If you had told me when I passed my driving test last July that just over six months later my car would be written off, I probably would have handed the keys straight back :)
Passing my test last year gave me so much freedom. I’d finally done it. I could jump in the car whenever I wanted, take the girls wherever we needed to go and I didn’t have to rely on anyone else. That was the most important part for me.
My confidence was growing every time I got behind the wheel. Then in February, I had a car accident.
I was rear-ended at a red light, and my car ended up being written off. Yes! What the hell.
I was literally sitting at the red light just after a bend when a car came around the corner too fast to stop and smashed straight into the back of me.
Thankfully, injury-wise, it could have been so much worse. Nila was okay, which was obviously the first thing I cared about. I did suffer afterwards and ended up having physio, but thankfully we're both okay now.
The car, however, was not quite so lucky, and it was my Dad's, which if you have been a regular reader, will know this was the hardest part for me.
Having your car written off when you've only been driving for six months was definitely NOT on my 2026 bingo card.
As a relatively new driver, the whole thing did knock me a little. There’s something quite terrifying about realising that you can be driving along, doing everything you are supposed to be doing, and in a matter of seconds everything can change.
Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't feel like I was too scared to drive again.
Let's face it, I was stationary at a red light. You can't really get much less responsible for an accident than that, if that makes sense?!
There wasn't anything I could look back on and think I should have done this differently. I couldn't have prevented someone from driving into the back of me while I was sitting there waiting for the lights to change.
What I did notice afterwards was how much attention I suddenly paid to my rear-view mirror.
Every single time I stopped at a red light or had to slow down, I'd be looking behind me to make sure the driver coming up to me was actually paying attention. Even now, I still catch myself doing it sometimes.
The only real way I was going to get my confidence back was to keep driving.
I didn't want the accident to take away the independence I'd worked so hard to get. I'd waited long enough to finally pass my test, and there was absolutely no chance I was going back to relying on everyone else to get around.
So I kept getting in the car. Little journeys became normal again, then longer journeys, unfamiliar roads and places I'd never driven to before.
The nerves didn't disappear overnight, especially when someone was driving a little too close behind me, but gradually I stopped thinking about the accident every time I got in the car.
I think that's probably the biggest thing I've taken from the whole experience. Having my first accident so soon after passing my test wasn't ideal, understatement of the year :), but I didn't let it stop me.
I still check my mirror more than I probably did before. I still don't particularly enjoy someone flying up behind me when I'm slowing down for a set of lights, and I think a little part of me will always be more aware of it now.
Considering I hadn't even passed my test this time last year, I've dealt with my first accident, had a car written off, got another car and carried on driving, I think I am doing pretty well! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment