I'm still totally embarrassed.

So I think of myself as a very good driver. I am always careful & pay close attention to everything going on around me. Well on Monday I did the most boneheaded thing I've ever done behind the wheel of a car. I rearended a guy at a stop sign. I was not on the phone or doing anything other than driving. We were at the end of an off ramp. I was sure he had already pulled away from the stop sign, so I was watching for my opening to merge onto the road. I saw my spot, excellerated & BAM right into his bumper. Now I'm not sure how or why I thought he had already gone. I always sit & watch for the car infront of me to go, pull up to the stop sign & then look. I don't know if he started to go & then stopped or what happened. He was OK about it. I appologized instantly cause I knew I was totally in the wrong. He was quiet for a while, and said it's fine, but you need to watch the car infront of you not just the one's comming at you. I was not about to argue because his car actually had a mark in the bumper, my car has no damage, and I could have gotten a ticket. I felt stupid & horrible. I still can't believe I did that, I'm always careful. I have had a lot on my mind lately & I guess I just wasn't paying attention. I hope I'm not the only one who has ever done something so stupid.

A bit of stress lately? You mind could have partially been elsewhere. And stuff happens.


At least you're not running stop signs, red lights, and not signaling! The drivers around here make me so nervous.

Hey, you're definitely not the only one out there! Yesterday I almost turned onto a road and at the last minute saw the other car approaching. I know I looked both ways, but clearly wasn't paying attention as I totally didn't see him! Scary how it can happen so easily.
At least you're alright and no harm was done.

Last June my sister spooked a deer while driving to the grocery store, ran a stop sign and T-boned a car!. Her truck was totaled and they took the driver of other car to hospital.
She had driven that intersection many many times.

Thats why they are called accidents!

In general, it takes at least 2 mistakes to have an accident. Not always, of course...but it may be that you got some sort of false cue from the other driver, and just messed up. We all do it.

Don't be too hard on yourself. When you're good at something and you make a mistake, you tend to beat yourself up over it. Nobody got hurt, that's the most important thing.

Thanks guys. I know mistakes happen, I think that one just caught me off gaurd. I know I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I was thinking about Jordan being sick again & some problems I'm having at work. You know just lots of stuff on my mind other than driving. I'm also thankful that the other guy wasn't at total jerk about it.

Something similar happened to me... I wasn't paying close enough attention to realize the car I rearended was stopped in front of me. It was rainy, and dark and I totally hit him. They were of course people who spoke no english [happened to be the part of town I was in] ignored me through the whole thing until the police came. I had to call 911 because we were in the middle of a highway and I didn't want to be stuck in the middle of the road so i needed to make sure it was okay to move. They sat out in the middle of the road and made a HUGE production. The car they were driving was insured [that was shocking given the neighborhood] it wasn't their car however. My whole front end was smashed, they had a scratch. Two of them went to the hospital but the driver suffered no injuries and neither did I. I don't think the passengers really did either but they have to make a claim once taken to the doctor as did I when I went to the doctor as a just in case. I took a traffic safety class and accidents can be serious even if they don't seem to be at the time.

Anyway it was a big mistake, it sucked. I got a ticket. So now my insurance for the bare minimum is $99 per month because I have an accident and a ticket on my record. Good times. You are not alone, and it could have been way worse, you could have been hurt or gotten a ticket.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

In general, it takes at least 2 mistakes to have an accident. Not always, of course...but it may be that you got some sort of false cue from the other driver, and just messed up. We all do it.

Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking too. Maybe the car you hit moved forward a bit and then stopped while you were looking for the next opening in traffic.

awww don't feel bad! That is why they are called accidents!! If it makes you feel ANY better I totalled a brand new car going only 10 miles an hour and in front of my father.

It happens.

I hated myself for a few days last Fall when I pulled out of my brother's driveway at night and backed straight up into a car that was parked right behind the driveway. It wasn't a "thought I had more space" type of thing....I just didn't see the car there until it was too late. I'm not sure if I looked or not.

8 months and $1700 later (yup...I just had to hit the door of a cheaply made, oddly-coloured car that dented like a tin can when I hit it while hardly moving) and I'm more or less over it...although, I still won't park in my brother's driveway and cringe everytime I see an ugly green Pontiac Wave. LOL.

Just be glad no one's hurt and I can guarantee you won't make the same mistake again!