In one of my first places of work (around 1987), doing 'work experience', in a car body repair garage in the Shetland Isles, a MK2 Vauxhall Cavalier was taken in on the back of a breakdown truck. The roof had been peeled back from windscreen to the tailgate, drivers seat bent back with lots of dried blood on it. Turned out a truck driver tried overtaking a tractor on a bend, half way past he sees the Cavalier coming towards him, jumps on the brakes, back of the truck swings round and the Cavalier driver, having nowhere else to go, went under the rear overhang of the truck. Needless to say, the Cavalier driver was killed instantly.

After us having to push the car into the workshop, none of the workers at the garage wanted to see the remains of the Cavalier again, so a large tarpaulin was found to cover it up till the insurers took it away.

It was a very sobering experience.

Indeed. Perhaps if more young people (and some older ones) saw the effects of accidents like that first hand that they might think twice before engaging in reckless driving to impress their mates or get home/to a meeting 5 minutes earlier.

I was cerainly affected in my approach to driving because two of my fellow sixth-formers at school were killed (both the front passenger) in car accidents, one because of reckless driving.

One thing I've often noticed whilst either driving, cycling or just out for a walk is how many people drive vans and trucks as if they're driving their own personal car. I think too many of them forget that these large, heavier and especially higher-sided, poorly handling and (in comparison, underpowered) vehicles are just not capable of the same manouvres a car is.

I a way, I'm glad that my first car was a low-powered Micra, rather than one like my current Mazda 3 - it gave me a sense of perspective to know what is and isn't possible or safe, especially as regards overtaking or taking corners at speed. It also made me very wary when following vans/HGVs who were themselves 'stuck' behind a slow moving vehicle like a car towing a caravan or farm vehicle.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 31/05/2021 at 12:04

a MK2 Vauxhall Cavalier was taken in on the back of a breakdown truck. The roof had been peeled back from windscreen to the tailgate, drivers seat bent back with lots of dried blood on it. Turned out a truck driver tried overtaking a tractor on a bend, half way past he sees the Cavalier coming towards him, jumps on the brakes, back of the truck swings round and the Cavalier driver, having nowhere else to go, went under the rear overhang of the truck. Needless to say, the Cavalier driver was killed instantly

I did an RAC/ACU motorcycle training course back in the '60s, like an earlier mod here, PU. Part of that course included a non obligartory screening of car accidents. One of the after events included a film of (allegedly) Jayne Mansfield's crash. It was meant to be shocking, thought provoking and horrifying. It concentrated the mind wonderfully. Several who attended left the room. I survived (so far) to my '70s.