I hate accidents

[BuLLeTdrift]

Well first off, i wasn't even driving, but i was on the passenger side. we were in my friends 100% stock, 100% non drifter car, so no we we'rent trying to do nething like that. but you'll see why i put this here in a lil bit...

it was raining, we drove thru a pretty bizzy intersection and i guess we didn't notice his wheels were spinning (FF) w/ the loud music. well he starts sliding to the left, tries to recover, and ends up doin a 180 and slamming into a parked car. he's barely been driving for a couple months now, so the experience wasn't there for him. we're all fine, except for that parked car of course.

Ne wayz.. i'm trippin cuz this is the first accident i've been in since i've had my car and and since i started thinkin about drifting seriously. i was planning on goin out tonight to some of my open area, no traffit spots, but now i'm a lil worried. i know i'd never do nething stupid in a high traffic area, or nething like that, but still, accidents happen.

so i gotta question to you drifters who have been in accidents and kept on doin wut you do....Do you just forget about wut happened and learned from ur mistakes? or did you take it as a signe and calmed down for a bit?

i'm thinkin about goin w/ the second one rite now. i do believe in good luck/ bad luck, and i do believe in signes. so i think this might mean i need to calm down maybe?? all feedback is welcome. thanx.

[crzycav86]

all feedback is welcome. thanx.

Maybe if you weren't playing the music so loud, the accident could have been prevented...

[BuLLeTdrift]

yea. but i dont have a system in my car.

[BuudWeizErr]

if you drift, you're gonna crash. BOTTOM LINE.i know so many people who are on their 2nd, 3rd cars. But you have to know yourself and your skills to know when to stop / take a break, etc.

it seems like every time someone says 'one more time,' thats the death sentence for their car.

[Nismo_Freak]

if you drift, you're gonna crash. BOTTOM LINE.i know so many people who are on their 2nd, 3rd cars. But you have to know yourself and your skills to know when to stop / take a break, etc.

it seems like every time someone says 'one more time,' thats the death sentence for their car.

Kinda like rednecks... "Hey hold my beer, watch this!"

OMGz0Rs I posted in the Drift forum... eek

[Anand]

if this is your daily drive... take it ez... don't drift in areas where you know you could crash.. ie... public places..

go dodge cones at legal drift events like I do..

untill you have another car and are not affraid to crash your current car.. don't drift on the streets or anything becuse you will crash.

[driftczar]

yeah well all the pro drifters or drifter that have gone big all say they got into an accident more than once. Most of em say their FIRST car was what all the accidents happend on so its bound to happen. By the way that sucks about the accident. did the cops get called and all that crap or did u guys just leave??

[574-240sx]

We take risks. I stay to secluded roads and parking lots. I make it to all the local drift practices/event to stay safe.

I have successfully drifted the banked turn several times and tried to push it a little harder the last time. I ended up over correcting a little and fought it about 4 time left and right. I got the car straitened up, it was to late. I was heading for a patch of small 2-3 inch diameter trees. I hit the trees at 30ish with the brakes locked down while going into them.

before

after

After the accident I though hard about giving up drifting. I couldn't let it go and so starts another project. Also thats what the whole 92' 240sx RIP is in my sig.
Modified by 574-240sx at 8:10 PM 10/18/2004

[bcar240]

man, that pic hurts. I have had some very close calls. But being basically stock right now, I am not doing anything very intense. But on a small radius on-ramp, I came in fast and the back came out farther than I though (ramp was wet). I was looking straight out the windsheild at a guard rail with all 4 wheels sliding. Somehow turned the other way, looking at a large grassy hill, back and forth a few times. Slowly straightened out. Well, the first thing I thought of after that, "Whoops, hope a cop didn't see that."

[BuLLeTdrift]

yea everything got taken care of. we got out and the owners car was already outside taking pictures of wut happened b4 we could even gather ourselfs. he wasn't to upset, he was like "well looks like i get a new car!". cops caim, every1 understood wut happened, and that was that.

I want to just keep it safe and enter practice dayz/events, but there really isn't many around here. the closest thing is the NCDA drift days in Tracy, but the last one didn't attract many people, so who knows if they'll have that ne more. but the urge is so overwellming to go out and practice. there are some nice warehouse parking lots, but not the best place. its just hard to stay away when there are no practice events newhere.

but i think i'm goin to take much more precautions now. i'm lookin for another set of rims so i can swap those in and out, so i can be ready for a future practice even.

thanx for replying fellas. if theres ne 1 else out there w/ a couple pennies (2 cents) to put in, dont hesitate.

[scruffy63]

I say keep with the drifting. only in safe places of course. all the practice will make you a better driver.I can truthfully say i've saved myself before. it will make you calmer in bad situations, plus drifters have waay more control than your average driver.

[Sirikool]

When I was drifting (was pretty new to it @ the time and still am), I did get into an accident. I hit the curb and busted the axel. I was drifting in an FF focus. LMAO. I still remember how bald my tires were after the curb accident. Not quitting on Drifting, but for sure I'm not gonna make the same damn mistake.

Learn from your mistakes, but dont make ur 1st one so foolish. RESEARCH!!! Take everything into consideration. Tires, Weather, Safety, $$$$$$$$$$, etc.

THERE. i made an @$$ out of myself n it feels good.

[scruffy63]

another thing. I know everyone says go out when it is wet but I think dry is better. it is easier to start a drift in the rain but its easier to end a drift when it is dry. we all know what happens when you can't end a drift.

[574-240sx]

another thing. I know everyone says go out when it is wet but I think dry is better. it is easier to start a drift in the rain but its easier to end a drift when it is dry. we all know what happens when you can't end a drift.

I also like to keep tires more than a week or as long as possible. I usually wear down to the cords and bring a spare and jack with, just incase. The rain is just a blast though.

[bcar240]

IMO rain is better for big parking lots / industrial parks and open stuff, not for that crazy mountain road. Even though it is easier for the rear to slide out, it is also easier for the front to slide out, and, from personal experience, I know this is not usually something you want. Slid my parent's pathfinder off the road like this during the summer in a rain drift (I had smoke from that biatch with AT tires! ) But I popped in in 4x4 and drove right on out (can't do that with a 240 .)

all the practice will make you a better driver.I can truthfully say i've saved myself before. it will make you calmer in bad situations, plus drifters have waay more control than your average driver.

that is so true! I do stuff now automatically while most of my friends are like, WTF just happened? (countersteering, believe it or not, does not come naturally to all people .) Most peoples first reaction to a situation is SLAM BRAKES so I will stop. I admit this cost me a front bumper when I was a new driver. I really think we should have a "emergency" driver's ed course or something that lets new drivers experience this, it seems to me that kids only get to be good drivers after they learn what to do after their first few "mishaps."

[BuLLeTdrift]

i so0o know wut you guys mean. when i first started (only about a year ago) i had a couple of those "mishaps", but in pretty safe places. but during this past summer, my girlfriends sister was ****in around w/ me, and wanted to race me home. she was in her IS 300 vs. my 240. well i past her up on a road (we were both being stupid) and the light ahead of us turned red...i tried to slow down as much as posible when my brakes locked up, and i had to counter steer a lot cuz my back end was sliding out. i ended up taking a right at the red light, and just slowly got the car straight again. it was amazing how calm i was, and how terrified she was. i know for a fact that w/o those couple of times of practicing in the rain and dry weather, i might not have been able to control my car. lol, my friend was in the car w/ me and he said "damn dude, you handle that **** like a pro". i later apologized for putting him in that situation, but he was cool about the whole thing.

I think from now on i'm goin to practice in areas where i KNOW i wont get into a serious accident. Well, try my best.

I really apriciate all ur help. i look forward to building my skills, and entering practice events. cuz there is no way wut so ever i'm going to stop trying. you guys know that feeling. can't really explain it, you just feel it.

more opinions are welcome!

[ca-jon23]

Yeah, never hit nething (not to say that my car hasn't ever hit a mailbox or 2 while drifting) but I've come real close a couple of times. Yesterday, at a stop sign, I took a left a understeered the crap out of it in to a curb. Only to be, literally an inch or 2 from a fire hydrent and a concrete post. So yeah almost had a real bad day, but would have kept goin definitely !

[IlIkEmYz]

go karting is also a great way to gain better drifting/ driving skills as well.

came close to many accidents but i guess a combination of drifting skills saved me.

i could explain my story but im just too lazy right now.

[Axoure Dragonkin]

I ran my Civic (not rice just plain crappy) into a concrete pillar while taking a left on some ice. Just spun the car out and into the thing. That accident allowed me to purchase a 240, so I guess it was a blessing.

Actually, that little mishap caused me to be interested in how to better control a vehicle, and that is when I started learning how to drift. The more you practice and are used to the feeling of the rear sliding out, the calmer and more in control you become.

[ride4lame]

i've crashed a couple times,its part of the game

[Us13]

80mph and trees dont mix,lol. it calmed me down in a sense it made me think more, not be so careless, but if you truly love it you wont give it up even if YOU WANT TO.... but like i said you learn from them and it does make you a better driver......... ......... but youll crash someday drifting or not it just happens sometimes.

[Florida240sx]

I think it's best to learn on wet roads and dirt roads. I would go out and onl be like at 35mph and start to go crazy. To the poit I had to keep it from wrecking. I did this for quite a while and never ended up wreckign because i was goign slow i could stop before impact. Now when I'm goign fast I'm not afraid and stay calm and able to pull out of it fairly easily. I know how my car is goign to react in these situations. Panicking is the worse thing when your on the road. I have a loud system in my car too. And my car was spinning out like your friends was. I am constantly watchign my RPM's when it's raining outside cuz you'll know when your spinning. I did 3 360's on the interstate last year because my tires were bald and i downshifted. Luckily it was early in the morining and there was no vehicles. I went 300yards in the same lane and was going backwards for 100yards of it. Until you have close call experiences your not going to be safe in my opinion.

[BuLLeTdrift]

lol...his POS doesn't show RPM's. haha. Its been some time, all the shaky-ness is gone. but every time i try to go out to a warehouse/industrial area, i see cops patroling. so i gotta find somewhere else to go. now that i'm saving, i'm getting coilovers to have way better control...can't wait!

[llamabeta]

it seems like every time someone says 'one more time,' thats the death sentence for their car.

OMGz0Rs I posted in the Drift forum... eek

Dido.

[bcar240]

not that this really applies to learning through drifting, but it is a testament to a better reaction through close calls (and maybe luck). I was driving like a few days after I got my new 240, and I was going out to get something to eat at a fast food joint and I saw in the rear-view mirror my hair was totally f***ed up. I usually don't care about my appearences much at all, but I mean this was utterly pathetic, like I was insane or something. So I just started to pat it down a little, when I glace up (had been looking away for about 1/2 to 1 second), and some idiot two cars up had slammed on their brakes to make a last second turn. This was in a 55 zone and there was maybe 25-30 feet between me going ~50 and the car in front of me going ~15. I (subconciously) knew from experience that if I just slammed the breaks it wouldn't do any good at this speed and range. So I jerked the wheel and swerved off the road, luckily there was a grassy shoulder here and not a ditch, and since grass sucks my tires locked. So I slid around the stopped cars and onto a church's concrete driveway where my tires got grip and I stopped with a screech. (thank goodness the concrete was level with the grass!) nevertheless, I learned a few lessons that day. I bet the guys I slid around were like WTF?????

[Florida240sx]

Well, I guess god was watching you drift.

[bcuz]

My first 5speed car was a 93 civic coupe, To tell the truth, I really loved that thing. I got it at the begining of the winter, and I had so much fun busting ebreak turns in the snow. But I learned my lesson fast in that car.

Ive had two 240's now, and I am so much more confident in my driving abilities then most other people I know. Also there is a place called chicago indoor racing or something like that, they have a indoor kart racing track. I have learned so much about controlling a car from that.

I feel like such an *** when Im a passenger because Im constantly holding back comments. There are a lot of useful things that we know, such as apex's (you can carry more speed through a turn safely then the average person) and counter steering (you can recover from mishaps a lot easier.)

The best way to learn if you ask me is to push your self to your limits. Then you know how far you can go safely.

[bcuz]

Wow, that was the most incoherant post I have ever made. Sorry Im at work and when customers come I have to minimize and help them, then go back to writing, so it ends up all broken up.

[marshun]

well everyone crash's. some learn and others dont. just go baby steps and you'll be fine.

[SturgeonGeneral]

If you crash, its a great learning experience.....you go home, think about what happened and figure ways you could have prevented it. I hit a curb a few months back, bent a control arm and tension rod. 2 weeks later i grew bigger balls and went back to the same corner, drifted it with my hand out the window flicking the curb off lol. The severety of the wreck really depends on your style and what kinda of drifting your doing. Start off in parkling lots like everyone is saying or gymkhana type stuff, the worst your gonna do is hit a curb and dcrew up some suspension a lil bit. If your doin touge or somethin, you mess up......your pretty much screwed. Get past the point that you might wreck.....its always a possibilty. But your skills are gonna take a long time to improve if your always worring about hitting that curb that your drifting by. Later