Counting Up the Hits

Seven years.  Five hits.  None platinum . . .  or even silver.  Mine were white, green and black.  The color of my cars.  My cars that were hit by other vehicles.

The recent fifth smash instigated this countdown.  I can't help but wonder whether my cars come loaded with bullseye targets.  Or invisibility powers.   I have never hit another car (knock on wood, pooh, pooh, pooh), though I have done damage to my own vehicles, most notably in my own driveway for a 5am hockey practice drive.  That's another story . . .

Of the five hits, my vehicle was moving only in one instance, and going very slowly at that, as the traffic light had just turned green.  I was in a right turn lane, when the car in the middle go-straight lane turned right into me.  Smashing.

For two of the accidents, I wasn't even there.  My green truck was sideswiped while (legally) parked on a big road by a hit-and-run out-of-state pickup truck.  A good samaritan trailed the hitter and got the license plate, but local police weren't interested.  The cost of my missing side-view mirror was just below my deductible.  My black SUV also was hit while parked, but at least in that case, the offender left me a note and ponied up for the damage.

The most damaging bash was to my white wagon.  Stopped at a red light behind several other stopped cars, 36 hours shy of being turned-in off lease, another car plowed into it.  Technically, my car was pushed into the one in front of me, but that driver took off.  The offender's car was totaled; mine suffered $15,000 worth of damage.  So much for the resale value of that car, but at least that was the dealer's problem, not mine.

And, most recently, while in park, in a parking lot, an SUV backed right into my black SUV.  It's a big vehicle and kind of hard to miss.  Still, it was kissed . . . and a light broken.

Five in seven seems like a big number.  According to car insurance industry estimates, it probably is:  A  2011 Fox Business News report says a driver will file a claim for collision damages about once every 17 years.  So in a lifetime of driving, you should expect three or four accidents.  http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/06/17/heres-how-many-car-accidents-youll-have/  Of course, missing from the stats are the large number of incidents where settlement is done privately.  But still.  My number is high.  And no Grammy for all the hits.

Update 5/11/12:  Another car was hit again yesterday right by my home.  It was parked; I wasn't around.  A neighbor got the hitter's info - we'll see if she calls back.