smashing times

it wasn't that long ago that i clearly remembered saying to sean, "look at this app that i downloaded. i think it would come in handy one day, should i need to use it."

well, that day was last wednesday morning.

and that app was carstar's unhappen.



well, we can see where this blog post is going.

i thought that unhappen would be helpful because in a car accident, you may be in too much of a state of shock to get all the necessary information to report a claim. so it walks you through getting all the pertinent information such as:

accident info: date, time, place
other driver info: name, drivers license, license plate number, phone number, email
weather condition: clear, foggy, drizzle/mist, sleet, snow or rain
road condition: dry, wet, snow covered, icy or unpaved
witness info (if applicable): name, phone number
police info (if applicable): name, badge number, report number
insurance info: company name, policy number

and you just check it off as you go down the list.

it also prompts you to write down what happened right away so that everything is still fresh in your mind, in case later on, you need to contest the other person's account of what happened. as well, you can upload pictures of the accident. then you save the report and email a copy to yourself.

and yes, i found it incredibly helpful in not missing out on anything.

so what happened?



well, i was driving straight, southbound on st. george street, when out from an alley, a driver turned left without looking. i braked and honked the horn as soon as i saw him, but ended up colliding into him because he came out so quickly. and without yielding. there was a van parked at the end of the block that may have obstructed his view. but that's not to say that the parked car was at fault, as he should've inched up for a clearer view before proceeding with his left turn.

after checking if we were all okay, we ascertained the damages. my front fender got scratches and paint transfer from the crash, as well as my right grille popped off.





the other guy got off worse than i did. as he was making a left turn when i hit him, the left wheel was bent as to be undrivable and of course there was a pretty good dent.

luckily, neither of us were "roadraging" at the other. it was an accident. pure and simple. no major injuries. no police or ambulance required.

by the time i got to work, a little shaken from all the adrenaline, i called ICBC to report the accident and was informed that the other driver had just called in and taken 100% of the responsibility. (as he should've). and as i'm not at fault, my deductible got waived.

i went to my RMT the next day to check if i sustained any injuries, not whiplash but perhaps soft tissue damage as i had "braced" for impact. fortunately, there was just a little bit of stiffness in my neck and shoulder region, no signs of swelling.

as a believer of karma, i look back on that morning and was glad i kept my cool. and that could also be the hidden beauty of this app. it kept you calm and focused enough to not lose your sh*t (in a minor accident anyways).

as such, everything seemed to work out in my favour. well, except for my poor car, dita, which i had taken in this morning to start repairs. hopefully, there won't be much damage underneath the fender. fingers crossed.