Minor car accident concerns - control of car.i hope someone sees this and has the kindness to respond?
Damages incurred:
-a slight dent in the rear of the lady's van
-minor dents in my front bumper and hood (part covering the engine), and a destroyed right headlight in my car
-no injuries whatsoever to any living being (yay!)
I somehow pulled myself together, made it early to my interview, and drove safely home after that accident. Thank god the lady driving the van was very nice about the whole thing. I was afraid she would yell at me.
My family was very nice about the whole thing as well.
However, I had trouble sleeping that night because I kept thinking what if a pedestrian was there? Is it possible to switch to parking or neutral gear if one has trouble with brakes, even if the car is moving? Otherwise I would have to swerve!
Answers:
Sorry to hear about your accident, glad to hear that no one was hurt.
Most peoples worst fear is hitting a pedestrian when driving and it is natural for you to be concerned, given the experience that you have had.
There is little that you can do with the transmission (gearbox) on an automatic car as you describe and normally too little time to do much else in any car when you are about to have an accident. One thing that you can do (if you need to) if you feel that the brakes are not working properly is pull on the 'hand-brake', the hand-brake is the back-up/emergency brake and is controlled by cables (normally to the rear wheels) so operates independently to the foot-brake.
The only other thing you can do is swerve. Sometimes having a small 'bump' like this can be a good thing, no one gets hurt and it gives 'focus' to your future driving; possibly meaning that you never have another one. It's all experience, don't let it knock your confidence too much.
NEVER DRIVE IN NEUTRAL , NEVER SWERVE UNLESS THERE IS SOMEONE THERE IN FRONT OF YOU , GET THE BRAKE'S FIXED
if you are having brake problems as you say.then you should be taking the car to a mechanic to have it looked at, as one of your calipers may be ceasing, or you may have a slight brake line leak, or just need new pad or rotors.
tense relax it could be worse allways learn from this bad luck you will be a better driver for it no one was hurt you had some ones prayer watching over you get the brakes fixed or the law wont be on your side cheers
Get your brakes and tyres checked, leave a lot more room in front of you (it will feel like a lot more at first anyway but you'll soon get used to it) and remember a slippery, wet or even slightly damp road can undo all your good work, so go careful.
Check any further worries with a good driving instructor - if you are in uk I can recommend 3 counties, but you sound as if u are in usa.
you will not have time to mess with gears in an emergency, just stamp on the break.don't worry about the what if?. you will soon get over it and regain your confidence, it doz take time.
im glad no one was hurt. if your brakes are failing you use emergency break. i to was in an accident and had the same feelings of what if. i think that it is a natural feeling. as long as everyone is o-k then you will get over it. please get your brakes checked so that it doesnt happen again, you may not be that lucky next time.
This is not unusual at all. You are having a mild and hopefully brief case of "post traumatic" disorder. It should pass completely in a day or two.
You might consider taking a defensive driving class. It will teach you some extra tips and tricks on how to drive safely.
Hugs,
Ginger
Sure you could switch to neutral but what would that help. Its not like that would stop the car. Switching to park will seriuosly damage your car- don't do it. Just be more careful and don't follow too closely.
Get the brakes fixed at a reliable mechanic other than your dealer
Well no if that was to accure, apply the emergency break.
This break applyes the the back breaks only and will stop the car much faster.
Trying to put it into park will not stop the car any faster in order to stop the car it has to not be moving.
As long as it is in gear it will slowdown faster if you apply the break and the emergency and take your foot off the gas.
Hope this helps
Never put it in park while you are rolling nor neutral, it can cause the motor to stall and you will lose power to your brakes and steering and lose control. Best thing to do is stay back away from the car in front of you so you won't have to worry about not braking in time. always be very alert and don't get distracted by radio or cell phone. As for pedestrians, use caution if you see people on bikes or walking, i always slow down a bit just in case they come out in front of me.
cheeck tires and brakes. Fix the problems. Repair the reight headlight, and do not change the bumper unless it will fall off. Change bumper only if you know that it fall off.
You don't say how long you have been driving, but you should know if you put the car in neutral you have NO control of the car, you would be better off changing gear as you release the clutch you will find the car will start to slow so at the same time apply your brakes (foot) then depress the clutch you will find the car will stop a lot faster than just applying the brake. It would be wise to find a quiet road and practise applying the brake with diffrent pressures until you feel confident that you can stop in any situation remember snow and ice is not far off and then you need to be more in control of your car than ever, also try slowing the car down using ALL the gears coming down the box not this silly way instructors have been shown to come from 4 to 2 in one move use your gear box you will find it works better. hope this helps. Sorry about your little bump but remember its only a lump of metal not a life.
You will get your confidence back - i promise.
Hon, you SO need to have your brakes checked.
And as others have said - wear sensible shoes and stay well back.
We all makes mistakes but learning from them is the key.
Best Wishes for many happy, safe years of driving.
firstly its ur responsibilty to ensure the car you are driving is roadworthy and judging by what you say it wasnt.get it fixed.secondly,yes you could pull on the handbrake but only if you are travelling in a straightline.the other point is that you were too close to the vehicle infront
Don`t ever put a moving car into park! Unless your local transmission shop is low on work. Don`t even think about your transmission while you brake. What kind of car do you have? Do you have anti-lock brakes? Go somewhere like an empty parking lot (mall) or an empty road and check (practice) your braking for emergancies. If more people honed their emergancy driving skills; we`d have a lot fewer accidents. Its` good that you`re aware enough to inquire about improving your driving. Others should be so concerned. Stay safe! R.H.W. Sask Canada
Dont worry even the best drivers have minor prangs a good rule of thumb that my instuctor advised me was " 1 lenght of veichle for every 10 miles of speed " it is a good rule to remember once again dont worry IT HAPPENS TO THE BEST
#1 - please tell me you called the cops and reported this to your insurance company.
#2 - there is no way you hit another car going 20-30 mph and are well enough to type on a computer. At that speed you both would be in the hospital, both vehicles would be scrap. ( I work in insurance claims and I have to deal with thousands of accidents a year -- sounds like by the time you collided you were going about 5 mph -- which is a GOOD thing!)
#3 - unless you are driving a supercharged drag racing car it is IMPOSSIBLE to overpower the brakes,,,,, so if I were you I would have the brake system checked ASAP! You could have a mechanical problem with the brake assist booster which would make braking very difficult.
#4 - never do the netural to drive and back thing -- you need power to the wheels at all times in order to maintain control of your vehicle.
#5 - did mention that you need to have your brakes checked?
#6 - lastly, a dose of road fear brought on by a minor accident can be very healthy. It will make you stronger and more alert, so stop fretting and get a good nights sleep.
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