Skip to main content
Close Button
Donate
  • Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 41 subscribers
  • Views 522 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Mistake when driving

Billy Kidd
3 months ago

I love classic cars for many reasons. Their styling is beautiful, their mechanical features were mostly astonishing for the time and I’ve owned several classics all of which I loved. Anyway… one thing I really detest about modern cars is their lights, especially the LED day runner lights they all seem to have because if they hit a dip or bump, it looks like they flash which can cause mistakes as I found out today.

Today this happened to me. I was waiting to turn out, I should have been taking more note of the cars passing by, I wasn’t because I had just come out of a very busy Waitrose. A black car was coming. It must have hit a dip because I thought the driver flashed their lights – I accelerated out and as I did I saw the driver and she glared at me shaking
her head. I was confused until my car turned in to the road up behind the car in front…
A hearse.

Suddenly the realisation set in. I felt rotten.

I felt like an absolute jerk. The woman behind was part of the funeral procession and I broke in to it. Not intentionally, though I should have seen the hearse first but I still feel bad about it. This is one of the main reasons I hate driving because I misunderstand things and I cause disruption without really meaning to because I’m trying to process so many things at once.

Suffice to say, I got off that road ASAP. At the next turning I took it, sadly a stretch that led to a duel carriageway adding an extra 17 miles to my journey home, not what my Immortal needs as it’s missing like the devil, but perhaps I deserved it for pulling out in front of the funeral car.

Parents
  • 3 months ago

    Please don't beat yourself up. Things like this happen.

  • 3 months ago in reply to Desmond79

    Thanks Desmond. I appreciate your kindness. Just really wish this hadn't happened. 

  • 3 months ago in reply to Billy Kidd
    Billy Kidd said:
    Just really wish this hadn't happened. 

    I find it helps to get a bit Zen about the situations where you mess up.

    You made an error - the consequences were trivial for others and you suffered a longer drive back as your penance. So harm, no foul.

    What can you learn from this to prevent a repeat? Practice higher awareness when pulling out is about all I can think of - but if it was at night then you need to cut yourself some slack as you can only see headlights anyway until you are almost on top of the cars.

    If it was during the day then you do need to take more notice of the cars themselves - if it had been a police car for example then you could be in a load of trouble.

    It comes with practice and experience so is a natural part of improving your driving through practice.

    It also is a good reminder to shut off distractions (music and talking to passangers) during these manouvers as they are a leading cause of attention lapses in such situations. Saying something like "just a sec while I do this" is enough to stop all but the most annoying passangers for a few seconds as they probably enjoy staying alive too.

Reply
  • 3 months ago in reply to Billy Kidd
    Billy Kidd said:
    Just really wish this hadn't happened. 

    I find it helps to get a bit Zen about the situations where you mess up.

    You made an error - the consequences were trivial for others and you suffered a longer drive back as your penance. So harm, no foul.

    What can you learn from this to prevent a repeat? Practice higher awareness when pulling out is about all I can think of - but if it was at night then you need to cut yourself some slack as you can only see headlights anyway until you are almost on top of the cars.

    If it was during the day then you do need to take more notice of the cars themselves - if it had been a police car for example then you could be in a load of trouble.

    It comes with practice and experience so is a natural part of improving your driving through practice.

    It also is a good reminder to shut off distractions (music and talking to passangers) during these manouvers as they are a leading cause of attention lapses in such situations. Saying something like "just a sec while I do this" is enough to stop all but the most annoying passangers for a few seconds as they probably enjoy staying alive too.

Children
No Data