Driving Timeline & Road Incidents.

[Healer Flame]

I would love to share some of my 27 years driving history, timeline and road dramas.

1) Went through 5 different cars in 27 years.
2) Longest distance travelled 800+ Km between point A & B ( Melbourne to Sydney)
3) Had only 3 flat tyres in the last 27 years, is that normal? Am really impressed.
4) (Removed)
5) lost my way in the middle of nowhere due to poor road signs and faulty GPS so my wife and i had to sleep in the car for the night , hungry angry and cold.
6) Year 2000 , group travel, a friend's van broke down 300 km away from Melbourne on our way to Adelaide city around 2 am. The only option was to call a taxi and the bill was $700+. The owner of the car assured us his car is in excellent condition for the trip 🤥😐. We had to hire a car on the way back.


If you have anything to share please feel free. Just a question.... is three flat tyre in 20+ years considered low or normal?

 

[eyoungren]

I'll just respond to your points and maybe add a few. I got my license in 1986 when I turned 16 - so 34 years in September.

1) First car was a 1980 Datsun 210. My dad got it in 1980 and sold it to my wife for $1 in 1996. Was her car until we got married. Finally stopped running around 2001 or so and we finally had to get rid of it in 2018. Second car was a 1985 Honda Accord LX. We sold it for junk in 2003 I think. From there we've had a 1997 Toyota truck, a 1994 Nissan Sentra and in 2008 my parents gave us their 1997 Honda Accord (my wife and I were there the day my parents bought it new). That car is still in my driveway and sees use every day.
In 2015 we got a 2012 Nissan Sentra. It was totalled a year later because it flooded. Insurance allowed us to get a 2013 Nissan Sentra, which due to how payments for moving into a new home got arranged was paid off in 2018.

I have been fortunate that every car I have ever owned has been paid off before I got it or shortly thereafter.

2) Routine 300 mile drives from Phoenix, AZ to Cherry Valley, CA. Most distance every driven personally was 450 miles from Cherry Valley, CA to Concord, CA.

3) More flat tires than I can count. But none while driving. I usually find them when I come out to use the car. I had one blowout when I was 18. Got the car off the freeway safely, changed the tire and continued driving home. 1987 Nissan Sentra on that one.

4) No idea what you planned here, so will say my first accident was when I was 16. Moved to overtake an RV that suddenly made a left turn in front of me. Crushed in my right front fender. My dad was not happy.

5) I've always known where I was going. If I don't know a place I will google the route and I will use Google street view so I know what the streets look like. Before the internet, my father taught me to use maps. The Thomas Guide was a regular purchase for me. Most major trips have also been by freeway so unless you're going through Hickville there is always gas, food or lodging somewhere. Finally, we have AAA with a premium membership and I have two T-Mobile SyncUp Drive devices. Having one of those automatically adds roadside assistance which includes towing. I can breakdown on the 10 freeway anywhere between Phoenix and Ehrenberg (border of California and Arizona) and be within my towing allotment.

6) Broke down in the 1997 Honda Accord in 2010 I think at Chiriaco Summit in California. That's about 30 miles east of Indio. Where my parents live in Cali, that's about an hour and a half drive. They showed up with AAA and we had the car towed to their house. My dad had the car fixed while I borrowed my parents SUV for a week.

I was thinking of adding in all the speeding tickets I've received as well as all the times I did NOT get one - but that's a long read and I think I'll just keep it to myself. I will just say I was 19 when I got my first ticket. 90mph in a 65mph zone (freeway). The officer was nice enough to only write me up for doing 80mph.

 

[Huntn]

Hmm, I’m trying to remember my last flat, when out driving it has to be 25+ years. My longest drives: Maryland to Minnesota 1122miles, Texas to San Diego 1433 miles (2306Km), Minnesota to Kingsville Texas 1422 miles, and without stopping Maryland to Miami (3 drivers) 1066 miles.

My nightmare scenario (has not happened, child’s play compared to your scenario) was driving my vintage Fiat to Galveston 75 miles away, having it breakdown, get it to a shop, and then arrange transport home, although my guess there would have been a one way rental car available.

 

[eyoungren]

Hmm, I’m trying to remember my last flat, when out driving it has to be 25+ years.

Don't move to Phoenix.

For some strange reason, broken glass is a common road hazard out here. People can never seem to deposit their beer and alcohol bottles in any other place other than the middle of the street. Endless construction too, which means screws and nails in the road.

Walmart has seen us for new tires due to road hazards more times than I can remember.

 

[Healer Flame]

No idea what you planned here, so will say my first accident was when I was 16. Moved to overtake an RV that suddenly made a left turn in front of me. Crushed in my right front fender. My dad was not happy.

Very entertaining to read, excellent post. I removed list #4 as it was all minor accidents i had. I had 4 minor accidents, one was my fault.
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Here in Australia we spell tire 👉 tyre

 

[eyoungren]

Very entertaining to read, excellent post. I removed list #4 as it was all minor accidents i had. I had 4 minor accidents, one was my fault.

I've had two minor accidents. The first one I mentioned. Years later I realized that the RV owner probably didn't have insurance and knew that he was at fault. At the time he was pushing about me taking care of my own damage and him taking care of his. I was 16, stupid and scared because this was my first accident so I didn't really 'see' the fender damage he'd done to my car. I just saw the damage to his RV.

The second one was 2.5 years ago, I pulled out without signalling or checking and a Ford Expedition nailed me in the left rear-quarter panel. So, the '97 Accord has that damage now. Fortunately, I can still put gas in the car. I did absolutely no damage to the Expedition.

There's been a few others over the years but mostly near misses or no damage. My wife did rip off the front end off the 2013 Sentra when she tried to make a turn too close to a wall. Insurance paid for that though.

 

[Healer Flame]

Before the internet, my father taught me to use maps.

I would say 40-50% of drivers would struggle to read maps. Sometimes you need to imagine locations, east, west, south and all.

 

[eyoungren]

I would say 40-50% of drivers would struggle to read maps. Sometimes you need to imagine locations, east, west, south and all.

Before meeting my wife I would never understand getting confused. But she gets lost inside the supermarket and there's been plenty of times she couldn't find the car in the parking lot. So…yeah.

 

[Healer Flame]

Before meeting my wife I would never understand getting confused. But she gets lost inside the supermarket and there's been plenty of times she couldn't find the car in the parking lot. So…yeah.

I really enjoyed Geography class during my school years so i think that helped me a lot reading maps.

 

[AngerDanger]

1. Crashed into what turned out to be a mega human. Was sworn to secrecy, but I can't contain it any longer! I don't care what the government does to me; I'll alw—

 

[Healer Flame]

I salute to the person(s) or Company who invented power steering 👍

 

[eyoungren]

I salute to the person(s) or Company who invented power steering 👍

Uhhhh…yeah. Power steering is what allowed my wife to keep on going when the front end of the car obliquely encountered that wall I mentioned.

 

[Lasrjock]

Don't move to Phoenix.

My most interesting experience occurred while driving from Tucson to Phoenix on I10. I was about to overtake a semi tractor trailer when I saw a slow moving car up ahead in the right lane (well below the speed limit). Realizing that the truck would never be able to stop in time, I applied my brakes so that the driver could move into the left lane. As expected, the truck moved over but something must have shifted because it jackknifed onto its side and continued traveling down both lanes on its side. So for about a minute I got an up close and personal view of the underside of semi trailer before it slid off the road. I pulled over to see if everyone was okay and waited around for the state police. Unfortunately, none of us saw the license plate of the slow moving vehicle (it did not have warning flashers on).

 

[eyoungren]

My most interesting experience occurred while driving from Tucson to Phoenix on I10. I was about to overtake a semi tractor trailer when I saw a slow moving car up ahead in the right lane (well below the speed limit). Realizing that the truck would never be able to stop in time, I applied my brakes so that the driver could move into the left lane. As expected, the truck moved over but something must have shifted because it jackknifed onto its side and continued traveling down both lanes on its side. So for about a minute I got an up close and personal view of the underside of semi trailer before it slid off the road. I pulled over to see if everyone was okay and waited around for the state police. Unfortunately, none of us saw the license plate of the slow moving vehicle (it did not have warning flashers on).

Wow!

I was on my way to work (Ontario, CA) one night and shortly past Ford St. on the I-10 (Redlands, CA) I had someone fly by me in the left lane. I was doing 70 and this person had to be doing around 100mph. He lost control in the upcoming left hand turn of the freeway and for a short time was able to maintain a slide (with the back end out to the right). But he had to have hit something because the next thing I saw was his car flipping and rolling about 3-5 times. I got off at Orange St. and called 911 at what was the Union 76 station at the time. This was back when cellphones weren't common.

Terrifying.

Your's was worse though. Big truck.

 

[Healer Flame]

My longest drives: Maryland to Minnesota 1122miles, Texas to San Diego 1433 miles (2306Km),

With 52 states and many cities it must be lot of fun to drive in the states. I would't probably drive 2306 k's in one go.

 

[Tech198]

oh.. wanted to see what number 4 was...

For me.. i had two car cashes in my life.. Since 2008, when grandparents pasted, that number has gone to 0...

(That kinda gives me shivers just telling it.)

 

[Gregg2]

1) Keep my cars (bought new) for 10-12 years
2) Milwaukee to Grand Canyon - not sure how far that is
3) I can only think of 2 flat tires I had in over 40 years. Now, I've had slow leaks that I filled a few times before I could get service
4)
5) Now that's lost! I've never spent more than an hour in that condition
6) Closest to a breakdown I've had was an engine overheating. Just let it cool down, and finished the vacation with no further problems.

Fun to reminisce, thanks!

 

[Huntn]

1) Keep my cars (bought new) for 10-12 years
2) Milwaukee to Grand Canyon - not sure how far that is
3) I can only think of 2 flat tires I had in over 40 years. Now, I've had slow leaks that I filled a few times before I could get service
4)
5) Now that's lost! I've never spent more than an hour in that condition
6) Closest to a breakdown I've had was an engine overheating. Just let it cool down, and finished the vacation with no further problems.

Fun to reminisce, thanks!

In 1981, I purchased a 1970ish Volkswagen Notchback Sedan, and discovered on a trip from San Diego, California to Kingsville, Texas that when driving it, and stopping for gas, that the car would start up again, but about 5 minutes down the road afterwards, the engine would die and it would not restart for about 15 minutes. I surmised that it would develop a vapor lock or something like that in gas line, so for the rest of this trip, I left the engine running when filling up.

 

[Lasrjock]

With 52 states and many cities it must be lot of fun to drive in the states. I would't probably drive 2306 k's in one go.

When did Canada and Puerto Rico join the Union?

(There are 50 states for those of you not from the USA and I am making an oblique reference to the movie Protocol).

 

[Gregg2]

49 states that you can drive to from another state (counting the one you're in when you're not there)

 

[Gutwrench]

I was driving on a hilly winding residential street around 4 or 5 am just trying to stay awake until 6 am when my shift ended. In this area many properties had tall solid redwood privacy fences around the perimeter.

I was traveling at about 15 mph tops nearly in a sleep coma when suddenly a deer running full speed darted out from behind a fence. Apparently it was spooked and was running the fence line and didn’t see me. I saw it coming at me like an Exocet missile and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. IT RAN INTO MY right front fender...precisely at my tire.

Bambi hit with such force it slid onto the top of the front hood and against the windshield of my car. I was now stopped with Bambi on her side stretched across my hood staring at her butt pressed against the windshield. I don’t think she was hurt, just shocked. She tried jumping to her feet but kept falling from the slippery metal.

So here I am at 5 am stopped on the street having a heart attack with a deer literally dancing on my hood and.....pooping out of fear. Finally it worked itself off my hood onto the opposite side of the car and dashed off between houses.

My right front fender was dented from the initial impact, the hood was depressed from the weight and all scratched up from her hooves....with deer poop everywhere.

😡

 

[D.T.]

Oh let's, see, 12-13 cars in the last couple of decades, once drove from N. FL to TX for a Texas Mile event, ~1100 miles (the event was crazy, to quote Ricky Bobby, "I like to go fast" ).

Maybe a low tire every 1-2 years, usually the SUV, local shop fixes flats for free I once hit what must've been a dumped box of roofing nails, got 3 flats at one time (had to be towed home ...)

Have rarely had any mechanical failures that stranded me, I've had a number of tuned cars that have flipped out, but still ran in "limp mode" and I was able to get them home. My worst failure was a steering column lock, it was common in C5 Vettes, basically it was stuck in a parking garage because there wasn't tow truck clearance (at least the one they sent), good friends with a local dealer, he sent a tech out, fixed it right in the parking spot, drove it to my house for me

FWIW, I immediately ordered this device which basically stuck the locking pin into the unlocked position.

Oh, hahaha, one time I was headed home from the office, I was sort of spacy, the temp had dropped a bunch so I had put in my targa roof, didn't latch the front - thing went airborne at like 65, slid down the road like a sled, thankfully it didn't hit anybody (it was late, empty roads ...), it was the fiberglass/painted roof, pretty decimated, but fortunately, I had ordered the car with both roofs, so I just switched over to the clear/lexan-type one I had in storage.

 

[Healer Flame]

My first car was the car from hell. I was novice driver, young and inexperience. Paid $5000 without any mechanical checks so i paid a heavy price. The only good thing about the car is that i learned so much from it.
The worst investment on a car ever.

On my second car i almost fell on the same trap again but was saved by the bell last day before the purchase. It was black beautiful car with low ks and the seller dropped the price from $14 000 to $10 000 which raised suspicious so decided to give it a comprehensive check.

As expected the result was really bad, the car was involved in a major accident with serious mechanical and physical defects.

My 3rd 4th & 5th cars were bought brand new.
In Australia motor vehicle auctions are very popular but its not for me , hate auctions so never bought one from there.
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🏁🏁🏁 Not sure why cars in US are very cheap comparing to here. The price of Mercs and BMW is surprisingly cheap but not sure if the display price is final or before taxes and road costs.