Two accidents and two near misses in a month. Anyone else go go through a period of sloppiness?

JackeeBoy

I would like to think I am a safe and experienced driver but recently I have made a couple of mistakes and I wonder if I am getting too comfortable. Being in a state of unconscious competence.

However, twice now I have been in a (relatively) minor accident which is not like me at all. The first was me driving right in the back of someone at a round about. I saw it was clear as approaching so never put my foot on the break whilst I was looking as I assumed the driver in front would not stop. Ended up hitting in the back of them as I turned my head forward. Bumper to bumper, nothing serious and we didn't even exchange details. Ironically, someone done the same to me at a junction entering a slip road a few months earlier. I was in front but didn't follow the the van next to me coming out (he was blocking my view and I could not be certain there was not a card behind him in my lane). The car behind assumed I would follow the van and just went right into the back of me as I was stationary.

The second incident happened as I was at a roundabout. I was in my lane as an HGV pulled up to me on the right. Typically I would just let them go first but edged forward just a tiny bit as it was clear to go but stopped as I realised he was cutting into my lane. To be fair, he should have been watching his mirrors and drove further into his lane before turning, but he turned into my lane a little quicker than expected and end up scraping the entire front right of my car causing deep scratches.

The other two incidents was me pulling out of junctions only to realise there was a car coming. Not caused an accident and one of them, even though I pulled out, I was conscious to take another look before pulling completely out so braked in time.n Not like me at all but glad it all happened as it's a reminder not to take things for granted and always be alert.

Shimrod

JackeeBoy wrote: »

I would like to think I am a safe and experienced driver but recently I have made a couple of mistakes and I wonder if I am getting too comfortable. Being in a state of unconscious competence.

I would suggest a state of unconscious incompetence! Rather than sloppiness I would call it inattention - maybe consider if there is anything else going on in your life that is distracting you while driving?

debtdebt

Your recent driving record doesn't suggest competence at all. How old are you? Are you losing your faculties?

Car_54

JackeeBoy wrote: »

I would like to think I am a safe and experienced driver but recently I have made a couple of mistakes and I wonder if I am getting too comfortable. Being in a state of unconscious competence.


Five, if I've understood you correctly.


However, twice now I have been in a (relatively) minor accident which is not like me at all. The first was me driving right in the back of someone at a round about. I saw it was clear as approaching so never put my foot on the break whilst I was looking as I assumed the driver in front would not stop. Ended up hitting in the back of them as I turned my head forward. Bumper to bumper, nothing serious and we didn't even exchange details. Ironically, someone done the same to me at a junction entering a slip road a few months earlier. I was in front but didn't follow the the van next to me coming out (he was blocking my view and I could not be certain there was not a card behind him in my lane). The car behind assumedI would follow the van and just went right into the back of me as I was stationary.


Do you see the common theme? Never assume.


The second incident happened as I was at a roundabout. I was in my lane as an HGV pulled up to me on the right. Typically I would just let them go first but edged forward just a tiny bit as it was clear to go but stopped as I realised he was cutting into my lane. To be fair, he should have been watching his mirrors and drove further into his lane before turning, but he turned into my lane a little quicker than expected and end up scraping the entire front right of my car causing deep scratches.


Highway Code 187: "In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to ... long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length."



The other two incidents was me pulling out of junctions only to realise there was a car coming. Not caused an accident and one of them, even though I pulled out, I was conscious to take another look before pulling completely out so braked in time.n Not like me at all but glad it all happened as it's a reminder not to take things for granted and always be alert.


You should be checking BEFORE crossing the give-way line, not after.

See comments in bold.

wgl2014

At least the OP has identified a problem and can do something about it.

Maybe consider a couple of lessons with the IAM or similar, easy to pick up bad habits over time.

Ectophile

Something that has happened to me more often than I would like is not spotting moving cars before pulling out of a T junction.


It always happens on residential roads with lots of parked cars.


I stop at the junction. Look left. Look right. Start to pull out, and a car drives straight across in front of me, going left-to-right.


I can only assume that slow moving cars are hard to spot against a background of stationary ones.


The solution is to make a conscious effort to look left again, and double check that none of the cars are moving.

Car_54

Ectophile wrote: »

Something that has happened to me more often than I would like is not spotting moving cars before pulling out of a T junction.


It always happens on residential roads with lots of parked cars.


I stop at the junction. Look left. Look right. Start to pull out, and a car drives straight across in front of me, going left-to-right.


I can only assume that slow moving cars are hard to spot against a background of stationary ones.


The solution is to make a conscious effort to look left again, and double check that none of the cars are moving.

No, it’s to keep looking in both directions as you pull out slowly.

Dandytf

Late 2016 early 2017
I bump my fault whilst reversing at home car park caught a nice jeep -by accident
Later that year driving straight through roundabout 0pulled over thought a driver caught my wing mirror -the other lane driver caught my front wing+bumper +mirror -3rd party fault got the enquired details
Early 2017 -left lane driving straight towards express 2 lanes -my car flew into concrete wall passengers side -driver in other lane had bumped into my Clio -my car write off got the required details.
Thankfully looking forward to 2019.
My fault 2016 claim costed me a few years NCD down to once year only past 2-3 years.
As of 19th Jan 2019 I'll have reached 3 years NCD again and it will be protected once more
Hopefully my poor luck is been and gone.

JamoLew

It's a topic that my wife and I have almost every year around xmas.

There always seems to be more drivers paying less attention than at any other time of the year.

Stop thinking about your turkey, the shopping or whatever and concentrate on your driving.

p.s. Are you one of those drivers that drive in the dark without their lights in as well ?.

marlot

JackeeBoy wrote: »

I would like to think I am a safe and experienced driver but recently I have made a couple of mistakes and I wonder if I am getting too comfortable. Being in a state of unconscious competence.....

I changed jobs and went from driving 30,000 miles a year to commuting by train.


After a few months, my wife was nagging me during my driving. I was missing things that I would normally see. I had to go back to basics and find a way to really concentrate.


I started journeys with 10 points. Deducted a point for every major error I made, half a point for minor errors. Started giving myself a running commentary. Made sure I was driving the full 2 seconds behind other cars. It took a while but I gradually improved things again.

JackeeBoy

JamoLew wrote: »

It's a topic that my wife and I have almost every year around xmas.

There always seems to be more drivers paying less attention than at any other time of the year.

Stop thinking about your turkey, the shopping or whatever and concentrate on your driving.

p.s. Are you one of those drivers that drive in the dark without their lights in as well ?.

No, not at all lol. I was not being arrogant when I originally said I am a confident and safe driver. All these incidents happened this month.

My jobs have typically required me to do a lot of miles, one year I done 50,000 for example driving on the motorway, in town, cities, farm roads etc. I have avoided a number of accidents because I have a policy where I assume everyone on the road is an absolute idiot which has made me avoid a number of collisions and even running people over.