I Totalled My Car For Paying Attention To My Baby!
 

I was headed to my job to give a coworker something for her pet. My job is about 5 minutes from my house. Well on my way back home right about 2 blocks away from my house I hit a car. I just know I was looking at my baby and next thing I knew I hit the car infront of me, my air bag poped out, my car was smoking and it was bad. The passengers of the woman I hit got down and the first thing they wanted to do was hit me. My car got the worst part the hood and the whole front were deformed. I felt so guilty because I should have been paying attention. I am now seriously considering to never drive with my baby for my safety and for that of the other drivers. I feel so guilty and irresposible. My car is no issue but the whole incedent is. I just can't believe I caused this. Needless to say I was terrified and the sound of the impact was incredible. I had never been in a wreck before. I am such an idiot.

I hope everyone was ok. I'm really sorry for your accident. Sometimes I have my baby in a pet tote when I'm in the car, maybe that would help.

driving with a pet
 

Don't be so hard on yourself. This is why they're called "accidents." When something like this happens, I always think, "Well, life could always be worse." At least everyone is healthy and no one got sent to the hospital. We're human so we live and we learn.
One of the most dangerous things is to have a pet in your lap while you drive or in the front seat. I always try to keep them in the back. There is even a net you can buy for an SUV to keep them in the back.
Please don't be so hard on yourself. Today my yorkie fell through a hole in the cart and caught her head (I wrote about it in another post.) I feel guilty about it but at least she's not hurt and by posting on here you're spreading awareness.

I agree don't be so hard on yourself! I don't know a person
alive that drives that doesn't at one point or another take
their focus away from the road for a second every now and
then. Sorry, to hear about the damage to your car but at
least no one was hurt.

Yes I read your thread and am glad everything turn out fine. I just feel that when driving I should have payed attention to the car infront instead of my baby. I really feel I put others lives in the air because of me being irresponsible , I even wonder if I deserve the priviledge to be driving any more. I need to think things over and wake upand smell the coffee. I am not the smartest cookie I guess because something like this is just unacceptable.

What makes me the most upset is that I am now taking the priviledge away from my baby , she really enjoys the car, when it was really my fault. Better to be on the safe side though and not jepardize anyone or my baby if I can't be mature and handle both. I feel so .... I just can't explain.

accident
 

You sound like a smart person who just made a mistake. I can tell you are responsible and love your yorkie and you were probably just checking on her to make sure she wasn't getting herself into trouble. It only takes a second for things to happen. I think there are little car seats you can buy for the puppy. Driving is up to you, but it might take a little while to get back behind the wheel.
When I was 16 I was driving my dad's truck with my little 14 year old sister. She had taken off her seatbelt and we were fighting over the radio because she had changed the station on me. Well, the road was slick because it had just started raining and I took the bend too quick. Being a new driver I turned the wheel and hit the break at the same time, so the car slid. My sister's forehead went through the windshield and they had to pick tons of glass out of her face. Like all 14 year olds all they care about are their looks and she had to go to school with her face messed up. I was hard on myself. But now I'm closer with her and I know how to drive better. You're only not smart if you dont learn from your mistakes. So give your yorkie a hug one more time because everything will be okay.

driving with a pet
 

No problem. Just have someone else drive sometimes and you hold her or put her in the puppyseat. There are other fun places to take the puppy. Like the dog park, or a petco/petsmart. My dog Bailey LOVES to bark at the other dogs.

Thanks to everyone for the conforting words. The sad part is that I am not that young. I am 22 and this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

driving with a pet
 

What you did could have happened to anyone at any age. You didn't know better. It takes a mature person to come here and say what you did so others don't make the same mistake.
You should go get some sleep. It's late here and we've had a long day.

Focus on the positives in that nobody was seriously hurt!! I am sure in the same situation I would be feeling some of the same things, but remember, we learn from our mistakes!! As long as your baby is properly restrained, and you now know how important it is to keep your eyes on the road, you can both learn to drive/ride together! It is the same thing when you have a new human baby. You want to keep looking at them, but you just cant. You have to learn that they are ok :) Forgive yourself! You made a mistake!!!!

OMG I'm SO GLAD you're both ok !!! I easily could do the same thing as I'm always looking and talking to mine when they ride - The car can be replaced - you cannot !!

Very nicely said.We all need to learn from what happens to others.I have learned a lot from all of you and hopefully we all have prevented at least 1 accident from happing to our babys.Thank you or the heads up on what can happen in the car.I am glad Everyone is ok.

Heather

DOnt be so hard on yourself...it happens, every second... Luckily... that is my job! I work an an auto body shop,,, You are NOT alone,, you should see some of the crashes here,, most are things that happen in a second, of someone not paying attention. You will drive again, you will be fine, You are just upset and mad at youself. You and your baby are fine, that is ALL that matters. Cars can be replaced! ;)

I agree, do not be so hard on yourself...Thank goodness you and Ruby are ok...Maybe consider one of these...

http://www.pettails.com/petcarseat.html

XoXoXo
Fran and Sammi

Accidents occur. I can see you are upset with yourself. You need to be more forgiving of yourself. Accidents happen. You sound like you are a responsible person. The important thing here is that you and your baby and hopefully the other driver are safe. That is what counts. Count your blessings!

Oh I am so glad noone was seriously injured. Dont be so hard on yourself it could happen to any of us. I bought Hayley a pet booster seat from carealotpets.com. It hangs over the seat and has 3 straps so its not going anywhere even if have to slam on your breaks. It has a adjustable strap inside the seat that ya attache your pets collar or harness and they can jump out. Ya can adjust its height so I have mine so my baby can look out. Its great not very costy I think like 19.99 and goes up to 20 lbs. Well worth it to avoid an accident or breaking hard and almost throughing your baby in the floor like I almost did b 4 I bought it.

oh boy, i better be careful too, sometimes, most of the times i have lexi in my lap.. not good.....time to get a better car seat for her..

YOU ARE NOT AN IDIOT first off...secondly I am i gald that you and your baby are ok....it was a mistake and accients happen...all you can do is learn from your mistake and move on.....but you are not an idiot!

I know what you mean, sometimes I'm driving and I can't help but stare at my baby for 5-10 seconds at a time! I don't blame you at all, maybe next time you could have your baby in a car seat?

I'm so glad you're both okay. Believe me, I understand how that can happen. About 16 years ago, I was driving to my hometown from my house (about 20 minutes away) and had my 8 week old toy poodle with me. He was so excited to go for a ride that he kept running back and forth across the front seats. I was fussing at him to stay in the passenger seat and not watching the road. While going around a sharp curve, I hit the edge of a gravel road that turned off of it and lost control. I ended up flipping my car four times and ending up with the bottom of the car against a tree and the passenger side on the ground. Poor Dax was at the bottom of a pile of school books in the end. Luckily I was wearing a seat belt but because of that, I couldn't get out of my seat to get to him. Some good samaritans stopped and when they tried to get me out, I wouldn't get out without the puppy. We both came through it fine but it was scary as hell. It took a long time for me to drive with him again. The very first thing I did when I got Tatum was get her a car seat. People laughed at me when they saw it but I know it's for the best for both of us! I recommend them to everyone I talk to now!

Oh, no! That's horrible. I'm glad that everyone was okay.

Sh*%# happens, we all make mistakes. You will be more attentive now.

I had never wrecked a car in my life but last year I totalled a car and wrecked another one and also I had one drown in a puddle during the hurricane.

Only one was my fault but it still happened and it makes you really insecure behind the wheel.

You will be shaky but you have to get back on your bike and ride. You will be watching better now. Believe me, you won't take it as much for granted now.!

Be Brave Buckaroo!

I'm so glad that no one was hurt. Please don't be so hard on yourself. It could have been much worse but it wasn't. So pleast don't beat yourself up over it.

sO GLAD TO HEAR YOUR BOTH ALRIGHT. Thank the Good Lord nothing really bad happened. Your Angel was watching over you.

I know how you feel. Accidents can be very scary to begin with and it doesn’t help when the person you hit acts like a jerk. (Not that they’d be thrilled, but still—forgiveness) It’s not like you hit them on purpose and I’m sure that person can’t honestly say they’ve never caused an accident or won’t in the future. They happen all the time. And I’m sure your cutie is hard to take your eyes off. So don’t be so hard on yourself.

This accident could be a blessing. Now that you’ve learned what can happen, you can better protect yourself from an accident far worse.

Was your pup in a crate?

"Not that young"??? "22"???? Give yourself a break!! Driving in California is nerve racking for ANYONE---at ANY AGE!! I've seen people driving down the street flossing their teeth, putting on make-up watching DVD's in addition to talking on their cell phones!!! Or trying to juggle, eating, drinking a soda (or whatever) and talking to other people in the car. You have accepted the entire blame on yourself. Why were the other people in the car so mad at you they wanted to punch you??? Could it be that maybe...just maybe, they felt a little guilty for doing whatever they were doing at the time?!?! Just a thought!!
Suz

:eyetearss :eyetearss :eyetearss :eyetearss

Ditto!!! My sentiments exactly!!
Suz

God...I'm sorry that happened...its frightening! Thank god no one was hurt. Lessons like this make us more aware in the future...so don't beat yourself up about it...


Francie

I'm so glad you both are ok!!! Beating yourself about it is not going to help anything. Both my husband and myself are going though the same guilt right now. He got into his accident one week. Before that, I fell down the stairs and really hurt my ankle, a week after the car accident I end up in the hopital with my appendix, and 4 days after that I found out that my aunt passed away the very same day I went in to the hospital. Sh** happens. We all are ok for the most part. The famous "what if" question wont make my aunt come back, or my husband car for that matter. "It's over and done now" It's what I tell him and try to believe myself. The guilt of not calling my aunt knowing she worked less then a mile. I feel I could have prevented her death. I could have called her for help with either taking me to the hospital or picking the kids up from school. She would have been with the kids or with me and would have not been working out and not have the heart attack that put an end to her life. Not thinking even after the coroner told us that it was a accident waiting to happen. If not that day, it would have happend anyway.

As far as my husband, the car died, but he walked away without a scratch. He keeps replaying it in his head on what he could have done differently. We've already gotten new car,,,,, (well it's new to us) and the insureace moved very quickly. And the accident is just a bad memory. As it will be for you. You are ok and that's all that matters!

I'm sorry to have went on and on. I just know what you are going though with the guilt. I don't know about you but I just love this site. I can get alot of my chest without having to pay $$$ for a shrink. LOL And you all make me feel better than and shirnk.