On the way to college this morning i piled in to the back of a focus driver...

Its outside my local train station so there where loads of witnesses, the guy pulled out of the layby after dropping someone off without looking and i came round the corner at 30, braked, locked up and slid straight into the back of him!

I was within the speed limit and he shouldnt have pulled out at that point but it was my fault due to lack of driving exsperience (only passed my test a month ago!) and not reacting properly to the car locking up and skidding, the thought of pumping the pedal just didnt even come in to my head at the time!

It completely sucks as there was only a cracked bumper and dented bootlid on the focus but the mini has smashed both headlights, split the rad, crumpled the front panel and peeled both wings away from the bulk head, crumpled the bonnet and the drivers door skin has separated and the door wont open...!

I have some back pain and my knee is cut where it broke the steering column plastic and obviously the key has dug in to my leg, but other than a bruised ego, a soon to be huge insurance premium, and no car, I'm alright...

I'll get some pics up when i can but it is yet to be recovered back to my house.

.Joe

just goes to show how much safer modern cars are.

Glad you're alright though :) Cars can be replaced, people can't.

that totally sucks man:(

I'm sorry to hear that!

surely it was his fault for not looking properly... did he apologize?

dont feel bad yo, these things happen.. i feel bad about you are mini.. those things are cool

(pics?)

piling into the back of someone has to be the worst way to crash, personally i would have tried to settle it without the insuracne companies, i.e. pay for his car to be repaired, especially as there wasnt alot you could do about him pulling out on you. some folk will be fine about this, others will think you have no insurance. it usually works out cheaper in the long run.

Thats gutting dude, i feel for you :( Glad you're ok tho :)

Wounded, sorry to hear about your mini dude.

Wouldn't this be your fault, going into the back of him?

99% off the time it can't be won I thought!

just goes to show how much safer modern cars are.

Am I allowed to call you a tool?

Whoops! Good to hear you're ok though (apart from the cut knee etc).

Whichever way your insurers look at it, it'll still be your fault unless the other driver admits responsibility which i very much doubt he will!

Hope you managed to get it fixed again tho. Minis rock.

That's really bad luck that mate! :(

just goes to show how much safer modern cars are.

Am I allowed to call you a tool?

No, you'll get a 3 day posting ban or similar to think about your actions.

It looks like it is repairable FTW! and only £125 in parts for a full front end kit! The welding and spraying can be done by my brother and myself!

But I'm now completely siezed up, back is killing and so is my neck. I have a feeling my knee will be in the morning too.

Its just such a kick in the teeth really, but i shall now have to pull my finger out and get the coupe s on the road. (starter motor, centre section anyone please?!)

The main thing that is the kick in the teeth is knowing that i probably could have done more to avoid it and knowing that it is my fault. The guy was real nice about it, but said he wanted to do it all through the insurance companies, which is a bit annoying, but it was my fault so i'll have to bite the bullet and face/pay the consequences!

I will quite happily put it down to being a new driver and lack of experience. Not once in my lessons did we ever go over what you should do in a lock up, skid, loss of control. Everything is taught on ABS. You slam on the brakes and let the car do the work for you.

Its just annoying as it locked up on me the other day when a sudden down pour laid surface water all over, but because there was no one in front of me, clear road i had the space to think, pump pump pump pump, and it worked fine. But in the heat of the moment, the back end of the focus coming closer and closer almost froze all my thoughts about how to brake properly and turned them in to "OH BOLLOCKS... GUESS I'm NOT GETTING TO COLLEGE ON TIME JUST YET!"

Never mind, I could be worse! Damage pics to come!

Cheers guys,

.Joe

Argue it dude. Go see a solicitor i went in to the back of some one (he pulled out of a side road straight into the over taking lane. altho its only just getting sorted now (just under 2YEARS later) i only hurt my knee and i just settled for £2100 + loss of earnings. if he pulled into your right of way you've got a case its always worth getting a experts opinion you never know!! it might be long winded and may take some time but "claim pending" set your insure up as much as a "claim"

Good luck if you do try, other than that get well soon and get the mini back on the road. love mini's :)

Leigh

That's really bad luck that mate! :(

just goes to show how much safer modern cars are.

Am I allowed to call you a tool?

No, you'll get a 3 day posting ban or similar to think about your actions.

worddddddddddddd

the thought of pumping the pedal just didnt even come in to my head at the time!

Why would that thought come into your head at all? LOL - ABS or not "pumping" the pedal will not help at all...

You should be able to have more of a feel for the brakes without ABS - any conditions where water is present you need to progressively apply the pressure to avoid lockup - as slamming a foot onto the pedal will lock the wheels...

In the G40 without ABS i used to come hard on the brakes and sometime lock up halfway through the stop - then let off a little and reapply pressure to that point of lockup to avoid this happening - it will come with experience - don't worry!

ABS is a brilliant for exactly these type of situations - the only thing is now your left with the claim at such a young age which wont help...

Hope you get it sorted soon dude...

Exactly as above, people tell you to pump the brake pedal, but that will definitely not work.

It comes with experience, but it's more about HOW you push that pedal, not how hard.

Depends on the car - you have to get to know the car,the characteristics of the brakes,etc. You cant just jump into a car and know how best to get the shortest stopping distance. And a feeling of panic throws required thinking - not using the brakes at all can be the answer to avoiding a collision.

And without needing to call him a 'tool',i disagree with Panda - had the Focus driver been driving a classic mini,they'd likely have been a bit more careful and thus not have pulled out in the first place. Vulnerability is the most important safety feature imo,ironically missing on modern cars.

Glad your ok mate, have to have a look at the pics when there up

Bear in mind this is a mini we are talking about! It might take five pumps to even get any feel from the brakes lol.

the pumping of the pedal is so you can still steer the car, if the wheels are locked you cant steer. its only really any use in the snow/shitt conditions. i have had a few close shaves, and always point the car towards the ditch before the back of the car in front.

i'd rather write my car off and reshell it (£250) than cause someone else to have a bumper and boot sprayed (£600). love these old cars.