For those of you familiar with VA, my accident happened on the Springfield-Franconia/Fairfax County Parkway. It's a three lane road (50mph speed limit) where police security has been bumped up recently since it averages 3 accidents a day. I was cruising on the left lane and decided to merge onto the middle lane. My car was 4/5 in the lane already when some grandma driver on the rightmost lane decides to merge onto the middle lane also. I knew she was gonna ram into me so I steered the wheel to the left. I must have overcorrected as my car became out of control. So after turning the steering wheel back on forth, I ended up on the grassy median and continued to plow forward. It was scary as hell since I thought I would ram into oncoming traffic. When I got on the grass, my car did a 180 degree turn and I rammed my rear bumper on a sign post. The post cracked in half but I think it saved my life since it stopped my car.

Right now, I'm just thankful to be alive. If my car had gone to oncoming traffic, it would have been a double digit car accident since the volume of cars was heavy on both sides of the parkway. My car is relatively unharmed. The rear bumper was dislodged a bit but not to the point where it's falling off. The tip on the exhuast is also bent up a bit. The bumper is all scratched up but it had no dents. The only thing I could think of after all was over and done with was how much I looked forward to autoXing and learning more on how to control the R.

NoVA Peeps - Where should I get my car repaired? My main concern is the suspension since I went up a small curb on my way to the grassy median. From driving the car back home, it doesn't seem like anything suspension related was damaged.

CPR - who's drinking a bottle of Sam Adams in celebration of life

 

Wow, glad your OK, but maybe work on your car-control skills a lil bit?

 

Glad your OK

 

I saw you - twice!!! I was in the civic with type-R gunmetal wheels and went by you both ways. I am sure you must have heard the ricepipe. Glad to hear everything is fine..

ceas..

 

I saw a couple of civics actually but I don't remember seeing Type-R wheels. Did you see me on the median or was I on the shoulder already?

 

Same here! Need more autox skills!

 

phew, glad you're okay.

you joined me with the cracked bumper statistics!!
like me, i could have had much more damage to my car, but my bumper saved my car and possibly my life.

 

Heh - both!! As I was driving towards the mall, I saw you in the median. I thought it was an odd place to pull over to recieve a phone call! When I was leaving the mall, you were on the sholder with a police car behind you.

ceas..

 

Don't suppose the old lady did anything..stopped, etc.
She probably never even saw you! (even after you moved out of the way)

 

Get this, the only person that stopped was the person I almost hit going the opposite way. I wish I could find that grandma and teach hear a a couple lessons.

 

Damn old people, its the same way in SW Florida too

 

I hate the elderly.

 

Wow, glad to hear you weren't hurt, and the car will be okay.

I see that type of incodent almost daily on my way to and from work - Two people trying to merge into the same lane. In your case, it sounds like you ware pretty much there. I tend to make that type of lane-change really slow, or even speed up just to not be side-by-side with someone.

Are you making an insurance claim or is it not that bad?

Good luck

 

some grandma ran a redlight and hit my friend because she "couldn't tell if it was red or not"

 

Thankfully you're all right

would you mind telling us what kind of suspension modifications, if any, you have?

it sounds like a case of snap oversteer... usually the case when the tail is too stiff... it's happened to me before too

 

No suspension upgrades at all. The only thing that's not stock are my winter tires which are Nokian NRWs.

My deductible is $500 so if it costs less than that to repair, then I'll pay out of pocket. I'll be giving Mike K a call soon.

 

Glad you're ok.

Well, hardly knowing what the situation really was and what you actually did, I'll throw a bit of general advice out.....not just for you, but for anyone w/a FWD car.

When making a hard turn at speed, the key is to stay in the gas. If not, when you lift, you throw the car's weight forward. If you're yanking the wheel left, then that means that of the 4 tires on the ground, the only one that's really sticking is the right front. Not good! The car just wants to take that momentum and spin like a top around the front right tire. By staying in the throttle, the weight doesn't shift and the two right side tires stick....and since you're moving on, the rear follows.

It doesn't mean you'll never lose the rear, but it sure will better your odds of keeping it!

Just a little education that I got from my track events. The auto-x will teach you that too.

BTW, I hate moving into the middle lane w/traffic in that far right lane! You just never can tell what that other donkey might do!

 

you described it perfectly!

 

glad to hear that your ok man and that your beloved r isnt totally fugged now just get that bumper fixed

 

Considering how busy the road was at that time, it's a miracle how I got away with minor damage. Someone up there was watching out.

 

Glad to hear that u are ok Becareful out there everyone, there are some freaking crazy a$$ drivers out there

 

Everytime i read one of these posts i slow down more on the road

 

Glad you're okay! People who shouldn't be driving.....

 

 

werd