Its not even been 1 day into 2024 and I've already messed up. I'm learning to drive and got insured on my parents car for christmas. (it was my main gift). I was super happy about it as I could practice on their car without having to pay for driving lessons and get more experiance as my driving test is coming up in March. I had my frist drive in the car with my dad christmas day and it went well. I had been ill all week so didnt feel like going out. i felt better today and we went for my second drive. All was going well until we were about to head home. My dad told me to turn left, so I indicated and started slowing down. I went to move down a gear (i was in 3rd) but the stick got stuck and i couldnt move it. I started to panic as i no longer had time to turn but had already started to. I see a car coming straight for us and paniced further. I swerved the car and headed for a brick wall. My body froze and all i wanted was for the car to stop and yet my foot would not move to press on the break. I just sat there and watched as we went into the wall. upon impact i unfroze and slammed my foot on the break. No one was hurt, minus a flat tyre, cracked bumper and half of someones wall missing. We've left a note at the owners explaing my dad will rebuild the wall and pay for the damages. I feel so awful and never want to get in a car again. it was one thing i was telling myself to look forward to this year and ive fucked it up. I hate myself so much and cant believe how stupid i am.
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- Thread starter Ash07
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I'm really sorry this happened. Driving and especially learning to drive in traffic is very hard. Are you sure you are okay, physically? @Ash07 everyone makes mistakes when they're learning stuff.
Is it okay to give advice?
Can you face trying again, going to a big empty parking area? Go over turning and gear changes, doing them over and over until the actions come naturally. Muscle memory.
You're intelligent. There's no way you could've writen the post if not. Please don't hate yourself, it will likely get you in a stuck spot where you reactions are based on the false negative reality.
Is it okay to give advice?
Can you face trying again, going to a big empty parking area? Go over turning and gear changes, doing them over and over until the actions come naturally. Muscle memory.
You're intelligent. There's no way you could've writen the post if not. Please don't hate yourself, it will likely get you in a stuck spot where you reactions are based on the false negative reality.
AshI say this a lot around here, but it's important to remember. "This too shall pass."
You made a pretty big mistake, granted, but one day you will be sitting around and talking to someone else, and they will tell you about something they did they think is horrible, and you can tell them the story about how you crashed your dad's car in to a wall, how you took care of the problem, and how little it really meant in the overall scheme of things.
In the meantime, I agree with Seabird that you shouldn't hate yourself or beat yourself up. Empty parking lots are great! Keep practicing there until you feel a little less panicky behind the wheel.
I agree with the previous comments, Ash07. Get back in the driver's seat sometime soon, practice handling the controls in a safer zone like an empty parking lot and build up your confidence to drive in traffic again.
And give yourself some forgiveness for the accident! Consider this: There are no mistakes only lessons.
And give yourself some forgiveness for the accident! Consider this: There are no mistakes only lessons.
thank you to everyone who commented. My parents are telling me to drive again sometime this week. I really dont want to. My 35 hours driving experiance feels like its gone back to 0. I'll take your suggestions of starting in a parking lot, to practice my gear changing, when and if i get back to it. thank you for giving me a space to get things of my chest
Hi @Ash07 ,
I crashed on my second driving lesson. The instructor told me to steer tightly into the corner, which I did - but there was garden wall around the corner. I blame the instructor as she had dual controls!!! Very brave of you to drive your parents car, but shows they have confidence in you.
Maybe to regain your confidence on could try again in a quiet area ?
I look back on my incident and smile, I will too one day.
Take care
Elf.
I crashed on my second driving lesson. The instructor told me to steer tightly into the corner, which I did - but there was garden wall around the corner. I blame the instructor as she had dual controls!!! Very brave of you to drive your parents car, but shows they have confidence in you.
Maybe to regain your confidence on could try again in a quiet area ?
I look back on my incident and smile, I will too one day.
Take care
Elf.
I’ve had several accidents, one quite serious. It’s very unnerving and it takes quite a bit to regain your confidence. Accidents are fairly common though, that is why insurance is mandatory, so try to forgive yourself and keep going.
I’d suggest going somewhere really quiet and practicing your emergency stops. Hitting the brake will always stop you, even if you are stuck in gear the engine will just stall and you will still stop. To practice, make sure you are somewhere quiet with no cars behind you and then have your father say stop or bang on the dash and then you do an emergency stop. You can start doing it when you are just driving straight but then also when you are changing gear or turning to increase the difficulty. Practice until you are confident in that and then it should be more automatic if you encounter a similar situation. Your father can also help by using the stop command to prompt you if he sees danger.
I’d suggest going somewhere really quiet and practicing your emergency stops. Hitting the brake will always stop you, even if you are stuck in gear the engine will just stall and you will still stop. To practice, make sure you are somewhere quiet with no cars behind you and then have your father say stop or bang on the dash and then you do an emergency stop. You can start doing it when you are just driving straight but then also when you are changing gear or turning to increase the difficulty. Practice until you are confident in that and then it should be more automatic if you encounter a similar situation. Your father can also help by using the stop command to prompt you if he sees danger.
Do not take it too serious, ok? I had my driving license for 2 hours and my own first car (a very old VW Beetle). My first drive was my first accident. There was a lot of snow, I turned too fast (maybe 30 KM) and drove the car into the huge snow wall beside the street. The road was just frozen.... Simple repair was 100 EUR (a fortune for me at this time). So, shit happens.
I was rescued by the trash-truck, who was passing by. And they were all laughing and helped me put back the car on the street.
Continue and no panic. Your parents reaction is very nice and understanding. In some years you will laugh about it.
I was rescued by the trash-truck, who was passing by. And they were all laughing and helped me put back the car on the street.
Continue and no panic. Your parents reaction is very nice and understanding. In some years you will laugh about it.