Worst driving experience ever?

Jamie-b

What's the worst driving experience you've had? Mine was today- it wasn't one really bad thing but an accumulation of little things. I had to pull over only 5 minutes from my house and buy a drink I was shaking so bad!

I know I need to put it out of my head but so many bad things happened I am sick with the fright

Max Power1

Jamie-b wrote: »

What's the worst driving experience you've had? Mine was today- it wasn't one really bad thing but an accumulation of little things. I had to pull over only 5 minutes from my house and buy a drink I was shaking so bad!

I know I need to put it out of my head but so many bad things happened I am sick with the fright

non alcoholic i hope

Faith+1

Max Power1 wrote: »

non alcoholic i hope

I was gonna say the same thing. Nothing like a good Jemmie chaser to settle the ole nerves!:cool:
ps- Not behind the wheel obviously!

Jamie-b

Tee hee I see how that sounds! "Hi Guard, just pulled over here to have a beer to steady the hand!"

murrayp4

Jamie-b wrote: »

Tee hee I see how that sounds! "Hi Guard, just pulled over here to have a beer to steady the hand!"

**Timbuk2**

Once when I was learning to drive, I moved off from a parking spot without lights on at nightime and didn't notice for about 1 minute until my mother realised - now that was bad!

loobylou

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Once when I was learning to drive, I moved off from a parking spot without lights on at nightime and didn't notice for about 1 minute until my mother realised - now that was bad!

I think we've probably all done that sometime or other:o

Jamie-b

Once when I was learning to drive, I moved off from a parking spot without lights on at nightime and didn't notice for about 1 minute until my mother realised - now that was bad!

When my friend was learning in the days you could drive without licenced driver I was in with car with her and we travelled 2k with no lights in the dark. people kept flashing and beeping and we were like "what's their problem!"

gooch2k9

Sure thats just a challeneg to test ya even further. No lights at night, no wipers in a hurricane etc:D

murrayp4

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Once when I was learning to drive, I moved off from a parking spot without lights on at nightime and didn't notice for about 1 minute until my mother realised - now that was bad!

I see that all the time...

nolovelost

This is fully true. I had my driving test today. Second time doing it and I couldn't believe how much the tester was putting pen to paper from the start. After about 3-5 minutes having taken only 2 left turns (went over route straight after test), I glanced at the testers marking sheet in stopped traffic. I had four grade 2 faults in one line under the heading "progress turning left". 4 grade 2 faults in one line = fail.

19 year old males have no chance.

cosmic

I very very stupidly went for a drive unaccompanied by a licensed driver only about two weeks of lessons. I had been learning in my instructors car but had just got my one, which is nowhere near as new or smooth. So off we went on the road and ended up stopped at lights on a hill. And low and behold, when the lights changed, I couldn't do the hill start! Unlike the instructor's car, my car has no rev-counter and the clutch feels completely different. I just couldn't do it. There was a huge line of cars all the way behind me beeping and I was freaking out. A passenger from a car a few cars back in the queue had to come and move my car on for me. I was mortified and got a huge fright. I never ever did that again. There's a reason the law states you need an accompanying driver!

Jamie-b

Jamie-b wrote: »

When my friend was learning in the days you could drive without licenced driver I was in with car with her and we travelled 2k with no lights in the dark. people kept flashing and beeping and we were like "what's their problem!"

Sure I wasn't even a learner the time I took off from tesco around the corner happily going along in the dark with no lights on. Some lads in a truck flashed lights and I was wondering "wtf" til I copped!
Not to mention the other week I took off 3 times (stopping in traffic etc) in 3rd gear!!! I was wondering "omg why is the car acting funny like this" until the OH points out "you know you're in 3rd gear, right", I'm still impressed I actually got it going in 3rd

**Timbuk2**

nolovelost wrote: »

This is fully true. I had my driving test today. Second time doing it and I couldn't believe how much the tester was putting pen to paper from the start. After about 3-5 minutes having taken only 2 left turns (went over route straight after test), I glanced at the testers marking sheet in stopped traffic. I had four grade 2 faults in one line under the heading "progress turning left". 4 grade 2 faults in one line = fail.

I'm really sorry to hear that. It must have been so off-putting and annoying that knowing that you failed before you even finished.

nolovelost wrote: »

19 year old males have no chance.

That's not really true! I thought that at first, but I passed my test 2 weeks ago (2nd attempt... my first attempt I got 7 grade 2 marks for progress: 4x on the straight, 2x turning right, 1x turning left) and I only turned 18 a few days before my test!

I really hope you pass next time - it's a great feeling when you do!

bluewolf wrote: »

Not to mention the other week I took off 3 times (stopping in traffic etc) in 3rd gear!!! I was wondering "omg why is the car acting funny like this" until the OH points out "you know you're in 3rd gear, right", I'm still impressed I actually got it going in 3rd

The amount of times I've done that when I was learning to drive. I'd put it into 3rd gear, but think it's in 1st! I was very surprised as well that I got going. Although I'm pretty sure the car is meant to cut out rather than move in 3rd gear and up!

Actually, one of the worst experiences I've ever had was turning right onto a busy road. I had the car in 3rd gear instead of 1st, and was waiting for a gap for a while. I saw a narrow gap and tried to pull into it. Now of course being in 3rd gear, I proceeded to move very very slowly onto the road, causing traffic from both sides to slow down. I moved it down to first gear when I realised, but I was already moving at this stage and that caused the whole car to jerk. Other drivers must have thought I was insane! My mother helpfully added a few seconds after the ordeal 'You started in the wrong gear'

NothingMan

I was pulling out of Smithfield car park one night and a Garda car beside me wound down the window so I did too. He asked me how I was, I said fine, he said can you see ok, I said of course, he said even with no lights. .

In my defense, the place is really well lit.

Worst was yesterday. I was pulling forward into a space off a busy road. A car cut me off so I couldn't get a decent swing in but I was checking my mirrors etc... squeezing by a merc when my Bro in law and sis who had just parked were shouting at me to stop.
I checked my mirror again and I had a few inches between me and the merc so I kept inching forward and my Bro ran up to my wing mirror and tilted it a bit down. The Merc's bumper had a little design it it that jutted out and I was literally less than a mm away from it and I was about to scrape it nice and good.

Very embaressing but I recovered nicely by pulling out and doing a quick and perfect reverse park. Should have just done that in the first place. Reversing is so much easier.

Edit: Should add, I'm driving over 4 years. Those stupid mistakes are gonna happen once in a while, as long as you handle them calmly and relatively quickly it's nothing to be embaressed out. Luckliy my only actual accident was my mams car and the garden pillar when I was learning to drive. Never damaged my own car.

booksale

It happened today on me.

The car was parked beside a short wall (by my friend who is a full licensed driver, she was accompanying me this morning to city centre, it was already an adventure to city centre!). And the entrance was just on my left. And a very narrow lane. I moved out the car, turned left (stupid I know, I should have just went straight and reverse into the lane). I was afriad the end of my car would got hit, so I turned right. And a big noise. And sound of gas coming out. I was too nervous that I kept on laughing (crazy I know). And finally managed to brake before the car ran onto the main road.

I opened the door and I could smell something. But it was not that bad as I expected (though it's still very bad as the doors got deep scratches but I am not going to fix it till I pass driving test and have money to buy a second better car). There was gas coming out of the back right wheel. And a man and my friend helped change the wheel. What happened was that the car hit on the wall on my right.

My friend was so scared that she did not let me drive. And she is not going to drive with me any more.

It was the first time my friend drove with me and poor her, I scared her that much.

I just rang another friend of mine to drive with me once a week these few months before I have the driving test. He is the one I was driving with before (for a few times), but just feel I was bothering him too much.

But what happened today did knock me down, not completely, but quite a bit. Maybe it's good as I would be more cautious.

inbodwetrust

Drove into town today and always struggles with the bit of road just after Donnybrook church where the two lanes merge into one. I found myself in the lane that has to join the other lane , because I wasnt been let in and a line of traffic was developing behind me I went for it having checked my mirror of course and the car behind me blew the horn real loud .

On the same journey a car in front of just stopped in front of me and stuck on the hazard lights on , shaken from the experience outlined above I was real reluctant to indicate and move outwards leading to a loads of cars behind me blowing their horns

It got me thinking is there a thin line between been reckless and been decisive because Im convinced I would of been stuck there for a while if I didnt go for it .

Mint Sauce

how about rolling car on to roof

wasn't really me

**Timbuk2**

I was driving today, and it was very windy. Very suddenly, about 3 cars ahead, a tree fell over on the road. One car had to swerve out of the way, and I had to brake extremely hard not to hit the car in front.

Scared me a bit

wayne0308

This happened a couple of months ago now but it still makes me think about what could have happened.

I was driving back from a practice session with the father. We live a few miles from town and driving along a fairly wide section of straight country road near home and it was pitch dark and was drisslng a bit. This road has an 80kmph limit.

So I was driving along at a bit under the speed limit and a few cars started coming against me from the roundabout down the road, they had dips on but they were still fairly bright and my visibility was suffering a bit so I slowed down to around 50kmph. when I noticed two almost barely visible flashes of light in front of me which were oscillating up and down... I slammed on the brakes.

It was a cyclist with no lights heading down this road, he was right in my direction of travel well out from the grass verge of the road. My father didn't see him at all. It was the reflection of my lights on the back of his cycling shoes that I saw. He didn't even have reflectors. But he had all the other cycling gear, lycra shorts, bib, expensive racing bike, gloves. He works in a hotel nearby and was cycling there, my father knew him from carrying him in his taxi.

We pulled up down the road to see if he was okay (I certainly wasn't) but he didn't even seem to realise that anything was wrong. That was just too scary.

Victoria.

inbodwetrust wrote: »

Drove into town today and always struggles with the bit of road just after Donnybrook church where the two lanes merge into one. I found myself in the lane that has to join the other lane , because I wasnt been let in and a line of traffic was developing behind me I went for it having checked my mirror of course and the car behind me blew the horn real loud .

On the same journey a car in front of just stopped in front of me and stuck on the hazard lights on , shaken from the experience outlined above I was real reluctant to indicate and move outwards leading to a loads of cars behind me blowing their horns

It got me thinking is there a thin line between been reckless and been decisive because Im convinced I would of been stuck there for a while if I didnt go for it .

If it makes you feel any better about the lane merging situation I have experienced the same thing right there in Donnybrook. I always make sure I'm in the lane on the right hand side now as it seems to have more control over the situation but it's a joke. Between people turning right there and going too wide, cyclists swerving and impatient taxis flying into the taxi lane it is a nightmare. I have my full license now and I'm a confident driver but that particular spot irritates me every time I drive through there. If people just had a bit of cop on and let the people in from the left every second car there would be no problem at all but obviously that can never be reality. I have sympathy for you though not a nice spot at all.

Same thing with the randomly stopping in the middle of the road further on. People do that all the time there especially near the shops and your only option is to move into the bus lane but by that time people behind have already done that so they're flying up there along with the taxis who wont give you an inch. Then your other option is to go over the white line with those traffic islands in the way 10 metres ahead. Not great at all.

I feel for ya!

mikemac

And I nearly forgot.
Our car was in for a service and we got a replacement car for a day or two, it was a Ford.

Now every car I'd ever driven was a Jap car and reverse was in the bottom right.
In the Ford, it was top left but I struggled and just couldn't manage to select reverse. My parents tried, my sister tried and we were all hopeless!

The local garda sergeant was walking by and showed us you have to lift the gear stick and then move to the top left to get reverse and then gave a :rolleyes:
Well it wasn't obvious to me!

dermothickey

My old car was bog standard and was in for repair when my first driving test was on, so had to get a loan of a car from a lady driving instructor(last minute job) Went to the test, doing fine when it starts to hailstone. Tried every button on the thing and couldn't get the wipers to start. Finally by fluke the wipers came on, then the rain stops and for the last 5 minutes I couldn't get the wipers off again. The fact that the driving instructor was a huge guy who's belly I had to nudge out of the way everytime I needed to change gear didn't help my cause either.

daveharnett

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I was driving today, and it was very windy. Very suddenly, about 3 cars ahead, a tree fell over on the road. One car had to swerve out of the way, and I had to brake extremely hard not to hit the car in front.

Actually for anybody who hasn't tried it, this is well worth doing: find out how well your brakes actually work.
Make sure there are no loose bottles/rubbish/bobble-head ray darcy's in the car, that it has ABS, and that it works (all of the warning lights should come on when you start the car, then then go off again).
Then take the car to a straight, dry, level, wide empty stretch of road and hit the brakes hard from 50-60kph. If the brakes and tyres are in decent shape, you'll be amazed at how fast it you can shed speed. So many rear end shunts could be avoided if people just knew what their brakes are actually capable of. The old-school 'wisdom' of cadence braking needs to be eliminated. For 99% of drivers, and all cars made in the last ten years, planting the brake to the floor while continuing to steer should be plan A in an emergency.

As to the original question, it was actually on a lesson a few years ago. Going down a fairly narrow estate road with cars parked tightly either side. Noticed an ice cream truck parked offside ahead, so going slow, maybe 20-25kph, and watching for children. Very late, through the glass of a nearside parked car i'm just about to pass, I see a small boy running onto the road, I plant the brake to the floor, and plan to hit the car parked offside, I see a mother in a door roar at the kid. Kid stops one step short of my path, car stops a foot short of where kid would have been. Mammy comes and drags kid inside by the ear (no ice cream for him i'm guessing). Won't forget the :eek: of that instant any time soon.

Mind you, I think it's the only fright I had where I didn't do much wrong. The only lesson is to continue to be very aware of the warning signs - footballs, ice cream vans, that kind of stuff.

**Timbuk2**

^ That's really good advice. I don't even know whether my car has ABS or not - I should really find out!

When I am on my own in the car, I like to do a 'running commentary'. I'm not very good at it, but I find it really effective for anticipating situations.

Here are examples

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1clnvR5tw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAFH8dTH5ns

Another person doing commentary driving (although I don't agree with his decision to only signal if there are people around)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_6pVaEsdfk

I do it silently in my head if I am travelling with other people, as they might think I am a nut! But it's much more effective out loud, in my opinion.

starlit

i've had a few!many of which were from the early days of my driving especially!but in the past few months it was when I was at a junction I tried to pull out and conked out five times or more. The driver behind me came out of the car and told me i had stopped at the wrong part of the road as I was turning right, but of course never saw the line thought it was a boxed line didnt realise the line on my right that wasnt clearly shown that was where i was suppose to stop that's what the driver told me and i wasnt that familar with the junction at the time neither did my accompanied driver know that was what I suppose to do! Eventually my accompanied driver had to take over and drive. I was so embarassed like especialy when the driver that got out of the car was an elderly person!

richard2010

Personally I think the worst driving experience I have ever had is the actual driving test!!!

Alanstrainor

daveharnett wrote: »

For 99% of drivers, and all cars made in the last ten years, planting the brake to the floor while continuing to steer should be plan A in an emergency.

I wish this was true! I currently drive a 2003 VW polo, which does not have ABS, and needing to stop quickly isn't as simple as slamming on the brake pedal as hard as possible! If you do this, you are pretty much guaranteed to skid, even in the dry, so you have to get to know the "brake threshold", the point just before where the wheels will skid. I did try this a few times on completely empty industrial estate roads one time, and it's definitely a good thing to know. Once the car is in a skid you lose almost all control.

psycho-hope

probably having some plank pull out in front of me on my second driving lesson, thankfully i had just turned in off the main road so was going fairly slowly but was a bit of a:eek: moment

challengemaster

gooch2k9 wrote: »

Sure thats just a challeneg to test ya even further. No lights at night, no wipers in a hurricane etc:D

Pretty much this, twice. First time was when I was learning - about 5-10 miles from home, worst rain I'd ever driven in, I mean, people were pulling over left, right, centre.... taking cover under bridges on dual carraigeway etc...

The wiper on my side (just the one) jammed...the other one kept going, *SNAP* and half a wiper flies away... managed to drive home in that.

The other, wasn't too long ago....wiper linkages went when I was driving up to my girlfriends - as I was about half-way, at around 12/1 at night, again, pissing rain. Was an hour drive I really didn't enjoy...

daveharnett

Another contender for me:

This winter, I got a phone call from a friend at about 10pm. He had put his car into a wall a few miles down the road, in dense fog on a blind corner. Car immobile, with most of it's length still on the road. Young lad, with two young girls in the car, all in shock and can't really be sure if they're all ok.

So, five miles of a dark, wet, foggy, (visibility ranging from 40 feet to can't-see-the-front-of-my-bonnet) road that I'd never driven before, while trying to reach the scene as fast as possible without becoming part of the scene (or becoming a whole new scene ).

Oh, and it was starting to freeze :eek: All in all, it made for a pretty stressful drive.

What's to be taken out of this:
Read Roadcraft chapter 1 - it covers the psychology of 'emergency' driving very well: forget about where you're going - you'll get there as soon as you can get there safely, and until you do you'll focus entirely on your driving.

Keep an emergency kit in the car (visibility stuff, first aid stuff, rope, pen knife). It's handy in all kinds of non-emergencies too.

Vladidim

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I'm really sorry to hear that. It must have been so off-putting and annoying that knowing that you failed before you even finished.

That's not really true! I thought that at first, but I passed my test 2 weeks ago (2nd attempt... my first attempt I got 7 grade 2 marks for progress: 4x on the straight, 2x turning right, 1x turning left) and I only turned 18 a few days before my test!

I really hope you pass next time - it's a great feeling when you do!

I disagree. Testers show complete bias. I did my first test a few years ago at 19 and got ten grade two faults (one past allowable amount). Some of the stuff marked was crap like progress etc, which I never had a problem with.

I reapplied for the test and got it fast-tracked due to work requirement. I sat the test for a second time three weeks later, had no intervening lessons and got no faults grade 1, 2 or 3. I drove the exact same both times around the same route.

**Timbuk2**

Vladidim wrote: »

I disagree. Testers show complete bias. I did my first test a few years ago at 19 and got ten grade two faults (one past allowable amount). Some of the stuff marked was crap like progress etc, which I never had a problem with.

I reapplied for the test and got it fast-tracked due to work requirement. I sat the test for a second time three weeks later, had no intervening lessons and got no faults grade 1, 2 or 3. I drove the exact same both times around the same route.

That's regular enough, but may not be due to bias. I don't think a tester would waste their time being biased or not - the legal driving age is 17 so logically everybody over 17 should be treated the same during the test.

The first tester I had was nice, but I have heard a lot of people failing at his hands, regardless of age. The second tester I had couldn't have been a nicer man, but I thought he might have marked a bit too easy. I got one Grade 1 fault for Right of Way Turning Right, which probably should have been a Grade 2 in fairness. But I'm not complaining!

James_123

When I first learned to drive in high school, my instructor was extremely picky about my driving.

Every day including yelling, so it took me a year after driver's ed to actually start driving on my own!

mach1982

cosmic wrote: »

I very very stupidly went for a drive unaccompanied by a licensed driver only about two weeks of lessons. I had been learning in my instructors car but had just got my one, which is nowhere near as new or smooth. So off we went on the road and ended up stopped at lights on a hill. And low and behold, when the lights changed, I couldn't do the hill start! Unlike the instructor's car, my car has no rev-counter and the clutch feels completely different. I just couldn't do it. There was a huge line of cars all the way behind me beeping and I was freaking out. A passenger from a car a few cars back in the queue had to come and move my car on for me. I was mortified and got a huge fright. I never ever did that again. There's a reason the law states you need an accompanying driver!

You don't need a rev counter to do a hill start.
1. Handbrake on
2. Rev the car slightly,
3 Slow lift the foot off the clutch till fell her bite ,
4Slow release the handbrake and pull off

**Timbuk2**

Sorry to drag the thread back up, but my worst driving experience was probably yesterday.

I was driving on the motorway, just under 120km/h. Up ahead was a jeep towing a caravan. I was staying behind it whilst waiting for an upcoming gap in the overtaking lane, to overtake the jeep and caravan.

Before the gap arrived, the tire blew out on the caravan ahead. The jeep struggled to keep control and I had to jam on the brakes and move into the overtaking lane to avoid the debris (bits of tire and bits of metal flying towards me as well on the road ahead). I braked hard to get into the overtaking lane (I couldn't move straight in as there were cars there) and I put on my hazard lights as I was braking. The jeep managed to assume control and pull over in the emergency lane. Cars behind had seen this and had all slowed down considerably as there was debris on the road.

It certainly scared me anyway. It was very sudden, so I couldn't really anticipate it happening. Also, I think motorways cause people to not be as alert as they should be, as it is many kilometres of exactly the same sight. In hindsight, I probably could have handled the situation better, but it's hard to think logically in such a dangerous situation.

sentient_6

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Also, I think motorways cause people to not be as alert as they should be...

Made me remember what is probably my worst experience. A few months back i was working in newbridge & driving from galway every day. I used to head down through tullamore & join the M7. This one day i decided rather than take the first exit for newbridge & drive through the town, i'd head on to naas & circle around to see which would be quickest. Was sticking to 120 bang on the whole way but as i was passing newbridge i put the boot down & joined the overtaking train(ya i know :rolleyes: ).

All was going well at about 140 when all of sudden the car in front starts braking hard. Really hard. The road was so flat i couldnt see ahead & i wasn't really paying attention to what was going on either. I slam on the brakes, car starts fish tailing left & right left & right, i realised i'm not going to slow down enough to avoid hitting the car ahead & luckly there was space in the left & pulled in within a hair off hitting in the car in front of me.

The traffic in lane 2 had come to a complete stand still & lane 1 was empty for another tiny bit but all stopped eventually too.

Man was i pumped after that, i couldn't sit still in the car.

MascotDec85

A 6 hour journey from Manchester to Glasgow (normally took 3 max) in 1995 in a severe snow storm.
The M6 was down to 1 lane, you couldn't see the lane markings at all although that didn't seem to bother the truckers who would periodically shower the car with masses of snow. :rolleyes:
Temperatures of -10 meant the washer bottle was useless in trying to keep the windscreen clear

Nightmare of a journey I was glad to see the back of

**Timbuk2**

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Sorry to drag the thread back up, but my worst driving experience was probably yesterday.

I was driving on the motorway, just under 120km/h. Up ahead was a jeep towing a caravan. I was staying behind it whilst waiting for an upcoming gap in the overtaking lane, to overtake the jeep and caravan.

Before the gap arrived, the tire blew out on the caravan ahead. The jeep struggled to keep control and I had to jam on the brakes and move into the overtaking lane to avoid the debris (bits of tire and bits of metal flying towards me as well on the road ahead). I braked hard to get into the overtaking lane (I couldn't move straight in as there were cars there) and I put on my hazard lights as I was braking. The jeep managed to assume control and pull over in the emergency lane. Cars behind had seen this and had all slowed down considerably as there was debris on the road.

It certainly scared me anyway. It was very sudden, so I couldn't really anticipate it happening. Also, I think motorways cause people to not be as alert as they should be, as it is many kilometres of exactly the same sight. In hindsight, I probably could have handled the situation better, but it's hard to think logically in such a dangerous situation.

Think you did well from the sound of it !!
I had to swerve into overtaking lane before as well when someone cut from standing still right in front of me :mad: