Well at least you fought your case, Alan, and just didn't role over! It's a dangerous place out there for Bikes!
I had a head on back in December 2002, I was 22. It was Christmas week and I was in a mad rush to get to my other job, Boss was yelling, customers were yelling at me. I was driving on a bad road behind 4 cars, overtook there was a slight dip in the road and I saw another car coming for me I hit the brakes, wet road couldn't stop, No abs, traction, no hope of stopping. I couldn't go through the ditch because there was a bank there so That was that in those few seconds feels like an eternity, all I could think of was not letting it end like this. Then the crazy loud bang as I hit her around 50 mph. My van, a Volkswagen Caddy hit her peugeot and the two of them bounced off each other. All I could see was her air bag and no movement, I was terrified hoping she was ok and she was. And so was I. We were both shaken up for sure. I was dizzy and disorientated for a few mins. Maybe it was the shock. I was shaking on the way home. The next day I got out of bed and hit the floor in pain, whiplash, aches and pains all over. It's amazing how you tense up just before an accident. It's amazing how the van was not broken up a lot more, and I had no airbag. Van drivers always get the less safe vehicles to drive, why is that? There is always much less safety equipment than in cars. It's better these days, but could be a lot better!
Anyway I was taken to court, the superintendent wanted to do me for dangerous driving, but my solicitor laughed and said that's not going to happen. And it didn't, thank god. He said the judge will have no time for me if I was out at the weekend, or drunk, the fact that I was on my way to another job and I was working and didn't cross a continuous white line went in my favour. I got done for a lesser charge of driving without due care and attention, My insurance went to €3500 per year for the next 5 years. It was my van and insurance!
I know it was my fault and I admitted so, well it was kinda obvious when my van was stuck in another car on the wrong side of the road lol
I'm alive to tell the tale and I am much more cautious now indeed! The pressures of bosses really can put a strain on your ability to drive within limits and obey the laws, especially when your boss is an abusive bully! You see what does someone do when they are threatened with the sack if they can't get to jobs. I had to cover 200 miles a day for them assholes and work 6 days a week, up at 5am every day. Pressure wasn't the word. There should be more laws to protect drivers from that kind of abuse, even if they had sorted out some kind of route that was manageable in the day! but hey I was still the driver and that's that really, I had a choice, get there or face discipline.
I wouldn't mind only they didn't even ask was I okay after the accident, they didn't contact me only to ask was I coming back and if not then they will find someone else. I explained that I needed to get the cash together to get another van, they gave me a week. That was nice of them lol.
Anyway I stuck it for another 4 and a half years. It was a job after all. In the end I told them to stuff it and ended up getting redundancy money, but that's another story! I guess you could say I got them ion the end!
