. So even without texting, she could have been glancing at it for any little reason whatsoever.

As for her going too soon, if the situation was that you were pulling out for a right turn, then some people are so focused on looking for that open spot in oncoming traffic to their left that they don't even see anything in front of them. I have learned to look at the corner sidewalk to my right before looking left when pulling out. This is bc as a long-time bicyclist, I know a bicycle or pedestrian could be right there in front of me and I could run them over at 5mph!

As for calmness, what if she hit your Mustang at 30+ mph and did a real number to the back end? You've seen the photos on this site. Sure you could see the airbag and ask if she was all right, but inside you would be pissed!

(I would be pissed, but that is bc I am at risk of becoming a grumpy old man.)

 

[ElAviator72]

I was very very angry after this happened:

I wanted to open a can of whoopass on the guy who did it (delivery driver from a Chinese grocery store, who hardly spoke English!). I forced myself to stay in the car and stay calm and not have any interactions with him...addle:

Dude crossed the centerline on me on a two lane road (in a 4x4 Toyota Tacoma). Both vehicles totaled.

Can honestly say this is the first "dream" car I've ever owned, and I loved it very much for the four months I got to enjoy it...don't worry, got the next one on order. Just have to live with a POS Toyota Yaris until my Deep Impact Blue '16 car arrives (long term rental).

 

[GTP]

... I forced myself to stay in the car and stay calm and not have any interactions with him...

Not sure how you could have gotten out of the car anyway. :lol:

 

[ElAviator72]

Not sure how you could have gotten out of the car anyway. :lol:

Had to climb over the center console and use the passenger door :doh:

 

[Mgsouthwest2001]

The rule for any accident is remain calm. Accidents happen. Getting heated and confrontational in today's "getting meaner by the minute" world is just a good way to go from riding in a mustang to riding in a hearse when you pop off to the wrong person. It ain't worth it.

 

[Falcon01]

I was more surprised and confused when I was rear ended at a red light than mad. Story is that there's this really short green light and always a lot of traffic, so of course some Acura RLX was driving along at 5 in a 35 through the intersection and the light went from yellow to red so I stopped. The person behind me in a Jeep Cherokee didn't. Thankfully he was going slow and no abs helped him stop quicker (he had a 98 or some shit). Never made a thread because the damage was nonexistent. A little paint transfer that came off pretty easily and a small mark, not even a scratch. You can't see any damage unless it's pointed out because it was that minor. The police looked at the car and asked "Is there even any damage?".

Anyhow, just one case where you can be rear ended at a light and the guy behind you isn't on the phone, but rather impatient and trying to go through a red. I was calm and called the police before I got out of the car. I then got out, the other driver apologized, took blame for it and said he thought I was going to go through. The police showed up about a minute after I got out of the car (small town, heh) and then 2 more units (most action since the county fair) show up. They write up a report, issue the other guy a careless ticket and we exchange info and go on our way. Took less than 10 minutes and I still got to class on time.


Like previously mentioned stay calm, but try to get them riled up a little. When they're screaming at you and police show up and your calm, the police will instinctively side with you.

Also, always get a police report no matter what. DC has the stupidest rules where they don't give reports unless there is an injury, like GTFO. Then it's he said she said and no money is recoverable because they claim they can't determine fault.

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