Can An Accident Make You A Better Driver?

[LostDollar]

If more accidents happen within 20 miles of home, one should house their car in a garage 20 miles away and take taxis for all shorter trips (including to get their car for the longer trip).

 

[Safeway]

Fed Up is right. Statistically speaking, the most predictive indicator of future crashes is past crashes. A less predictive indicator is night-time driving so if you cut down on predawn driving you will cut down on your risk. With your claim, it is highly unusual to have an auto claim-- even one with injuries-- open this long.

Thanks for your reply. There was no injuries, just some scratches on my front bumper. I didn't think it was a big deal myself but then the reporting center handed me a claims number with my incident form. My insurance called me and I asked if they could close the claim as I didn't want one anyway. They said no and said weather I do the claim or not my premiums were going up so I should do the claim. So I said sure. About a month or so in, my adjuster told me to go get an estimate at a recommended shop so I did. The shop people were amazingly helpful; I asked so many questions, they even gave me my own quote so I could see their process. Then about a month later my adjuster tells me he had not heard from the shop so he contacts them and then tells me he sees the estimate but that it wasn't complete. But it was complete as the part he said was missing, the shop did as I was there and watched them do it. So I told him, in a very polite way to get his sh*t together, fix it, and let me know next steps and I'm still waiting. (Pardon my language I was a little frustrated by this point as I know I did what was expected of me.) I figure I'll hear back at some point. I've used a little touch up paint last summer so it doesn't look so bad and my bumper only pops out a little bit if I go over a big bump. Easy to push back in place when I get out of my car after a drive. I check my e-mail once a day to make sure I don't miss anything from him.
But that wasn't the point of my message. It was that I think it's crazy that "Statistically speaking, the most predictive indicator of future crashes is past crashes." as the incident alone outside of the whole claims piece and insurance piece in general taught me a valuable lesson and I've learned from it and drive differently now. But as Fed Up said, I guess the majority sadly go back to their old habits. I just can't imagine ever doing that. How risking others safety is more important than protecting you and your own assets. But I guess that's the "me first" society we live in. I don't know, the higher premium makes me wonder why I'm driving safer now then before as my insurance company expects the risk and maybe that's why others give up and do it but, like I said, I never want to deal with insurance again. I never want to see the faces of people who's lives I've inconvenienced by damaging their ride, even if it is just a few scratches and what a let down of a human that makes me in their eyes. If dealing with insurance is the same for them as it has been for me, I don't wish that on anyone and would feel like a total sh*tbag to inflict that on anyone. I know how busy peoples lives are already and I don't want to play any part in making that worse.
I was just surprised to learn that people go back to their old habits after something that takes so much energy out of you. So frustrating.