Advice

[blue_ladybug]

Well, OK. I got into a car accident a while ago. Someone hit me from behind and I hit the person in front of me. I was looking at my phone every now and then but I felt like I was in control of my driving. When the person in front of me slammed on his brakes I slammed on mine and I remember thinking ok I'm stopping a little harder then usual and then bam I was hit from behind. Never in my mind did I think I was going to get hit from behind or that there was gonna be an accident at all. I didn't tell anyone I was on my phone but now after the fact I feel like I should. I feel like that's what God wants me to do. What do you all think? I feel like until I tell them I won't be able to let it go. I'm not sure why. The person behind me was found at fault. I guess I feel like I was negligant too even though I don't believe I caused the accident and I should have to take some responsibility. Any thoughts?

The person in FRONT of you was wrong to slam on his brakes so suddenly. YOU were wrong (and breaking the law) for being on your cell while driving. The person BEHIND you should have either been going slower, and/ or left a bigger distance between their car and yours. Then again if you slammed your brakes on without warning, he may not have had adequate time to stop. YOU were definitely negligent in this. This is why people are taught to leave 2 or 3 car lengths in between cars when they drive--so that if whoever's in front of you stops suddenly, YOU have adequate time to slow down. But noooooo, everyone gets right up on each other's car ascots. :/

For the safety of everyone, next time leave your cell OFF. Or even better, leave it home. You might just save a life..

 

[LiJo]

For the safety of everyone, next time leave your cell OFF. Or even better, leave it home. You might just save a life..

Maranatha,

For your safety do not leave your phone home!! You may need it for emergencies. Just turn the ringer off.

 

[Maranatha925]

I didn't say I slammed on the brakes because I was distracted because of the cell phone. I don't know if you read my post wrong or not. I said the guy in front of me slammed on his brakes and then I had to slam on mine. I was however glancing back and forth but like I said I felt totally in control and didn't feel like an accident was going to happen at all. Just then I got hit from behind which caused me to hit the person in front of me.

 

[BeyondET]

The other day I was in rush hour traffic. Stopped in front of me was a car/SUV (somewhere between the two) big enough that I couldn't see what was in front of him. But we're in the same lane planning on making the same right turn up ahead, with a light 2-3 car lengths before us. (I couldn't see the light either, but I know the geography.) Our lane was still, but the two lanes to our left started moving, so the light turned green. The guy in front of me starts moving like people do when they're not first in cue at a just-changed-green-light, so I switched from brake to pedal. 2-3 cars from traffic light! I was expecting we'd make the light. He slams on his brakes, so I did too. I'm still surprised I didn't hit his bumper. We didn't make the light. BUT there are reasons people can be that close behind someone without being at fault, like say... STOPPED FOR a traffic light! We had moved up one car length when I expected at least to be the person staring at the redlight this time.
Fa
What is the "safe distance" for stopping behind someone stopped for a red light?

Want to know why the other two lanes were moving fast? Because they were pulling into our lane by butting in between other cars waiting for the next traffic light. This is their usual rush hour traffic jam, so I watched them do this over and over again once the guy in front of me moved out of that lane. All in the space of one block plus three car lengths from the red light.

(And this is why I usually try to avoid city rush hour traffic. Especially in Philly where everyone thinks they are special and the only person on the road. lol)

I hear what your saying its crazy for sure, people just don't drive by the law or rules of the road or even have any respect for others on the road as motorists it can be extremely frustrating to witness. People cutting off people jumping in front of cars forcing people to slam on breaks pretty sad. about being stopped at red lights the rule is a person should see the rear tires of the car in front touching the pavement that's what DMV says.. and as far as moving down the road if a person keeps the 3 second rule between your car and the person in front of you doesn't matter how fast your moving with that rule in mind a person will have enough time to stop even if the person slams on the breaks it's been proven that the 3 second rule works that's why almost all the time it's the person in the rear who gets the ticket. Now yes people cut us off and shorten that which yes they are at fault but it sucs no doubt in today's world of fast pace driving as people do...better off having a go pro and again it sucs we as drivers have to carry a go pro or some kind of video to prove someone cut us off but that is life no days. And I know that's money for a video recorder but that is the only way unless you have a witness to prove it was their fault and cut someone off. again I know it's terrible people go bonkers on the road but we can't drive like they do.

 

[Maranatha925]

Yeah but I think regardless of whether or not I was on my phone the guy in front of me was still going to slam on his brakes. He did it a couple minutes before that too.

 

[BeyondET]

You DO know that texting/ talking on your cell while driving is illegal in several states, right? Get off the stupid fake book and get off your stupid cell, especially while driving!! It ain't gonna kill you not to be able to check fake book every 2 seconds. But it MIGHT end up killing someone else. :/ It's people like you that kill innocent people because your on your phone or gawking off looking at something, and not paying attention to your driving. I've been hit 3 times by drivers like you, and all 3 times I was on the crosswalk while they were on their phone, gawking at something, and trying to beat traffic while pulling out in front of another car really fast. SMH

Someone feeling like a angry bird today..

 

[Maranatha925]

I think you need to have a little more grace in your life because you don't know the whole situation so you can just be unloading on me because of what other people have done to you. Who's to say the other people in the accident weren't in their phone too. They didn't come forward though and that's what I'm trying to do. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure there are areas of your life that you fall short in. Don't be so quick to judge.

 

[blue_ladybug]

Someone feeling like a angry bird today..

Not at all. Just the perspective of a person who's been hit THREE times by drivers not paying attention to their surroundings. Their focus should be on the road, other cars, and pedestrians in the crosswalk..

 

[blue_ladybug]

Yeah but I think regardless of whether or not I was on my phone the guy in front of me was still going to slam on his brakes. He did it a couple minutes before that too.

Well, either he's a new driver, or someone in their old age who shouldn't be driving, or maybe he was HOPING to cause an accident so he could sue somebody.

 

[blue_ladybug]

I think you need to have a little more grace in your life because you don't know the whole situation so you can just be unloading on me because of what other people have done to you. Who's to say the other people in the accident weren't in their phone too. They didn't come forward though and that's what I'm trying to do. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure there are areas of your life that you fall short in. Don't be so quick to judge.

I do have grace, and I'm being real, not judgemental. Now you know what happens when you're not paying careful attention to what you're doing. Next time, wait until you're NOT driving, to check fake book.

 

[blue_ladybug]

I didn't say I slammed on the brakes because I was distracted because of the cell phone. I don't know if you read my post wrong or not. I said the guy in front of me slammed on his brakes and then I had to slam on mine. I was however glancing back and forth but like I said I felt totally in control and didn't feel like an accident was going to happen at all. Just then I got hit from behind which caused me to hit the person in front of me.

How far behind him were you? A couple cars' lengths, or right up behind him? And you NEVER know when an accident might happen. That's why people need to be more attentive when they are doing something. It takes a split second for an accident to happen. As for the guy in front of you putting his brakes on continually, did you tell that to whoever came to the scene? If not, you should.

 

[wwjd_kilden]

You should tell them

You are not responsible for the person behind you, but you are responsible for yourself.
You both did some reckless driving. Both are dangerous.

 

[Maranatha925]

No I didn't tell anyone he slammed on his brakes at the time because I was hurt and my blood pressure was really high so I didn't think about it.

 

[BeyondET]

Not at all. Just the perspective of a person who's been hit THREE times by drivers not paying attention to their surroundings. Their focus should be on the road, other cars, and pedestrians in the crosswalk..

I know I'm sorry that happen... But It can be hurtful to tell someone they are the reason why people die surely there's other ways of expressing it.. And I'm sorry Angel isn't feeling well how is she doing?

 

[Utah]

I have a really bad habit when I drive; it's called paying attention.

Causes my blood pressure to sky rocket every time I get behind the wheel.

 

[Utah]

I have a really bad habit when I drive; it's called paying attention.

Causes my blood pressure to sky rocket every time I get behind the wheel.

PS, I learned the hard way. I slammed into a parked car once because I wasn't paying attention. Either way, driving will one day be the death of me -- either that or listening to liberals once too often.

 

[BeyondET]

PS, I learned the hard way. I slammed into a parked car once because I wasn't paying attention. Either way, driving will one day be the death of me -- either that or listening to liberals once too often.

well that is a prime example accidents happen on the highway from a multitude of reasons and I agree surely more attention on the road is safe practice.. knock on wood I haven't been in a bad accident in my life though I've seen quite a few bad accidents I don't even want to mention the details other than the first real bad one I saw I was 11 years old it was horrible and seeing it shook me up...

 

[wwjd_kilden]

You cannot blame the car in front of you for slamming his breaks
Unless the US is very different from Europe, Law states YOU are to keep enough distance at ALL TIMES to avoid an accident IF the car in front of you does that

 

[Maranatha925]

I think I did have enough distance and was going to be able to stop but then someone hit me from behind which caused me to hit the person in front of me.

 

[blue_ladybug]

I think I did have enough distance and was going to be able to stop but then someone hit me from behind which caused me to hit the person in front of me.

Obviously the person in back of you wasn't as far back as they should have been, or they'd have had adequate time to stop. Either that, or he wasn't paying attention either. Probably didn't expect you to slam the brakes..