Have You Ever Had A Fortunate Near Miss?

[naomi24]

Driving today my husband narrowly missed hitting a toddler who, out with his family and riding his little bike, suddenly veered off the pavement straight into the path of the car - a big 4x4.  My husband slammed the brakes on and said the child was inches away when he stopped. 

 

Sitting here pondering, it occurred to me how easily an ordinary day can turn into a tragic, life-changing nightmare.  My heart is still racing - and I wasn't even in the car!   I just thank heavens my husband had his wits about him.

 

I'll open the wine early tonight - and I hope those poor parents do the same.  I reckon they'll think twice about letting their baby ride his bike  along a busy road again.   What a fright!

[nicebloke1]

Never. Your husband should not have had to slam his brakes on. Anticipation equals a good driver.

[naomi24]

If you're averse to slamming your brakes on, I feel sorry for anyone having the misfortune to step out in front of your car, nicebloke!  Bysee bye!

[retrocop]

Most braking in an emergency involves slamming on the brakes no matter how far you read the road ahead.

Good reactions by your husband saved the day.

[andy-hughes]

I was driving to Glastonbury Festival, down the M5, doing seventy,in the middle lane, when the car in the overtaking lane suddenly swung in front of me, into a gap that wasn't there. 

He slammed on his brakes, probably having seen where the car in front of me, and suddenly in front of him, was, and how he was no distance from him.

I had no time to brake whatsoever,  so I swung into the inside lane to avoid rear-ending him.

I'm still here because there was a gap for me to slot into, and stand on my brakes to avoid another accident.

I spent the next twenty minutes as a gibbering wreck before I could pull into a service area and finally stop the car.

It was fourteen years ago, and I have never forgotten it.

The irony is that the other driver has lived in blissful ignorance of how near he came to causing a fatal pileup.

[davebro3]

notnicebloke1 - I think the emergency stop is still included in the driving test!

[retrocop]

Quite davebro3

[andy-hughes]

Nicebloke - If we could all anticipate, in your understanding of the term, road accidents would cease overnight. 

You can't 'anticipate' situations that occur in nanoseconds. 

[ToraToraTora]

15:57, looks like anti nominative determinism is in play once more. Nice(?)bloke so you have never needed to do an emergency stop? Right oh!

[nicebloke1]

In over 50 years of driving I've never had to slam my brakes on, only on my driving test. Pay attention to the far distance not just whats happening immediately ahead of you. See the bigger picture / hazard that might be developing. Its always worked well for me, but then again I have done advanced driving a few years back and never forgotten the above.

[ToraToraTora]

16:05, AH, Nice(?)bloke would have anticipated that!

[naomi24]

Perhaps he doesn't drive. Maybe just a back seat driver.  They're always experts.  😂

[nicebloke1]

Children on bikes are easy to spot, on the road or pathway.

[Hazlinny]

I was driving alongside a wall bordering a forest (in the back of beyond) when, out of the blue, a young lad jumped off the wall almost into the path of my car  ..  Wow best ever emergency stop!  By the time I had regained my composure, he was running
away along the road I had travelled.  I couldn't really have expected that to happen given the area.
 

[naomi24]

🙄

[davebro3]

a child swerving off the pavement in front of you IS happening immediately in front of you. If you were concentrating merely on the distance you wouldn't see it & simply run over the kid.

[nicebloke1]

I should read my 16.27  post again davebro. 

[douglas9401]

On the A1 near Alnwick on Thursday morning a youngish person bolted from the driveway of an isolated house straight into the road heading for a dog-walker's van on the opposite side. They may have looked left but certainly not right, hood up and oblivious to their near death experience I didn't even have time to lay on the horn.

Hope their family bought a lottery ticket while luck was with them.

 

[naomi24]

^that was for nicebloke.  Not you Hazlinny.  If in 50 years he's never had to deal with the unexpected I can only assume he's not driven much.

[Countrylover]

Not an answer, but it's really upsets me these daysthat so many parents dont seem in control of their little ones when they are out and about near busy roads.  

When I pass the schools in the town when parents are collecting their kids,  Most mums are on their  mobiles with their little ones running along in front or trailing behind.  And there are often groups parents chattering whilst their kids play at the roadside.   And, yes a few on bikes and scooters parents have taken down for them.  

What happened to holding kids' hands!

Mr L is very cautious if he spots a little kid that might suddenly run out into a road, even at quite a distance, but you can't be looking everywhere whilst driving.

[Canary42]

nicebloke1, can you give me next week's National Lottery winning numbers please.