Car Accident

I had a car accident yesterday when I was driving to Maadi for lunch.  I was turning right at a T-junction not too far from my home when a car hit my Opel Vectra on the left.  The left front panel above the wheel was dented but the wheel and the bumper were okay.  The impact of the collision was not too frightening but I think that was because of solid German engineering.  As I mentioned in my earlier posting on purchasing the Opel Vectra, safety is top priority for me.  The Vectra sturdy body was able to absorb the impact of the collision to a large extent keeping us safe on the inside.

The other car was in a much worse state than mine.  The front bonnet was dented, the headlamps were shattered and the bumper was dislodged.  The car had to be towed away while I could still drive the Vectra.  My son remained calm throughout the accident and he fell asleep while I tried to resolve the situation with the other party and the police.  I called one of my office drivers for help.  Fortunately, he was in the vicinity with his family he was able to come quickly to represent me.  After much haggling, we settled the accident with me compensating the other party 150LE.  I was apparently at fault for crossing the T-junction when the other party had the right-of-way. I felt it was pointless to argue and I was happy to wrap up the accident with the small sum.  I was well-covered by my costly motor insurance so I was not too worried.

Looking back, I could have been more careful to avoid the accident.  I was fortunate that none of us were hurt in the accident.  If I was ahead by another metre or two, the car would have hit my left-rear door where my boy was seated.  I thanked God for letting me get away with just some monetary loss.  I will definitely be more careful in the future driving in this chaotic traffic where junctions are not governed by traffic lights.

The accident occured exactly one week from my planned driving trip to the beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai.  It was my first accident in Egypt and hopefully my last!  I believe the accident was a sign from the divine power above and my ancestors' watchful spirits - "DO NOT DRIVE TO SHARM".   I will heed the warning and forget about the five-hour drive to Sharm.  We will go by air instead.  We will staying at Kiroseiz Three Corners Resort for three nights.  Watch out for my next posting on the trip with the videos and photos!