So, I Nearly Had a Fatal Accident on The M4

hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 02:29
Last edited 02/02/2023 - 07:30

TLDR: Don't be a douchebag and merge over two lanes in one go. This will cause a fatal or serious accident not only to you but to everyone involved and if it does, I hope you feel the wrath of guilt everyday.

Hey guys,

I was driving back home towards Sydney on the way home on the M4, in the middle lane going 100 minding my business, enjoying my music. I think it was the roper road entry to the M4, a small car decided to double lane merge in one go to the middle lane, I recon, there was approx 30cm or less space between our cars before crashing and definitely in their blind spot (right!?), which caused me to beep and serve to the right lane aggressively, back into the middle lane (cause I nearly hit the cement wall) then into the right lane again to adjust and stayed in the right lane before moving back into the middle lane approx 200m later, and I noticed the car in the right lane behind me put his brakes on to avoid a potential crash (but that car was a good distance).

My heart was beating so fast, I was shaking and I was cursing so much.

Everything happened so fast, I recon all happened in a time span of 2-6 seconds of noticing this mofo didn't notice me in their blind spot, both adjusting ourselves in our lanes and we're both going 100km/h is just crazy.

I am a defensive driver and I am usually aware of my surroundings, I did see the car entering the M4 and I know for a fact that they did not enter the M4 into the left lane, wait or check their blind spot then merge into the middle lane, they just decided to double lane merge cause they wanted to beat the upcoming slow cars on the left lane.

While they were merging into the middle lane, there was a car behind me, that's what I didn't put on my breaks as I would have crashed for sure, but I know there wasn't any cars in the right lane, especially in my blind spot, that's why I decided to swerve, but did I make the right move? Who knows….. so many variables that could have happened, I could have lost control of the car entirely and flipped, but if I did break, the car behind me would have crashed into me, but if I did break, the car behind me could have put on their breaks and caused a pile up and I would have be fine but the car behind me wouldn't.

I am just thankful no one was physically hurt but I do hope that driver is mentally scarred and is now aware and will not do that crap ever again.

I am also thankful that I just changed all 4 of my tyres 2 months ago, I am getting shivers now thinking what could have happened with my old tyres.

PS - I am now investing in a dash cam.
PPS - My friend said to buy a lottery ticket, which I did hahaha

Here are some pics for those visual people.
Part 1
Part 2

Automotive

Comments

  • rickxs on 02/02/2023 - 06:22

    3 problems when taking evasive action

    you beeped
    you served
    & breaked

    • randomusername2017 on 02/02/2023 - 06:49
      +2

      Makes it sound like a driver reviver pit stop….

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 07:17
      +1

      Never said I breaked?

      I most likely let go of the accelerator pedal for a sec, but never breaked, and I'm pretty sure me breaking and swerving at 100km/h will significantly increase the chances of me losing control of the car

      • EightImmortals on 02/02/2023 - 07:27
        +29

        Srsly, both of you?

        It's 'braked'…….

    • SF3 on 02/02/2023 - 09:23
      +2

      breaked

      OP not broken, alive posting to us.

  • cookie2 on 02/02/2023 - 07:10
    +5

    Glad you're ok. Not a nice feeling at all.

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 07:18
      +3

      Thanks! It's not. Worst feeling.

  • Mokr on 02/02/2023 - 07:18

    Just brake. Safer

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 07:29
      +2

      Not in this case, a car was right behind me, guaranteed crash if I braked. I knew there wasn't any cars going fast in the right lane, that's why I swerved onto the right lane.

      • skid on 02/02/2023 - 08:05
        +1

        Were you being tailgated going 100?

        • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 08:21
          +1

          In a highway situation, I would say so yes, maybe a good sedan and a half gap between us. Definitely not a 3 or more second gap.

          • fredblogs on 03/02/2023 - 11:32

            @hasher22: slow down to 80 until the idiot behind you can keep a safe distance

  • kolorijo on 02/02/2023 - 07:50
    +3

    Definitely get a dashcam

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 07:57
      +1

      For sure! When I have more free time, I'll research into one. You think it's best I get a back dash cam as well?

      • Caped Baldy on 02/02/2023 - 08:52
        +5

        Viofo A129 duo. Plus or pro.

        No dashcam will be good enough to clearly show licence plates in all conditions.

        • kolorijo on 02/02/2023 - 09:26
          +4

          +1 for the above. That is what I use.

        • TimmyTims on 02/02/2023 - 13:07

          Also +1. This is what I'll be buying once my Thinkware one dies (it's on it's death bed)

          PS. Don't buy a Thinkware branded camera

        • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 22:27
          +1

          Thank you! Been a long day for me at work, just finished off now. But googling now! haha

  • pegaxs on 02/02/2023 - 07:52
    +2

    And I have a strong feeling that this has been over-dramatised for the viewing audience…

    • brendanm on 02/02/2023 - 08:10
      +8

      Bro, it was nearly fatal!

    • DuckKnight on 02/02/2023 - 08:11
      +2

      OP lives life a quarter mile at a time.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/02/2023 - 08:45
        +1

        … Family.

        • mapax on 02/02/2023 - 08:47

          Granny shifting, not double clutching…

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/02/2023 - 08:49
            +1

            @mapax: And Hector is going to be running 3 Honda Civics with spoon engines. And on top of that he just came into Harry's and he ordered 3 T66 turbos, with NOS, and a Motec system exhaust.…

    • roguescholar on 02/02/2023 - 08:40
      +3

      But you have to give OP props for the outstanding MS Paint.

    • mapax on 02/02/2023 - 08:42
      +1

      Are you forgetting that overly emotional, bubble wrapped types exist? For some of them the most danger they face in their life is a paper cut or the office a/c being set incorrectly.

      • mbck on 02/02/2023 - 08:50

        Don't wanna be left behind without drama!

    • MS Paint on 02/02/2023 - 10:35
      +1

      Straight out of Hollywood. OP forgot to add an asterisk.

      *Dramatisation based on a true story

    • Chandler on 02/02/2023 - 14:19

      I am a defensive driver and I am usually aware of my surroundings, I did see the car entering the M4 and I know for a fact that they did not enter the M4 into the left lane, wait or check their blind spot then merge into the middle lane, they just decided to double lane merge cause they wanted to beat the upcoming slow cars on the left lane.

      As a defensive driver, knowing that the left lane slows ahead, I would have assumed someone coming onto the motorway would be getting out of there ASAP, potentially as soon as they're on the motorway, and thus keeping a close eye on them.

      • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 22:34

        They merged two lanes in one go and they were parallel me. Also from memory, the driver could have slowed down and stay in the left lane, there was plenty of room for him to speed up in the left lane then overtake me. They were just greedy and wanted to merge instantly.

        I should not have to expect someone entering the motorway to double lane merge, especially when we are parallel as per my MS paint, I tried to make it as accurate as possible.

        If my car nose was aligned with their trunk, I would have braked slightly, but because they wanted to hug me, with the information I had collected with my surroundings, and only a roughly 2 second or less reaction, I decided to beep and swerve at the same time.

        • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 00:07
          +2

          If my car nose was aligned with their trunk

          Was it a car or an elephant?

  • Barca123 on 02/02/2023 - 07:54
    +5

    Just shows how important it is to know your surroundings when you drive (i.e. other vehicles' anticipated movements, free lanes etc). Sadly there are drivers out there who don't even do that.

    • Mokr on 02/02/2023 - 08:16

      Get a red or orange car as well

      Turn on ddl

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 08:27
      +2

      Definitely, paid off in this instance imo. Look out for yourself but also be mindful of everyone on the road.

  • Xistn on 02/02/2023 - 08:09
    +2

    The Obsession with the right lane is beyond me. Glad you are ok.

    • hasher22 on 02/02/2023 - 08:30
      +1

      Thankyou, an experience I want but not want to forget.

      But the right lane is the zoom zoom lane, it's where all the cool kids hang out, right? (Oh… no pun intended)

      • Sammy2000 on 02/02/2023 - 08:54
        +1

        It is suppose to be but these people think they own the road so go whatever speed they like.

  • kiwiyonip on 02/02/2023 - 09:05
    +2

    I've seen this scenario many times in M1, like they're driving at speeds of > 140.

    What's really annoying is drivers are forced to swerve and change lanes to overtake those 'granny' drivers driving at 90k/h who love to occupy the right most lane.

    Just drive safe and defensively, but you can't fix stupidity, and many are sharing the roads with you.

  • ForkSnorter on 02/02/2023 - 09:17
    +3

    People not understanding their car's blind spot is one of the greatest dangers facing drivers. When I took my license test, there was no test of blind spots! Completely bizarre and dangerous.

    • Euphemistic on 02/02/2023 - 15:29
      +1

      Were you not tested in head checking?

    • Mokr on 03/02/2023 - 11:24

      to change lanes you need to do a blind spot look, its indicate, mirror check, mirror check side, head turn, then turn

  • Ghost47 on 02/02/2023 - 09:59
    +1

    When the car entered was it clear ahead of them? Good that you didn’t get into an accident because of some knob who drives like a selfish moron.

    If they merged over two lanes quickly, and there was no need to, that is simply just idiotic driving.

    I don’t think there’s anything wrong with moving over two lanes, when I do it I just leave my indicator on the whole time and move over at a slow and steady pace, sometimes I will pause slightly after moving over one lane but always keep the indicator on and this is all obviously after making sure it’s clear in the first place, but also head checking when doing so to ensure a car hasn’t come up out of nowhere.

    When people drive they need to have a general idea of the cars that are around them at all times. You can die driving a car, that kind of mentality isn’t emphasised enough so you have people who end up being reckless morons on the roads.

    Did you at least use your horn?

  • nuker on 02/02/2023 - 10:12
    +3

    I always watch the merging cars with interest, trying to predict where in traffic they'd decide to go in. I'd say OP should pay more attention, maybe cut on music :)

  • Derrick Crane on 02/02/2023 - 10:15
    +1

    If this was an isolated incident it would be worth posting. However, unfortunately, it happens all too often.

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 02/02/2023 - 10:35
    +1

    Part of this is lack of proper line markings on the M4 (and other roads in NSW). You shouldn't be allowed to move back into the left lane close to where people are joining a motorway. It works wonders for traffic flow in europe. Dump a camera above and auto-fine.

  • MS Paint on 02/02/2023 - 10:53
    +3

    Golden rule of driving. Never swerve aggressively even though it's natural instinct.

    It may have been better to have a love tap at 100kmh than for you to swerve aggressively at that speed. Cars can be fixed.

    Also, unless you drive a pre 2000 shitbox then there's a good chance you would survive an accident these days.

  • John Kimble on 02/02/2023 - 13:17

    Great diagrams! 👍

  • bobbified on 02/02/2023 - 14:03
    +1

    This shit happens all the time.

  • Kremleen on 02/02/2023 - 15:11

    Just brake. If you get rear ended, at least you won't die. What happens if you swerve to the right lane, hit the wall, flip the car and then get rear-ended by the car behind in the far right lane?

  • Euphemistic on 02/02/2023 - 15:33
    +4

    Beeping the horn should not be reaction number one.

    Brake first, it’s unlikely to cause a significant accident, especially as in this case you shouldn’t be required to actually stop, but just slow enough to avoid the incident.

    Steering (not swerving) should be second on the list. Once you e started slowing then you can make the decision to steer away from whatever.

    Hitting the horn may be useful as a warning, but typically (from the OPs biased description) the warning will not have any effect unless the other driver is just drifting across a lanes unaware, not when deliberately changing lanes to pass another car.

    • bobbified on 02/02/2023 - 17:11

      Beeping the horn should not be reaction number one.

      Not according to the drivers on Dashcams Australia! Everyone seems to go straight for the horn instead of immediately taking evasive action to avoid a collision.

  • RobBoss on 02/02/2023 - 20:36

    Sounds like your typical driver in Sydney, merging over two lanes and some don't even bother using indicators. I love driving but just not in Sydney, death traps everywhere.

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