Ever been in a crash, thought you were going to die?
Discussion
I have, did. Last winter I was caught out by black ice, doing about 60 along a main road, felt the car (Citroen C3, not mine) losing it, fortunately (english understatement) nothing coming the other way, next thing the car was on its side, and we were hurtling towards what turned out to be a resilient hedge, though I can't remember whether we went over first or hit the hedge first. All this within a very few seconds.
Then everything went really quiet, and a strange smell in the car. I expect the engine had stopped. My first thought was, "I'm still alive", and my wife admitted to being alive too. The air bags had gone off, we'd been wearing our seat belts, and basically, apart from bruises and stuff, we were ok. Some people came along, opened the passenger door into the air (the car was on my side) and I was able to reach up and stop my wife falling towards me when she undid her seat belt, and they helped her out, then me, and we stood at the side of the road and eventually a police car came, we'd already told the people we didn't need an ambulance.
Policeman didn't even ask our names, just directed the traffic while we sat in his car getting warm, and the recovery lorry came and took us and the written off car back to Aylesbury.
The thing I remember most is the sight of stuff rushing towards us through the windscreen, and thinking "this is it" and then I probably blacked out for a moment and came to and realised we had not only survived, but that we were unscathed. There simply wasn't time before it was all over to contemplate my mortality, shout farewells or review my life.
I'm impressed at how good the crash protection in modern cars is. I wouldn't like to have tried something like that in a Triumph Herald or something else from that era.
Anyway, if anyone has experienced a what they thought was going to be a fatal crash, but wasn't, I would be interested to read them.
Then everything went really quiet, and a strange smell in the car. I expect the engine had stopped. My first thought was, "I'm still alive", and my wife admitted to being alive too. The air bags had gone off, we'd been wearing our seat belts, and basically, apart from bruises and stuff, we were ok. Some people came along, opened the passenger door into the air (the car was on my side) and I was able to reach up and stop my wife falling towards me when she undid her seat belt, and they helped her out, then me, and we stood at the side of the road and eventually a police car came, we'd already told the people we didn't need an ambulance.
Policeman didn't even ask our names, just directed the traffic while we sat in his car getting warm, and the recovery lorry came and took us and the written off car back to Aylesbury.
The thing I remember most is the sight of stuff rushing towards us through the windscreen, and thinking "this is it" and then I probably blacked out for a moment and came to and realised we had not only survived, but that we were unscathed. There simply wasn't time before it was all over to contemplate my mortality, shout farewells or review my life.
I'm impressed at how good the crash protection in modern cars is. I wouldn't like to have tried something like that in a Triumph Herald or something else from that era.
Anyway, if anyone has experienced a what they thought was going to be a fatal crash, but wasn't, I would be interested to read them.
I've had quite a few "s
t I'm going to die" moments over the years, mainly in my younger years. I think from the moment you lose control (or as a passenger know the driver has lost control) a big part of you is expecting it to be the end. You just don't know what is going to happen next. I remember hurtling across the road on my roof aged 18 expecting to come to a halt soon, only to be confronted by an oncoming car who flipped us into the hedge. Seeing a car coming towards me whilst we were upside down probably is THE biggest brown trouser moment of my life!
t I'm going to die" moments over the years, mainly in my younger years. I think from the moment you lose control (or as a passenger know the driver has lost control) a big part of you is expecting it to be the end. You just don't know what is going to happen next. I remember hurtling across the road on my roof aged 18 expecting to come to a halt soon, only to be confronted by an oncoming car who flipped us into the hedge. Seeing a car coming towards me whilst we were upside down probably is THE biggest brown trouser moment of my life!Can't say I have fortunatly, I've had a few iffy moments whilst driving on the road, but never crashed a car. However out on track I have had a few bad moments, and generally what happens with me is that every thing sort of slows down, and you know what's about to happen but you can't do anything about it. And at the moment all I think about is "ooo.... st!". Well at least that's what happened when somebody pulled across into my line without checking at none race speed.
t!". Well at least that's what happened when somebody pulled across into my line without checking at none race speed.No. I lost the back end of a 306 diesel at near vmax and spent the few seconds before the accident trying to save it. I don't think I even throughout about having a shunt until I was removing the plastic shroud from the B pillar with my head (impressively breaking the seat back to get through to it)
Still unsure how I not only got away with that but made it across the country to give a uni presentation the following day, which it transpires, made fk all sense.
Still unsure how I not only got away with that but made it across the country to give a uni presentation the following day, which it transpires, made f
k all sense.Upside down, in the back of a rolled capri with fuel glugging out and my mates fag had fallen from his mouth, I put my hand on it on the headlining to put it out, at that point a BMW came tearing round the corner to find an upside down Capri, luckily the driver was on the ball and the car had abs and he managed to slam on and ended up partially on the grass.
Wasnt a big deal at the time, just got on with it, scared the st out of me later, thinking about it.
Wasnt a big deal at the time, just got on with it, scared the s
t out of me later, thinking about it.I've never had a serious crash like that fortunately /touches wood
I did have a bit of a hairy moment on ice last year where I spun round a couple of times whilst heading towards a roundabout with oncoming traffic - luckily whilst trying to get it in a straight line I managed to sound the horn and the traffic stopped to let me glide onto the roundabout. Wasn't travelling fast enough to have a proper crash but it felt like an "I'm going to die" moment
I did have a bit of a hairy moment on ice last year where I spun round a couple of times whilst heading towards a roundabout with oncoming traffic - luckily whilst trying to get it in a straight line I managed to sound the horn and the traffic stopped to let me glide onto the roundabout. Wasn't travelling fast enough to have a proper crash but it felt like an "I'm going to die" moment
LuS1fer said:
Came off a Honda Gold Wing at 80mph plus on a deserted dual carriageway (tank slapper) and amazing abouyt a mile or so later, I stood up with a hairline fracture in my hand. It all seemed very slow while it was happening.
A good advert for wearing proper safety gear, I assume?
Dropped a Lola T142 F5000 at Mallory on the pit straight, as anyone who has raced there will know, there is very little run off on the left side of the track.
Car spun 360 onto the grass and buried the wall, estimated hit speed, 100 mph, stopping distance, 10 feet
as an aside the front wheel hit the roll hoop and took out the mini cam without touching me, I have no idea to this day how it missed me but thinking back to the Senna crash made me feel a bit sick.
Car spun 360 onto the grass and buried the wall, estimated hit speed, 100 mph, stopping distance, 10 feet
as an aside the front wheel hit the roll hoop and took out the mini cam without touching me, I have no idea to this day how it missed me but thinking back to the Senna crash made me feel a bit sick.Edited by Athlon on Saturday 8th October 16:18
Fortunately I've never had an accident on the road, but I've had a good few on the track.
Of the half dozen or so that stay with me, one at Oulton Park was one where I consider myself pretty fortunate.
During a qualifying session I was the 2nd rider in a "freight train" of 6 nose to tail coming out of Old Hall (turn 1).
Approaching the blind crest (5th gear right hander) into Cascades, marshalls were frantically waving yellows - unbeknown to us some guy had gone down, taking another rider with him and split his radiator in the process. 3rd guy on scene went down on the coolant.
We arrived next and as we peeled into the left I thought "ooh, that's odd, 3 guys on the deck" . . . simultaneously matey infront of me lowsided, my rear tyre let go, gripped and fired me over the highside. There were bikes and bodies bouncing everywhere and after my first bounce I was completely horizontal about a foot or two off the deck flying at what, probably 60/70mph by that time, heading straight for a bike laid on its side.
I don't think I ever thought "I'm gonna die", but what with that slo-mo, dreamtime thing, when you crash, I certainly thought "this is gonna hurt" - and bizarre thing is it didn't.
Although I ripped the seat unit off the prone bike with my pelvis, I didn't feel a thing - and nor did I (from the waist down) for about another hour.
Made qualy 2 though, so it wasn't all bad
Of the half dozen or so that stay with me, one at Oulton Park was one where I consider myself pretty fortunate.
During a qualifying session I was the 2nd rider in a "freight train" of 6 nose to tail coming out of Old Hall (turn 1).
Approaching the blind crest (5th gear right hander) into Cascades, marshalls were frantically waving yellows - unbeknown to us some guy had gone down, taking another rider with him and split his radiator in the process. 3rd guy on scene went down on the coolant.
We arrived next and as we peeled into the left I thought "ooh, that's odd, 3 guys on the deck" . . . simultaneously matey infront of me lowsided, my rear tyre let go, gripped and fired me over the highside. There were bikes and bodies bouncing everywhere and after my first bounce I was completely horizontal about a foot or two off the deck flying at what, probably 60/70mph by that time, heading straight for a bike laid on its side.
I don't think I ever thought "I'm gonna die", but what with that slo-mo, dreamtime thing, when you crash, I certainly thought "this is gonna hurt" - and bizarre thing is it didn't.
Although I ripped the seat unit off the prone bike with my pelvis, I didn't feel a thing - and nor did I (from the waist down) for about another hour.
Made qualy 2 though, so it wasn't all bad
Not a serious shunt, but when French white van man didn't realise I was the tail end of a traffic queue and used my car instead of the brakes to stop it was a scary moment.
The impact wasn't that hard but I remember thinking at the first moment, was the back of the car about to join the front with us in the middle? Very scary moment. Obviously knew everything was OK a second later, but that moment of helplessness was unpleasant.
The impact wasn't that hard but I remember thinking at the first moment, was the back of the car about to join the front with us in the middle? Very scary moment. Obviously knew everything was OK a second later, but that moment of helplessness was unpleasant.
I've actually died twice so far and been rumoured dead a third time. Each time involved excessive alcohol consumption, youth and excessive speed. Funnily enough don't drink and drive anymore and haven't done for twenty odd years...
First time was arguably the "best", nineteen years old, gallon of real ale, came out of the pub and decided to chase mates round the lanes. Invincible. Pissed as a fart, couldn't be arsed with lid or jacket, flat out on my CB500 Honda up a single track road in the dark, ninety degree bend, I thought the road went straight on until I saw the steel gate. Slowly working brain had just enough time to think "Goodbye, cruel world"... I took out a three foot thick wall, shortened the 'bike by about two feet... Only real damage other than dying (and thankfully I recovered from that)was a broken nose and a shattered wrist which still causes me problems two decades later...
Probably the worse one for thinking "I'm gonna die" was when my mate rolled his go faster Sierra at about a ton, we could see that coming along way off and just waited for the inevitable...too much speed, unknown road, blind bend, clipped kerb, blown tyre, airborne, upside down, silence, "Ooh look a rock garden"...lots of noise then long silence...
First time was arguably the "best", nineteen years old, gallon of real ale, came out of the pub and decided to chase mates round the lanes. Invincible. Pissed as a fart, couldn't be arsed with lid or jacket, flat out on my CB500 Honda up a single track road in the dark, ninety degree bend, I thought the road went straight on until I saw the steel gate. Slowly working brain had just enough time to think "Goodbye, cruel world"... I took out a three foot thick wall, shortened the 'bike by about two feet... Only real damage other than dying (and thankfully I recovered from that)was a broken nose and a shattered wrist which still causes me problems two decades later...
Probably the worse one for thinking "I'm gonna die" was when my mate rolled his go faster Sierra at about a ton, we could see that coming along way off and just waited for the inevitable...too much speed, unknown road, blind bend, clipped kerb, blown tyre, airborne, upside down, silence, "Ooh look a rock garden"...lots of noise then long silence...
Edited by spoodler on Saturday 8th October 13:22
Edited by spoodler on Saturday 8th October 13:23
Kiltox said:
LuS1fer said:
Came off a Honda Gold Wing at 80mph plus on a deserted dual carriageway (tank slapper) and amazing abouyt a mile or so later, I stood up with a hairline fracture in my hand. It all seemed very slow while it was happening.
A good advert for wearing proper safety gear, I assume?
Fortunately, I could see a ditch and fence one side and Armco the other and I don't know if it was luck or a sort of steeering but eventually I felt I had slowed considerably so tentatively put a hand down only to be flipped onto my front. Again, I kept arms and legs away from the floor and eventually span to a stop and luckily the bike continued for some way.
As for safety equipment, it was a stock helmet, gloves and a nylon one piece quilted riding suit (received for Christmas only 6 days before this happened)over denim jeans and a leather jacket. Oddly, the riding suit took nearly all the abrasion though I got a touch of gravel rash on my butt.
This is how it ended up:
..and yes, I did rebuild it after binning the screen, panniers and crash bars. Most of it was remarkably intact - even the engine was undamaged bar the rocker covers.
Edited by LuS1fer on Saturday 8th October 13:26
scariest thing for me was when i had a blowout on the nearside rear going round an island, i was driving enthusiastically at the time and lack of skill sent me spinning up the curb and head on into a lampost! all i thought at the time was my new bumper!
the thing that scared me most was the fact that there was 3 teenagers the other side of that lampost! someone must have been looking after them that day!
(now i await the slating, but we've all done something we regret, and its how we learn from the mistakes that matters) just thankful no-one was hurt
the thing that scared me most was the fact that there was 3 teenagers the other side of that lampost! someone must have been looking after them that day!
(now i await the slating, but we've all done something we regret, and its how we learn from the mistakes that matters) just thankful no-one was hurt
Unlit, no markings, cross country 'B' road with deep ditches either side and I'm minding my own business driving home in a Discovery. It's dark and the headlights coming towards me seem to be on my side of the road. For an instance I thought I might be on the wrong side of the road but it transpires the moron coming the other way was just straightening out a kink in the road! All available anchors were deployed and I watched as the headlights got inexorably closer with nowhere to go and thinking this is going to be a 'big one'. The good news was that the closing vehicle shot past the front off side wing of the Disco with, what must have been, a fag paper's width of fresh air between us and still travelling at high lepton speed. The bad news is the near side wheels of the Disco caught the soft curb and the back started to get away from me which I managed to recover back onto the road, but then the front wheels started to slip away and with much arm twirling (there's a lot of turns lock to olock on a Disco) and, at a speed of about 10mph, I descended into the bottom of a very deep ditch.
The thing is, the actual 'crash' into the ditch was not what preyed on my mind, it was the continual thought of a quite massive head-on collision and the possible consequences that badly shook me up and stayed with me for quite a while afterwards.
Although the Disco came to rest over on its near side at an angle of about 30 degrees with the top of its roof at about road level, low ratio was selected and the Disco just hauled itself out of the ditch with little fuss - amazing ability!
The thing is, the actual 'crash' into the ditch was not what preyed on my mind, it was the continual thought of a quite massive head-on collision and the possible consequences that badly shook me up and stayed with me for quite a while afterwards.
Although the Disco came to rest over on its near side at an angle of about 30 degrees with the top of its roof at about road level, low ratio was selected and the Disco just hauled itself out of the ditch with little fuss - amazing ability!
Sorry no. Spun off the motorway a few years back after aquaplaning at 70 and hitting a concrete barrier but at no time was i worried i would die.
It was more of a "wheeeeeee this is fun" and after coming to a stop the thought "again again" came into my head. It was great fun. Was quite impressed i ripped a wheel almost right off and bent the car so badly i could only open one door.
These days i try not to crash. I love my car too much.
It was more of a "wheeeeeee this is fun" and after coming to a stop the thought "again again" came into my head. It was great fun. Was quite impressed i ripped a wheel almost right off and bent the car so badly i could only open one door.
These days i try not to crash. I love my car too much.
Front brakes failed at Lydden going from the fastest corner in to the slowest.
At a guess, around 130mph, but then managed to slow a little with rear/engine braking until I hit the grass.
Luckily this was on a bike, so when I hit the tyre wall dead on, I flew over and landed the other side.
Unluckily the bike hit one of the marshals after landing and injured them too.
Broken tib and fib with a badly beaten up body generally.
That short period before hitting the tyre wall very much a 'this may well be it' moment. Fortunately as it was racing with a good club there was a doctor with me in under a minute probably (short circuit and ended up pretty close to the medical hut.)
At a guess, around 130mph, but then managed to slow a little with rear/engine braking until I hit the grass.
Luckily this was on a bike, so when I hit the tyre wall dead on, I flew over and landed the other side.
Unluckily the bike hit one of the marshals after landing and injured them too.
Broken tib and fib with a badly beaten up body generally.
That short period before hitting the tyre wall very much a 'this may well be it' moment. Fortunately as it was racing with a good club there was a doctor with me in under a minute probably (short circuit and ended up pretty close to the medical hut.)
My first car a 1.0 Toyota Starlet of early 90's vintage. Driving down a narrow road that I knew well, in the wet in Autumn so leaves on the road. Left my braking a tad too late for a left turn and as a result pressed the brake a little more firmly than usual, as a result I had a small lockup. I released the brake to regain grip and began braking again (this was all in a split second).
It was at this point the horrific realisation dawned on me, I couldn't make the corner, its amazing how much time slows down at that moment, or maybe its the survival instincts speeding up the thought process. Either way I remember going through the various options in my head and also considering that the crash structure in a 1992 Toyota Starlet probably wasn't the best - yes seriously
I looked at the hedge I was going to be in and aimed for the softest looking part of it (none of it looked that inviting), scrubbed off as much speed as I could and I remember saying 'Oh God Pat' out loud during that last half second or so on the road. I really thought that might be it. So car leaves the road and into the ditch, drops about the height of the car down and comes to a sudden and very unpleasant stop. The wing on either side of the bonnet gets peeled back by the two trees I had miraculously gone between and the drivers side rear window shatters all around me. Afterwards I see I've bent the steering wheel bracing myself for the impact, but I realise some very minor cuts and bruises aside, I'm fine.
I still often think, what if I hadn't gone between those tree's, what if I'd been a foot to the left or the right and hit one head on. I honestly don't think I'd be here to type this. I believe that incident has shaped the driver I am today. I still drive quite quickly, but I leave myself a margin, so a situation like the one above has little chance to develop. I'm by no means a perfect driver, but I'm accident free since.
Incidently once the car was lifted out of the hedge (with the aid of a friendly local farmer) It started and I was able to drive it home (about a mile away).
Still sends a chill through me thinking about that night and what could have been.
It was at this point the horrific realisation dawned on me, I couldn't make the corner, its amazing how much time slows down at that moment, or maybe its the survival instincts speeding up the thought process. Either way I remember going through the various options in my head and also considering that the crash structure in a 1992 Toyota Starlet probably wasn't the best - yes seriously
I looked at the hedge I was going to be in and aimed for the softest looking part of it (none of it looked that inviting), scrubbed off as much speed as I could and I remember saying 'Oh God Pat' out loud during that last half second or so on the road. I really thought that might be it. So car leaves the road and into the ditch, drops about the height of the car down and comes to a sudden and very unpleasant stop. The wing on either side of the bonnet gets peeled back by the two trees I had miraculously gone between and the drivers side rear window shatters all around me. Afterwards I see I've bent the steering wheel bracing myself for the impact, but I realise some very minor cuts and bruises aside, I'm fine.
I still often think, what if I hadn't gone between those tree's, what if I'd been a foot to the left or the right and hit one head on. I honestly don't think I'd be here to type this. I believe that incident has shaped the driver I am today. I still drive quite quickly, but I leave myself a margin, so a situation like the one above has little chance to develop. I'm by no means a perfect driver, but I'm accident free since.
Incidently once the car was lifted out of the hedge (with the aid of a friendly local farmer) It started and I was able to drive it home (about a mile away).
Still sends a chill through me thinking about that night and what could have been.
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