Your first crash
Discussion
I'm guessing this topic might have been done before but can anyone think back to their first crash and how devastating it was for you.
I only ask as the next door neighbours kid, 18 or so appears to have come a cropper, I don't think he passed his test all that long ago and I clocked his dad the other day taking delivery of a second hand car off a dealer (trade plates on it etc), not the newest but it looked immaculate and he probably paid well over the odds for it. He survived the first day without incident but the second day the car turned back up with the bumper all smashed in, bent bonnet, smashed headlight, probably the rad pack and crash bar too. Its been there a good week now and not much is happening to it so probably 3rd party only.
Apart from feeling a bit gutted for him - he must have thought all his problems in life were over for a very brief 24 hrs. - It brought me back to when I did similar, luckily I got through a full year without any incident but eventually I managed to punt a 728i into the back of a nearly new Cavalier causing a couple of grands worth of damage. My mate stuck his dads brand new Audi Coupe straight through someone's garden brick wall at about 60mph when he was 18 and uninsured and I've known several other mates to fall by the wayside in similar fashion.
It must happen so often to the newly qualified after working so hard on crap money to be able to afford such things and it must feel like the end of the world when it does, it certainly did for me but when you look back all those years its so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things it was hardly worth even raising an eyebrow to. If I did it today I'd just say let the insurance deal with it and hop into a hire car and probably forget about it by the end of the day.
So did you spend weeks crying buckets whilst having to get back on the bus or did you just say meh, I like walking anyway.
I only ask as the next door neighbours kid, 18 or so appears to have come a cropper, I don't think he passed his test all that long ago and I clocked his dad the other day taking delivery of a second hand car off a dealer (trade plates on it etc), not the newest but it looked immaculate and he probably paid well over the odds for it. He survived the first day without incident but the second day the car turned back up with the bumper all smashed in, bent bonnet, smashed headlight, probably the rad pack and crash bar too. Its been there a good week now and not much is happening to it so probably 3rd party only.
Apart from feeling a bit gutted for him - he must have thought all his problems in life were over for a very brief 24 hrs. - It brought me back to when I did similar, luckily I got through a full year without any incident but eventually I managed to punt a 728i into the back of a nearly new Cavalier causing a couple of grands worth of damage. My mate stuck his dads brand new Audi Coupe straight through someone's garden brick wall at about 60mph when he was 18 and uninsured and I've known several other mates to fall by the wayside in similar fashion.
It must happen so often to the newly qualified after working so hard on crap money to be able to afford such things and it must feel like the end of the world when it does, it certainly did for me but when you look back all those years its so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things it was hardly worth even raising an eyebrow to. If I did it today I'd just say let the insurance deal with it and hop into a hire car and probably forget about it by the end of the day.
So did you spend weeks crying buckets whilst having to get back on the bus or did you just say meh, I like walking anyway.
loskie said:
in the 80s there was a lad a year or so older than me at school took his dads car out after telling his parents he passed his test. Crashed dad's car came home and topped himself. Aged 17.
That memory has never left me.
I was after something a bit more upbeat if I'm honest.That memory has never left me.
I was participating in a scatter event, bit like a treasure hunt, when I was 20. I had a Cavalier Sports Hatch, much the same as an Opal Manta.
I was practicing the Scandinavian flick on some empty country roads and correcting the skid, but over corrected, skidding car opposite direction, off the road and down an embankment, leaving the car on its side between two trees. It was a tricky recovery operation undertaken by pushing back onto wheels dragging out side ways and back up the embankment by a Land Rover with a winch, before the RAC recovered me. Three Police cars and an ambulance in attendance. What was damaged most was my pride, and the whole side of the car.
That crash has stuck with me, as a reminder not to prat about in a car on the public road.
I was practicing the Scandinavian flick on some empty country roads and correcting the skid, but over corrected, skidding car opposite direction, off the road and down an embankment, leaving the car on its side between two trees. It was a tricky recovery operation undertaken by pushing back onto wheels dragging out side ways and back up the embankment by a Land Rover with a winch, before the RAC recovered me. Three Police cars and an ambulance in attendance. What was damaged most was my pride, and the whole side of the car.
That crash has stuck with me, as a reminder not to prat about in a car on the public road.
tommytaylor said:
loskie said:
in the 80s there was a lad a year or so older than me at school took his dads car out after telling his parents he passed his test. Crashed dad's car came home and topped himself. Aged 17.
That memory has never left me.
I was after something a bit more upbeat if I'm honest.That memory has never left me.
17yrs old in the works van driving down a dual carriageway, in the rain.
Laughing and joking with a mate looked down as we were laughing, looked back up there was a roundabout and I was doing 70mph
Tried to take it and probably would have in the dry but it was wet so understeered, hit the curb at 70mph, both front wheels buckled under which caused the van to start to turn, luckily!!!!
Glanced a concrete lamp post at 60mph and it took off and spun a few times landing up a banking in the trees! Police came breathilised me twice found bits of engine and alternator on the road, airbags had gone off! And doors were buckled meaning we couldn’t really get out, Cops measured it and said if the wheels hadn’t have buckled causing us to turn slightly we would have hit the lamp post and stopped dead, meaning both would be dead! 2 inches made the difference between life and death
Was very very lucky!
Never repeated that mistake
Laughing and joking with a mate looked down as we were laughing, looked back up there was a roundabout and I was doing 70mph
Tried to take it and probably would have in the dry but it was wet so understeered, hit the curb at 70mph, both front wheels buckled under which caused the van to start to turn, luckily!!!!
Glanced a concrete lamp post at 60mph and it took off and spun a few times landing up a banking in the trees! Police came breathilised me twice found bits of engine and alternator on the road, airbags had gone off! And doors were buckled meaning we couldn’t really get out, Cops measured it and said if the wheels hadn’t have buckled causing us to turn slightly we would have hit the lamp post and stopped dead, meaning both would be dead! 2 inches made the difference between life and death
Was very very lucky!
Never repeated that mistake
My first crash would be a boring tale, but I'll tell you someone elses....
Back in '82 dad had a Cavalier 2000GLS, the new FWD models had come out and he was forever in the local dealers asking them when the "hot one" was coming out; eventually the SRI turned up, dad took the first one out and signed up, we had ours before the press even got their hands on them.
Anyway, because of this, we spent a lot of time in the local GM dealers and I remember seeing all the newly registered cars ready for delivery, one of which was a Manta GT/J (I think, pre-GTE days), which was purchased by a family up the road with kids similar age to us. However, where my dad let me learn to drive the SRI on my uncles farm track, Manta-dad decided to let his 11 year old son put his five month old car in the garage....
I'm pretty sure he said in, damn sure he didn't mean "through".
New wings, new bonnet, new bumper, new lights, valance, gawd knows what was wrong under the skin, poor car was never the same, and the parts were replaced in a sort of rolling restoration as funds allowed; pretty sure it never got a grill, even three years later.
At least the back of the garage got bricked up again.
Back in '82 dad had a Cavalier 2000GLS, the new FWD models had come out and he was forever in the local dealers asking them when the "hot one" was coming out; eventually the SRI turned up, dad took the first one out and signed up, we had ours before the press even got their hands on them.
Anyway, because of this, we spent a lot of time in the local GM dealers and I remember seeing all the newly registered cars ready for delivery, one of which was a Manta GT/J (I think, pre-GTE days), which was purchased by a family up the road with kids similar age to us. However, where my dad let me learn to drive the SRI on my uncles farm track, Manta-dad decided to let his 11 year old son put his five month old car in the garage....
I'm pretty sure he said in, damn sure he didn't mean "through".
New wings, new bonnet, new bumper, new lights, valance, gawd knows what was wrong under the skin, poor car was never the same, and the parts were replaced in a sort of rolling restoration as funds allowed; pretty sure it never got a grill, even three years later.
At least the back of the garage got bricked up again.
I managed my first year driving at 17 without hitting anything or anyone. However as soon as I got my first years no claims bonus it went tits up. I crashed into the back of a Jag on a national speed limit road, and then 2 weeks later I completely wrote it off by wrapping it around a lamppost in the wet.
The car was only a 1982 Skoda Estelle 120, but I couldn't afford to buy another car after that though, so I was back to my push bike again for a while.
The car was only a 1982 Skoda Estelle 120, but I couldn't afford to buy another car after that though, so I was back to my push bike again for a while.
loskie said:
tommytaylor said:
loskie said:
in the 80s there was a lad a year or so older than me at school took his dads car out after telling his parents he passed his test. Crashed dad's car came home and topped himself. Aged 17.
That memory has never left me.
I was after something a bit more upbeat if I'm honest.That memory has never left me.
Yes….I remember it like yesterday !
How I’m still here is Anyone’s guess. My first car in January 82, was this 1962 Daytona Yellow 3 Litre Capri. It was the fastest 3 Litre Capri in East London, it would pull an indicated 128 @ 5,800rpm and was Still acellerating, but was very unstable @ high speed. One sunny Sunday morning
In May 82 3 car loads of us decided to go to Cambridge. The Capri had one of those hateful vinle sunroofs fitted and I asked my pal to close it. He pulled the bloody thing out of its runners and it dropped down in my face ! I took my eyes off of the road for a second and the Capri was in the gravel by the crash barrier. Cut a long story short, the car went up on its left 2 wheels and my pal Harvey shouted out “ We’re going over “
Thank god it went into a multiple spin. I can still see the red XJ-6 going up my inside, just missing us ( on a 2 lane piece of road )
How we got away with that il never know….
Edited by SS427 Camaro on Tuesday 21st February 22:32
The day after passing my test at 17 and two months I arrived back at home from college in my 850 Mini. Backwards. Through the garden hedge. My Mum saw it all happen and was not too impressed, and decided (for my own safety to be fair) to give me an unofficial ban for 4 weeks.
The embarrassment of having to catch the bus to college again stayed with me for a long time.
The embarrassment of having to catch the bus to college again stayed with me for a long time.
Mine was when I was in my early twenties and is still, touch wood, the worse crash I've had, but it was minor in comparison to the others mentioned so far.
I went out to the pub with mates one cold winter night, passed the gritter lorry on the way there, coming back at about midnight the roads were clear of ice, until I got the the corner where the gritter lorry had obviously run out of grit. Lost control in the ice but managed to get it back under control just before it hit the fence, I would have been fine except some clever so and so put a telegraph pole in the way.
Ford Cortina 2 litre that I had just paid to put a reconditioned engine in, I was gutted.
Step daughter on the other hand.....passed her test and her dad bought her a car, a week later she decided to follow a 'mate' who did a pretty dodgy overtake just before a corner, making her overtake almost lethal. A car came the other way, she swerved and rolled it numerous times into a field, car was written off and hard to believe she got out with just minor scratches. Peugout 206's were quite well made thankfully, and she was very, very lucky. The 'mates' didn't even stop to help.
I went out to the pub with mates one cold winter night, passed the gritter lorry on the way there, coming back at about midnight the roads were clear of ice, until I got the the corner where the gritter lorry had obviously run out of grit. Lost control in the ice but managed to get it back under control just before it hit the fence, I would have been fine except some clever so and so put a telegraph pole in the way.
Ford Cortina 2 litre that I had just paid to put a reconditioned engine in, I was gutted.
Step daughter on the other hand.....passed her test and her dad bought her a car, a week later she decided to follow a 'mate' who did a pretty dodgy overtake just before a corner, making her overtake almost lethal. A car came the other way, she swerved and rolled it numerous times into a field, car was written off and hard to believe she got out with just minor scratches. Peugout 206's were quite well made thankfully, and she was very, very lucky. The 'mates' didn't even stop to help.
My first crash was in an Astra, doing about 50 down a dual carriageway. It had a crossover ie side roads at 90 degrees on both sides, and a gap in the central reservation.
So this bloke just pulls straight across in front of me and I T-boned him. Luckily I hit his rear door not his front door. Had to prise the rear hatch open to get him out.
His car was a mini metro, which he was driving to a garage to part ex for a range rover. Glad I hit a metro not a range rover!
I couldn't drive for about 6 months afterwards so even though I wasn't ragging it at the time of the crash, I was pretty circumspect when I finally got back behind the wheel.
The car I replaced it with (another Astra!) was no luckier, it was involved in 4 separate incidents, only one of which where I was actually in it (a woman parked on the opposite side of the road set off, but didn't take off her krooklok so couldn't brake, couldn't steer, smashed in all the side of the car while I was in queuing traffic, then asked why I didn't take avoiding action)...
So this bloke just pulls straight across in front of me and I T-boned him. Luckily I hit his rear door not his front door. Had to prise the rear hatch open to get him out.
His car was a mini metro, which he was driving to a garage to part ex for a range rover. Glad I hit a metro not a range rover!
I couldn't drive for about 6 months afterwards so even though I wasn't ragging it at the time of the crash, I was pretty circumspect when I finally got back behind the wheel.
The car I replaced it with (another Astra!) was no luckier, it was involved in 4 separate incidents, only one of which where I was actually in it (a woman parked on the opposite side of the road set off, but didn't take off her krooklok so couldn't brake, couldn't steer, smashed in all the side of the car while I was in queuing traffic, then asked why I didn't take avoiding action)...
Lightening the mood,
Picture the scene .... a younger, more skinny, poorer T6 passes his test on Tuesday and patiently waits until Thursday, which was Car classified day in the local paper ...... Thursday come's and there she is .... T6's perfect chariot .. 20 adverts down the list an extravagant £150 for a passport of freedom, One phone call later and I'm on the first of two bus trips to view my future freedom machine.
It's a cross between dusk and dark as I arrive to a 30's Terry & June style house with the chariot of dreams parked outside on the drive.
A quick curtesy viewing identifies it has 4 wheels and a surly bloke ... we'll call him 'Terry' for it was a long time ago and I can't remember what it was now presents himself at the front door, We have a quick trip around the local estate and wheels of wonder appears to function OK, so it's parked back up on the drive & we disappear inside to be relieved of my life savings and sign some paperwork. Further paperwork ... frivolous things such as insurance etc would be completed tomorrow when the brokers open for it's now well into the evening.
Keys were passed and proud as punch 17 year old T6 settles himself comfortably into the drivers seat of the mighty Renault, I check to the left and judge perfect clearance between rear and boundary wall, I check to the right and again can see clearance between the rear and boundary wall, With trepidation and excitement I'm about to venture off on my first drive,
Reverse is selected and I promptly crash into a metal post upright of a long departed gate sat about 6 inches inside from the visible boundary wall,
A small crease in the bumper, chipped taillight and tiny indent in the rear panel & bootlid ... Almost 40 years later and I've yet to have another parking manoeuvre incident
Picture the scene .... a younger, more skinny, poorer T6 passes his test on Tuesday and patiently waits until Thursday, which was Car classified day in the local paper ...... Thursday come's and there she is .... T6's perfect chariot .. 20 adverts down the list an extravagant £150 for a passport of freedom, One phone call later and I'm on the first of two bus trips to view my future freedom machine.
It's a cross between dusk and dark as I arrive to a 30's Terry & June style house with the chariot of dreams parked outside on the drive.
A quick curtesy viewing identifies it has 4 wheels and a surly bloke ... we'll call him 'Terry' for it was a long time ago and I can't remember what it was now presents himself at the front door, We have a quick trip around the local estate and wheels of wonder appears to function OK, so it's parked back up on the drive & we disappear inside to be relieved of my life savings and sign some paperwork. Further paperwork ... frivolous things such as insurance etc would be completed tomorrow when the brokers open for it's now well into the evening.
Keys were passed and proud as punch 17 year old T6 settles himself comfortably into the drivers seat of the mighty Renault, I check to the left and judge perfect clearance between rear and boundary wall, I check to the right and again can see clearance between the rear and boundary wall, With trepidation and excitement I'm about to venture off on my first drive,
Reverse is selected and I promptly crash into a metal post upright of a long departed gate sat about 6 inches inside from the visible boundary wall,
A small crease in the bumper, chipped taillight and tiny indent in the rear panel & bootlid ... Almost 40 years later and I've yet to have another parking manoeuvre incident
Not a car. Kawasaki GPZ600R in the early 90s. Twitchy as f
k little bd that used to like to lock to lock tankslap at 130 mph at the drop of a hat. The Angel of the North didn't exist then, but if it had, it would have witnessed what is, to date, my most spectacular off, on diesel, on a large, high speed roundabout just off the A1. The impact snapped the end off the crank, wrenched all 4 carbs off their mountings, and hurled the bike into the air ( according to witnesses ), to the height of a bungalow. The bike went so far off into the scenery that I couldn't find it afterwards. It was upside down and totally mullered when I finally located it.
I broke my neck, damaged my carotid artery, which subsequently blocked up, causing me blackouts and temporary blindness in one eye, and the reliance on 4 tablets a day from then to now.
I've more or less avoided the 2 wheel experience since then, but suffice to say, time has dulled the memory and I'm currently watching several Honda CBR650Rs on ebay at the moment.
k little bd that used to like to lock to lock tankslap at 130 mph at the drop of a hat. The Angel of the North didn't exist then, but if it had, it would have witnessed what is, to date, my most spectacular off, on diesel, on a large, high speed roundabout just off the A1. The impact snapped the end off the crank, wrenched all 4 carbs off their mountings, and hurled the bike into the air ( according to witnesses ), to the height of a bungalow. The bike went so far off into the scenery that I couldn't find it afterwards. It was upside down and totally mullered when I finally located it.I broke my neck, damaged my carotid artery, which subsequently blocked up, causing me blackouts and temporary blindness in one eye, and the reliance on 4 tablets a day from then to now.
I've more or less avoided the 2 wheel experience since then, but suffice to say, time has dulled the memory and I'm currently watching several Honda CBR650Rs on ebay at the moment.
First car, age 17, a rampaging Metro 1.0L. For Christmas I had loads of Halfords tat to stick on it. Wheel trims, spot lights, even those little spoilers to put on the windscreen wipers. Crashed it into a Renault van on Boxing Day and most of my new Christmas go faster tat fell off. I was sad.
Back in 2000, about 6 months after passing my test, my then misses and I traded in our K reg Orion for a just under 3 year old R reg Polo 16v. A month later, after it got a good clean and polish at her parents one Sunday night, we drove home and parked up on the street as normal. Next morning I went out at 0530 for a 6am start and was horrified to see a huge birdst all over the windscreen. I jumped in the car and started her up and gave a blast on the washers but annoyingly the wipers couldn't reach high enough to clear it all. I was going to pull away anyway but stopped as I just had to clean it. I switched the engine off and went to grab some kitchen towel.
I soon realised while cleaning that i needed more water, so I leaned in and turned the key for another blast from the washers. Stupidly I had left the car in gear AND with the handbrake released! My gleaming Polo shunted forward and smacked into my neighbours old volvo estate, with a towbar of course. Worse still was the opened door hit a concrete streetlamp, one of those old curbside ones, and my hand got squashed as it got pushed nearly shut.
A slightly bruised hand and some missing skin went along with a needing a new font bumper and lower grille and a new numberplate. Plus the streetlamp gave the door a nice big dent and several large deep scrapes. Neighbour thought it was funny but the misses didn't. So I crashed my first car without even being inside of it.
t all over the windscreen. I jumped in the car and started her up and gave a blast on the washers but annoyingly the wipers couldn't reach high enough to clear it all. I was going to pull away anyway but stopped as I just had to clean it. I switched the engine off and went to grab some kitchen towel.I soon realised while cleaning that i needed more water, so I leaned in and turned the key for another blast from the washers. Stupidly I had left the car in gear AND with the handbrake released! My gleaming Polo shunted forward and smacked into my neighbours old volvo estate, with a towbar of course. Worse still was the opened door hit a concrete streetlamp, one of those old curbside ones, and my hand got squashed as it got pushed nearly shut.
A slightly bruised hand and some missing skin went along with a needing a new font bumper and lower grille and a new numberplate. Plus the streetlamp gave the door a nice big dent and several large deep scrapes. Neighbour thought it was funny but the misses didn't. So I crashed my first car without even being inside of it.
Clipped a dry stone wall in my first car (1992 Ford Escort 1.4) whilst distracted messing about with the stereo. Was still drivable but made a mess of the nearside wing and door IIRC. Had it repaired then rolled the bloody thing down an embankment afew months later 
That one is still my biggest bump, on the A672 not far from the M62 J22 driving too quick early one morning after dropping the parents off at Manchester airport. Luckily all I suffered was a seatbelt burn
That one is still my biggest bump, on the A672 not far from the M62 J22 driving too quick early one morning after dropping the parents off at Manchester airport. Luckily all I suffered was a seatbelt burnMy first car was a 1967 Cortina MK2 I bought in 1976 and I can't remember the sequence of my RTCs now, although it was involved in 3 that I remember in the year I had it!
Someone rolled back into it at the end of our road, but minimal damage (although I may have been very close behind)! A milk-float was double parked on a service road so I decided to mount the kerb to get past and put a 2 foot long crease on the passenger side front door. Then the battery died so I parked on the one-way system in Kingston and while I phoned home a Bentley driver decided to scrape his car around the NSR corner and give me some cash without getting out of his car thankfully.
I learnt a lot about Isopon filler, rattle cans and breakers yards!
Someone rolled back into it at the end of our road, but minimal damage (although I may have been very close behind)! A milk-float was double parked on a service road so I decided to mount the kerb to get past and put a 2 foot long crease on the passenger side front door. Then the battery died so I parked on the one-way system in Kingston and while I phoned home a Bentley driver decided to scrape his car around the NSR corner and give me some cash without getting out of his car thankfully.
I learnt a lot about Isopon filler, rattle cans and breakers yards!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff