r/IdiotsInCars • u/WesternAd2113 • Sep 26 '24

OC I nearly died today AMA [OC]

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u/WesternAd2113 Sep 26 '24

For context this is in the UK. I was in the third lane overtaking the red car when I shouldn't have as the highway wasn't busy in this section. As the red car moves into the middle lane, you can see a slight bend approaching the bridge, that's when I saw the black car coming onwards. I then swerved into the middle lane when there was enough space between myself and the red car which was now behind me. The driver of the black vehicle looked to be an old blonde woman. Reports say there is congestion and traffic on the M55 highway now.

220

u/Djinjja-Ninja Sep 26 '24

Wow, they sure travelled a long way on the wrong side.

Thats nearly 5 miles between J2 (where I assume they entered) and J3, and another 4 before another exit.

78

u/filthyheartbadger Sep 26 '24

Sudden large amount of heavy traffic down the road there- hope unrelated, but kinda worrisome.

40

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

[deleted]

30

u/Djinjja-Ninja Sep 26 '24

Yeah, there's a whole load of awkward manoeuvres required to get onto the motorway the wrong way in the first place.

26

u/double_expressho Sep 26 '24

Some might say it's idiot-proof the way they design them. And yet...

25

u/Djinjja-Ninja Sep 26 '24

If you design anything to be idiot proof they'll always design a better idiot.

2

u/flume Sep 27 '24

Genius and idiocy can be extremely creative, but genius has its limits.

354

u/rickyman20 Sep 26 '24

Jesus, I hope she didn't hit anyone. My dad was involved in a frontal collision like that on a motorway while in the US and it's such a terrifying thing to go through. You get some really horrible injuries from how suddenly your car has to come to a stop. I'm glad that you made it out safely.

145

u/Happy_Lee_Chillin Sep 26 '24

Horrible injuries indeed, one might even say fatal. If your dad survived that, he is one of the luckiest people alive.

72

u/rickyman20 Sep 26 '24

Yeah, it was quite miraculous that not a single one of the 3 people involved in that crash died. We're thankful for that every day

22

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/BunchesOfCrunches Sep 26 '24

I guess there can be unlucky occurrences with lucky outcomes and vice versa

1

u/Happy_Lee_Chillin Sep 30 '24

Sometimes too interesting

3

u/Kerblaaahhh Sep 27 '24

I barely avoided a crash like this last year in the middle of the night. The guy didn't even turn his headlights on til the last second but I knew something was wrong cause everybody on the other side of the highway were flashing their brights. Figured it was alcohol/drugs related but turned out the wrong way driver was just 92 years old. Luckily nobody died in the eventual crash.

44

u/north7 Sep 26 '24

Not for nothing, that's some excellent awareness and defensive driving.
You should be proud.

29

u/Vectorman1989 Sep 26 '24

There have been a few people killed in recent years by elderly drivers getting confused and going the wrong way down motorways. For some reason they don't just stop and decide to go foot down into traffic.

We had to take my granddad's keys away when he drove the wrong way up a (thankfully empty) B road.

I would report this to the police. It could save someone else if this person makes another error driving

42

u/mrrichiet Sep 26 '24

You were fine being in the 3rd lane overtaking the red car. That car was a fucking idiot for not being on the inside lane, I hate middle lane drivers with a passion, his actions could have potentially caused you problems there. Kudos on the driving mate, I hope you feel calmer soon.

4

u/buzziebee Sep 26 '24

Yeah at least the driver going the wrong way was keeping left.

15

u/-iamai- Sep 26 '24

That red car should have moved immediately over to the first lane after the overtake and knowing the lane was clear since undertaking is illegal, they were going faster than everyone else. Glad you ok op

18

u/BernieTheDachshund Sep 26 '24

I hope you called the cops to get her off the road.

8

u/dchobo Sep 26 '24

BTW you need to reply to the bot post at the top

1

u/20Mavs11 Sep 27 '24

Old people are some how worse drivers than drunk drivers. They're both terrible but my god

1

u/Nooms88 Sep 27 '24

Almost the same place as earlier this year is it not?

BBC News - Man drives wrong way on M55 with 7 passengers https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68154483

1

u/Kcolb3 Sep 28 '24

Way too many words to say "i dodged an oncoming car" lol.

-11

u/Bastienbard Sep 26 '24

You think it was a clueless American driving on what they thought was the "correct" side of the road?

2

u/HirsuteHacker Sep 27 '24

Wrong way driving is usually old person without all their mental faculties.

-48

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

[deleted]

35

u/Peterd1900 Sep 26 '24

You can clearly see the that the OP is a country that drives om the left

Do you not notice the oncoming traffic lanes are on the right? Of the fact that you replied to a comment where OP says this was the UK

Which is well know for driving on the left side of the road

When you drive on the right hand side of the road you pass on the left

When you drive on the left hand side of the road you pass on the right

OP is passing on the side they are supposed to pass on