Totalled my car

[bgfield]

And it wasn't even hard!

I was driving to school this morning - for those of you familiar with Rockville I was turning right onto Rockville Pike from Viers Mill Road, that rather screwy intersection - and hit a guy. I had to turn my head all the way to the left to see that the traffic was clear, saw that it was, wrongly assumed that the guy ahead of me had gone or at least was going when he wasn't, and I hit him. His car isn't so bad but my car is wrecked. Both airbags deployed, hood is all smashed up, etc. It was an '04 Chevy Cavalier so it wasn't exactly a great car to begin with but it still sucks.

What sucks even more though is that the only reason it's a total loss is because the airbags deployed, which cost a buttload of money to repair. And what's even worse is, my car has sensors to detect whether someone is sitting in a seat and thus whether or not the passenger airbag should go off. Well, my backpack with all my books was in that seat, so I guess it was enough. Maybe if it were on the floor only one airbag would have deployed and the car could be salvageable! :mad:

I'm fine though, except for a scratch on my arm. Ironically enough, that came when the airbag deployed. I was perfectly fine otherwise. It sure did its job! :rolleyes:

[Delduck]

That bites the big one. I am glad to hear you are ok and the other fellow is to I assume. I devestated the rear end of a Honda Oddesey about this time last year with my F-150. Did about 3 grand to my truck, not sure what her's cost. I looked down for just a sec. and she stopped and was turning then crunch. was not pretty.

[bgfield]

Yeah, he's fine. His car looked pretty good, too, fortunately. He'll definitely need some work done but compared to my car he got off light! He was also cool about it, he said that's the second accident he's been involved in at that particular intersection.

Accidents are funny. How many times do we do things just like you mentioned? Looking down just for a second and when you look up, BANG! It really almost always depends on luck. If the lady in front of you wasn't turning, your truck would have been fine. If the guy in front of me had went like it looked like he was able to, my car would have been fine. Everyone screws up when they drive, you just have to hope that when you do screw up, there isn't anything next to you!

Ah well. Just looked up the Blue Book value of my car and it looks like it could be about $5000, minus whatever else I owe on my loan, hopefully I'll at least have $2000 left. That's a start when looking into a new vehicle (and by new, I mean used :D )

[JohnD]

At least you weren't this guy: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/23/AR2007092301175.html

On the other hand, I go through that intersection often enough. That whole road (355) sucks pretty good. I hate Georgia Ave more but only because I drive on it all the time and am fed up with it. If I was on Rockville Pike a lot I'd have the same feeling about that road I'm sure.

And fwiw, you have me driving really slow on Arcola now, since I'm driving down that road a lot to visit friends and do other things.

[twoBshorty]

Yeah, that intersection sucks. It's really hard to see and it's horribly designed. I used to have to do it every morning in high school (now you know which HS I went to!), which, for a 15-year-old with a learner's permit driving in MD morning rush hour, was very un-fun. Plus the traffic pattern at the high school backed things up even more. I avoid it when I can now.

Sorry to hear about your car, but glad you aren't hurt! I've nearly hit or nearly been hit by someone several times in that exact same way.

[cindyluvsbrady]

Im glad YOU are ok:) Cars can be replaced but people cant!:(

[bgfield]

And fwiw, you have me driving really slow on Arcola now, since I'm driving down that road a lot to visit friends and do other things.
You and me both! :D


Yeah, that intersection sucks. It's really hard to see and it's horribly designed. I used to have to do it every morning in high school (now you know which HS I went to!), which, for a 15-year-old with a learner's permit driving in MD morning rush hour, was very un-fun. Plus the traffic pattern at the high school backed things up even more. I avoid it when I can now.
It is, but it's taught me a lesson. I'm not even going to check if the traffic is clear until I see that everyone in front of me has gone. 99 times out of 100 (if not more) you can do what I did and get away with it. It just takes that one time to make you realize that it really is a bad habit.



Im glad YOU are ok:) Cars can be replaced but people cant!:(
Thanks Cindy. It's cliche but you're right. And I'm actually getting almost $8000 back from the insurance company, minus $3000 I owe on the rest of my loan, so with $5000 left over it wont be as hard to deal with. Could be worse!

[ixcuincle]

Good to hear you are safe. I foolish didn't check traffic either but it was at night on a rainy day last Jan. and the right side of my car was damaged by an SUV. I think his car was undriveable , and I was able to drive my vehicle. The repair cost about 8,000 dollars I think , all covered by insurance.

The Pike is crowded from 8 AM to 6 PM (and maybe longer than that). When I used to go to MC for a semester I would use backroads to avoid the Pike , the traffic there is insane. I try to avoid it whenever possible.

[SouthernBird]

I must ask how in the hell did you hit someone in front of you at an intersection? I assume you were both stopped waiting to turn right? Man, if that is the case I have to wonder how you could do that.

[The Wedge]

He said how he did it. He assumed the guy in front of him had proceeded, and he hadn't, and bam. I almost rear ended someone in the same way, but braked about an inch from collision.

[bgfield]

I must ask how in the hell did you hit someone in front of you at an intersection? I assume you were both stopped waiting to turn right? Man, if that is the case I have to wonder how you could do that.

For those unfamiliar with this intersection, it's not a normal right turn. It's more like a merge than it just a normal right turn.

[ScottieBaseball]

He said how he did it. He assumed the guy in front of him had proceeded, and he hadn't, and bam. I almost rear ended someone in the same way, but braked about an inch from collision.

Ditto! Been there, done that.

Where the Hades did SouthernBird come from all of a sudden? Welcome back, Matt!

[twoBshorty]

I must ask how in the hell did you hit someone in front of you at an intersection? I assume you were both stopped waiting to turn right? Man, if that is the case I have to wonder how you could do that.

To put this in terms of your average DC driver:

1) You are in a big hurry
2) You are waiting to make a right turn behind another car onto a large road
3) You start looking for gaps to make your turn
4) A decent-sized opening appears, and you assume that the idiot in front of you is able to recognize that and has made his turn.
5) You move forward while continuing to look for your own opening
6) Idiot dude didn't actually make the turn.
7) CRUNCH

Now, in most areas, the guy who rear-ends the other guy is the idiot. Not in DC. We're in a big hurry, you know? Failing to make your turn in a timely fashion when an appropriate gap appears is a sin on par with not putting your foot on the gas within .04 seconds of the light turning green. Preferably before that because, like every other normal DC driver, you've been watching the light going the other way and the pedestrian signals to be able to anticipate the exact instant at which your light will turn green.

Duh. ;)

[bgfield]

Preferably before that because, like every other normal DC driver, you've been watching the light going the other way and the pedestrian signals to be able to anticipate the exact instant at which your light will turn green.

You do that too? Haha I thought I was the only one.

[The Wedge]

I do it too, and I'm not even a "DC" driver.

[twoBshorty]

You do that too? Haha I thought I was the only one.

I think I was about 8 or 9 when I figured out that when the big red hand started flashing, the light would soon turn green. My little brother thought I was psychic for awhile until I showed him the trick.

The ones with the timers take all the fun out of it, though.

[cindyluvsbrady]

My husband just became a DC driver.Hes commuting from Bel Air....watch out!:D