Got in a minor wreck.....

[marctheshark0404]

So it was midnight and im driving back from hockey practice and hour and a half away just like every tuesday and thursday, nothing special. Except for the fact i gave my car some good scratches, and possibly some other damage. Like i said its midnight, so im tired, scared, and confused.

I was exiting the freeway going about 70mph, about 10mph over the suggested speed. So as i was slowing down, my brakes locked up! My wheels(already worn) lose traction, and i start drifting towards the guard rail on my right side. Then i turn the wheel left and all of a sudden the tires catch! And the front drivers side of my car goes into the guard rail, at about 20mph, then my back end also hits!

So i sit there for a minute wondering what kind of damage there was? I finally let off the brake and drive to the nearest lighting, a Exxon about a half mile away. Put the car into park, get out expecting the worst, and examine the car. To my suprise there is very little damage, just a few scratches(pretty severe, but small) on both the front and back drivers side. But its dark out and i cant tell if there is any more damage that has been caused.

At this point i dont know what to do? Should i tell my parents what happened, immediatly? Or should i wait to see if the damage is worse than it looks at a first glance? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Keep in mind this was my 17th b-day present from my grandparents who, paid $6500 for a:
1996 Honda Civic with a clean report, excelent condition, and 65,000 miles on it. This is also my first 'wreck'. Thanks guys!

Ill post pics in the morning!

[trevorjk]

let the rents know... so they can let the insurance company know... so you can get your car fixed.

side panels are not cheap! even a $500 deductable will save you money when replacing car panels on one side

[tribalman]

i would tell them. were you pressing on the brake pedal hard? if you weren't and they locked up, that is a problem. tell them what happened and how the brakes locked and this make the car lose control. along with fixing the scratches, get the brakes, the lines, and fluid checked. you lucked out. good to hear you are ok.

[PyRo]

He already told us why the brakes locked up, the tires are worn out.

I'd tell your parents. Everyone smacks up a car at some point. they should know that. Don't be too upset about it, just be glad that you're alright and the car is still serviceable. Now you know to slow down and to be extra careful when you know their is something wrong with your vehicle. You also know the importance of good tires.

[Lohman446]

The tires worn did not cause the brakes to lock up, not as I read it.
Have that looked at.

No damage / little damage? Shut up and don't get into it with the insurance company, it will only cause your rates to go up, you to get a ticket (possible problems with leaving the scene) and the state or county charges HEAVILY for damage to guard rails.

Have it checked for possible other damage, as well as getting the brakes looked at. Unless "the brakes locked up" is the standard teenage cry of "its not my fault" and you now realize mistakes happen, noone was seriously injured / kileld, and learn from it.

[neppo1345]

The tires worn did not cause the brakes to lock up, not as I read it.
Have that looked at.

No damage / little damage? Shut up and don't get into it with the insurance company, it will only cause your rates to go up, you to get a ticket (possible problems with leaving the scene) and the state or county charges HEAVILY for damage to guard rails.

Have it checked for possible other damage, as well as getting the brakes looked at. Unless "the brakes locked up" is the standard teenage cry of "its not my fault" and you now realize mistakes happen, noone was seriously injured / kileld, and learn from it.

I'm guessing that "brakes locked up" = "I don't have ABS and I hit black Ice"...

Thats just how I read it. (I assumed the road conditions)

Semi related story: Coming home from the mall in my Wrangler

I go to hit the exit ramp, and go to shift to neutral (It's an automatic...but it's just habit).

Push through neutral, and drop it into reverse doing ~70.

Not fun, not fun whatsoever.

[kosmo]

Dude, its a civic. Just spray paint over the marks.

[Glickman]

Dude, its a civic. Just spray paint over the marks.

or add a few stickers for a 10hp increase per sticker



seriously though, tell them asap. the quicker you start, the quicker your done, plus you dont have to worry about a whole audit on why you didnt report the claim till days later

[sixtoes1313]

I'd tell the rents and leave the insurance out of it if possible. Unless you actually care oodles about what your civic looks like then just get some touch of paint and go to a painless dent removal place. Reportning any kind of accident will skyrocket your rates since your young. I lost control in my monte carlo in the rain making a left turn and had a wreck that put a huge dent into my quarter panel. Didnt cost me anything to fix it- family friend, but because i hit another car i had to report it and nnow my rates went up a lot. Good luck with it.

[marctheshark0404]

Thanks guys, im going to tell my parents at dinner. I dont think i need to report it to insurance, my brother is pretty good with dents and scratches. Ill definatly get it checked out though!


I thought i had ABS, but it was somewhat icy out...so good guess neppo!

[rkjunior303]

You only get surcharged if you were to hit someone else and were deemed at fault by the insurance company. If you're involved in a single car accident - car rolls down a hill and hits a tree, weather, etc you won't get surcharged for a claim.. That's why you pay a deductible.

[Lohman446]

You only get surcharged if you were to hit someone else and were deemed at fault by the insurance company. If you're involved in a single car accident - car rolls down a hill and hits a tree, weather, etc you won't get surcharged for a claim.. That's why you pay a deductible.

In MI its any accident you are deemed more than 49% at fault that increases your insurance costs. And by definition any single car accident is your fault.

[skife]

leave the insurance company and police out of this, in fact, it never happened at all.

you just bumped into a shopping cart at the store if someone asks about the scratches.

remember, selling a car thats been into an accident is harder than it is to sell a clean car.

[Lohman446]

leave the insurance company and police out of this, in fact, it never happened at all.

you just bumped into a shopping cart at the store if someone asks about the scratches.

remember, selling a car thats been into an accident is harder than it is to sell a clean car.

Classic MI answer.

[skife]

Classic MI answer.

insurance = legal extortion.

you just have to know how to play the game.