I need advise update

[idonovan]

me and my family have all decided we will be fixing the car and starting out slow on getting me back on the road... ie starting by me driving arround the block. Like said in other posts it will be harder and more expencive to get back into it latter. I am still recovering emotinaly so not ready to get back into normal driving... I also need to train myself to really really pay attention. Ie no dogs in the car anymore no music even low.... when i first started driving this is what i did.. and will do it again. Thank you all for the advice... i really do apprechiate it. Im sure my insurance will be more expencive but I can truly say that i will learn form it.

[avoncallingu]

Oh my! You sound like a very caring person and it's a terrible scare you've had as well as the person that you hit. We all have times when we are not paying as good attention as we should. Don't be very hard on yourself. Your plan does sound very good, though. My husband always says - make sure your Brakes and Tires are in good shape! They are the most important parts of your car and he was in the car business all his life!

As far as sueing - well, don't imagine bad things unless they start to happen and then make a plan. Taking him flowers is very thoughtful. Just be positive and don't SUGGEST that he sue you. (He probably hasn't thought about it.)

I hope my advice makes some sense to you. Just my thoughts on the subject. Good luck1

[idonovan]

i just hope that something good will come of this

[Tantum]

I agree it's time to park the car and rely on public transportation for awhile. Might be a pita, but the next time your not paying attention while driving it could end much worse.

[abbasgirl]

I don't think taking a break from driving for a long period of time is a good idea. The longer you go without driving, the harder it will be to start again. Your life will be ruled by fear and it will keep you from doing things you really want to do.
You do need to deal with the immediate situation. If you feel you need to check up on the guy you hit, do so. But do it out of genuine concern for his well being. Like Avon said, you need to stop worrying about getting sued. You can deal with that if it actually happens.
You also need to deal with your car. It is not safe to drive and you should never get behind the wheel of a car that has not been properly maintained again. If you are unable to do the work yourself and you can't afford to get someone else to do it, you should get rid of your car.
Have you ever had driver training in Canada? Even if you have, you should go ahead and get retrained. Have the instructor evaluate your skills and get you into a proper routine. Things like looking both ways before turning should become second nature to you. If the instructor feels that you are ready to get back behind the wheel, do it as soon as possible.

[Hollywood1818]

I agree with abbasgirl, I was just rear ended and have been in other accidents and did not want to drive after especially this time I have driven once since the accident about 6 days ago but thats cause i am in pain but the longer you wait the harder it gets to get back in

[FallenPixels]

I actually disagree with the above posters, I think you should take a break until you work out what is breaking your concentration, and as mentioned above, go for driver training (even if you have been trained before).

Accidents happen, but two times in a month shows you need to take care on the road - its not just for others sake but you could kill yourself in an avoidable accident too.

I wouldnt worry about being sued until it happens, but in the mean time, fix those brakes in case you need the car for an emergency situation!

[idonovan]

i am trying to sell the car. im scared to drive n with hubby only one working at a job that dont pay much n me n school n the car being the biggest expence it makes sense.

[idonovan]

and right now i cant aford to get re trained

[abbasgirl]

Just to clarify what I said, I meant you should take a break until you get the car fixed and get retrained/evaluated by a qualified instructor, just not an extended break. This is a serious wake-up call and the issues should be dealt with. But rather than being overly hard on yourself and banning yourself from driving permanently, it's best to learn what you can from your mistakes so that you can become a safe driver.

[KrazE]

You should not go without insurance coverage of some kind on a vehicle; if you're going to have the vehicle parked until you can afford the repairs, at least insure it for fire & theft.
Being without coverage for too long will affect your ability to get affordable insurance later on.

If you are still making payments on your vehicle, then you are required to have it properly insured or they have the right to repossess the vehicle. If it's paid off, but the costs of maintaining it are too high, then park it & dump the unnecessary coverage but leave the fire & theft as I mentioned above.

Since you have now had an accident, and a moving violation, this will affect your insurance rates in the future.

Driving training may not be necessary, as this will likely not change the fact that you're not paying full attention to things around you. It's probably best that you park the vehicle (not on grass as this will cause rot very quickly). You should start it up & run it on a regular basis, and make sure you drive it back & forth even a bit to keep from having the wheels seize up for the duration of being parked.

Best of luck to you.

[abbasgirl]

I don't see it so much as a not paying attention thing. You weren't paying attention to the right things. A driving instructor will teach you to develop good habits so that you are following the same pattern every time of looking in all directions, etc. A good driver will follow these steps every time without even thinking about it. A driving instructor will be able to evaluate where you are breaking down and help you to change your habits.

[KMammy]

If they sue forward the papers to your insurance company. As long as you had coverage on the date the accident happened it should not be a problem. What did the police ticket you for?

[betholio]

Sometimes people self-exclude from driving because they're bad at it and that's okay. I know two intelligent people who won't drive. One just because he knows he's bad at it and he caused a couple of accidents. The other because driving stresses him out too much.

I think your thoughts of taking a break make sense. If after taking a break and some additional driver training you still don't feel confident or qualified, please don't drive.

[caroman]

DH was involved in an accident a couple of months ago and talked to a lawyer about suing the other party. The lawyer said he had 2 years from the date of the accident to file if he intended to sue.