How serious are you about driving safely? How many crashes have you had?

[redpoint5]

I blew a corner once on my bike, but that was because I didn't heed the "bump" road sign. Usually bump means you can barely feel something in the road. This bump was more of a ramp, and the sign should have read jump instead of bump. The bike went airborne, and the suspension had not settled by the time I got to the corner, no time for braking. Tried to make the corner and lowsided. Slid to to about 15 feet from a cliff into the river below.

Accidentally covered the left side of my rear tire in oil once while riding home from getting oil for an oil change. I had dangled the bag off the rear of my bike, and the rear tire rubbed a very thin hole into the bottle, which then coated the left side of my tire. I found out after taking a left turn from a stop sign and did a 360.

Wanted to test the theory that new tires were slippery and should be ridden gently the first 100 miles. Made a left turn and got on the throttle a bit to see if it would get loose at all. It got loose alright, and I put the bike down.

Didn't put the kickstand down once. *facepalm*

Various lowsides on the track nearly every time I go. Didn't crash the time it rained, miracuously, even though the bike threatened to let loose with nearly every corner.

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Bald tires on the back, going around a tight corner on a canyon "highway", back end lost grip...my fault for trying to keep up with traffic, rather than driving at what I felt comfortable doing.

Really, normal traffic was taking corners beyond the capabilities of your vehicle? I would think something was very wrong with the handling characteristics of your vehicle if it couldn't handle what traffic was doing.

I've never seen anyone take corners as fast as I take 'em, and I don't push the cornering limits of my Prius. Maybe 80% of the limit, tops. Most people get uncomfortable using more than 30% of their cornering traction. They don't like lateral acceleration for some reason. I find that I don't like the absence of lateral acceleration.

[Xist]

There are two ways to drive from Phoenix to Show Low. One is significantly shorter and is through a canyon. If I keep up with traffic and there are not any semis we easily go 50 - 55 in a 35.

We always drive the other way. It does not have any fun corners, let alone dozens and dozens of them.

That is two stories of license plate screws damaging the bumper of another car. Is there a way to cover the bolts so they are safe for bumpers?

[Ecky]

What I can remember:

Around ~21, first time I was driving my sister's car, I slid into the car in front of me in a rainstorm. It bent her hood a little but did not damage the car in front of us. Her front tires were badly out of alignment and completely bald, rain had just started after weeks of sunshine (fresh oil, slick asphalt), and I was following a bit too close. Avoidable.

At age 19, my first time driving in snow I spun off the road and ended up on my side in the ditch. Looking back on it, the key factor was probably cruise control, but driving a little too quickly (peer pressure), a lack of snow tires and a RWD SUV certainly contributed. Avoidable.

I once did a 360 in my previous Honda taking an on-ramp too quickly during a thunderstorm - ~age 20? No harm done, it was the middle of the night and I pulled away a bit shaken but laughing. Definitely avoidable.

I don't think I've had anything of note in the past 8 or so years. I know how to drive in snow now, but more importantly keep a longer follow distance and adjust my driving patterns to conditions.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

They don't like lateral acceleration for some reason. I find that I don't like the absence of lateral acceleration.

I find lateral acceleration pretty thrilling, but lateral grip is pretty variable. Go across a patch of sand or gravel in the road and the back end comes out from under you and kills three people in the other lane. I tend to only push it when there's nobody else on the road.

[roosterk0031]

Rear ended by a motorcycle once, scratched bumper, totaled the gold wing. 35 years 1,000,000+ miles. In the ditch 3 times snow/ice. 2 deer hits, one took off mirror with his face wrinkled rear quarter where the rest him ran into. Other standing in my lane slowed down to 10-15 got in other lane and it ran into me, head light and rear quarter.

Dropped 83 Nighthawk 650 screwing around in the rain, hit 3rd still spinning the tire and it got away from me, got back on and rode it home, bike was already totaled by my brother so no new damage.

Dropped my 2001 FZ1 when I got to work, shoe string came untied and wrapped around peg, came off peg on the way down but couldn't completely save it, mirror barely touched ground but did scratch it, ordered riding boots. 100,000+ on 2 wheels (off road drops don't count).

[jjackstone]

None my fault. Was hit head on by a drunk in my lane when I was seventeen. That hurt for a couple years. Later that same year I was rear ended while sitting at a stop sign. One near miss that would have been my fault: checking out the babes and not watching traffic. Car stopped in front of me, I slammed on the brakes and somehow twisted my car perpendicular to traffic so that the front end of my car was facing the curb. Then I gassed it and was somehow able to end up parallel to and on the right hand side of the car that was in front of me. Mind you now this was all over forty years ago. A few close calls from sloppy drivers but nothing bad and no accidents since then.
JJ

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Ecky

I find lateral acceleration pretty thrilling, but lateral grip is pretty variable. Go across a patch of sand or gravel in the road and the back end comes out from under you and kills three people in the other lane. I tend to only push it when there's nobody else on the road.

I won't push corners anymore either, but consider 80% acceptable for known corners to the outside with safe run out. Inside corners I might take 5% easier.

In my youth I spun a 180 twice in the same exact corner under the same weather conditions (rain). The second time the car stopped just as the rear hit a concrete bridge pillar.

Finally getting enough money to afford track days was what slowed me down on the streets. The thrill of driving fast on the street couldn't hold a candle to the track, so I lost interest in using the street to constantly test the performance limits of my vehicles. It made me a vastly better motorcycle rider as it became an extension of my being rather than something I ride on.

[Xist]

When I was twenty-one I heard that you could race your street car at a local track Friday nights. I tried several times to put a group together, but nobody else was willing.

[rmay635703]

None in over a million miles, many of those miles with a 1982 Diesel Suburban pulling a trailer in my teens.

Now when my cars are parked good lord, My cars have had dozens of accidents sitting empty in parking lots, heck some jackass with a long trailer dented my front fending in my own driveway, I didn’t realize anything happened till I got up to use my car the next day

[Xist]

I am not sure that we have time to talk about all of the occasions someone damaged our cars while parked. I definitely would have a much longer list.

I apologize, I missed two accidents. I will go back and add them. One time I turned left and a woman in the other turn lane pulled into my lane and scraped my car. I pulled over as soon as I could, she kept going, I called 911, and they said "You waved her on."
"I absolutely did not."

Another time some guy freaked out and flipped me off when I came to a full stop at a stop sign. A block later there was another stop sign and he rear-ended me. I pulled over, he yelled at me and drove off, I called in his license plate number, and they told me to wait for an officer. Half an hour later someone showed up and said "You got the plate wrong."
"Did you try..."
"Yeah, we tried."