Hi,
I’m a bit bewildered.(So nowt new then! 
) So i’m hoping you will be able to help me again. Basically i had a roll over in July 04. Let me explain:-
I always knew my progress concerning driving artics would be a lot slower than others. And this was because i held an irrational fear of all matters concerning a roll over situation. I think the answer to my cautious driving was quite simply-Because i don’t want to roll the [zb] over! And this was my unreasonable answer to everything. 
Well on this particular day, a workmate bought me in a book entitled BETTER DRIVING 
(Just what was he trying to say? ) I think he heard me squash the possibility of being trained to drive the silo’s in our yard. My answer would have been something along the lines of , "Top heavy. No thanks. I’m not rolling the [zb]! " I had only been driving artics for 2 months anyway. So he thought the book would be helpful.
So on my 45 minute break, whilst being loaded. I dive into the book. Wanting to go straight to the chapter on…yeh roll over! This was chapter 3. But i stopped myself because i thought NO, BETTER NOT TEMPT FATE.So i rushed through the first two chapters. Not really reading it! Till i reached chapter 3. Well i can’t recall any of it now. Oops. But basically, it alleviated my fears. And i felt so much better for reading it. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew my roll over paranoia had not disappeared. But it had been reduced somewhat considerably by this book. Which had been talking a lot of sense. I think i went on to read a little of chapter 4 before it was time for me to go.
Less than an hour later. J17, M4. Approx 18.15 
I’m in lane 1. A 7.5t is in lane 2, attempting to overtake me. He is his cab length ahead of me. So has a while to go yet before he overtakes me. Suddenly i hear a bang. I have time to wonder what has made this noise. I look out of my o/s window. But can see nowt but the 7.5t which is blocking the view of all else. I then look into my o/s mirror to see his n/s rear tire wobbling. Just as i have time to think he is having a blow out. His vehicle strikes me. But only on my cab. Of course this then swings the unit a little. Pointing me in a different direction. Which happened to be the bushes. 
I did scream when i felt the wheel ‘jump’ out of my hands. And i did put my them back! Not that it did much good. But i thought i would do my bit. Would’nt want to be seen to be slacking. 
It was hard enough faced with a completely different view, in the blink of an eye. With no let up in speed.But it was even worse when i felt the trailer innocently turning thereafter!
Well as you can imagine, it took what seemed like ages to stop going through the, these don’t look like they are going to kill me bushes. I kept my eyes open. Did’nt want to miss the drama. With a hand outstretched (As in STOP! ). I even had time to feel really silly with my hand in this position! Thinking, yeah, lota good that’s going to be if a tree or post appears! I did’nt think i was to be a goner. But when the bushes got more dense. And it started to go dark in the day… Well i did think i’d got it wrong! But it was just the bushes! 
Lots of people came to help which was nice. Maybe they thought i’d perished coz they wernt exactly rushing towards me! And their body language spoke volumes.I was worried my head was half hanging off (no, i REALLY WAS!) when i seen them coz i could feel lots of blood running down my face from a cut in my head. I also broke a bone in my hand. Bent my hand backwards on the windscreen, i think. Breaking my fall. The engine was still running. But i couldnt turn it off- Blood in eyes. Bad hand. Everyone was concerned it was going to blow. It must do in the movies. I got out via the sun roof.
What actually happened was a guy driving car in the 3rd lane. Doing at least 100mph. Crashed into the central reservation (the bang). Then got himself stuck on the bar that runs between the two axles on 7.5t (causing that tire wobble). And when he had somehow detatched himself, this then ‘released’ the 7.5t which then went into me. The car driver has since had a mini stroke. So there is speculation that this may have been the cause of this accident. I think he got banned anyway.
No-one else was hurt. Tho 7.5t man had a sore finger! Back to the reason i posted. I also sustained bad whiplash(and various bruising!) But i am still suffering all these months later. My hand hurts every day. Does not straighten fully. Despite being told by hospital doctor that it would. Grrr! Now my shoulder and arm feels like it has been put on backwards. A good position for my hand is a bad position for my shoulder. Hurts too. And my head often starts wobbling like those annoying nodding things people sometims have in the back of their cars. All due to re-occuring whiplash injuries, i’m told. I have to see a specialist. But i still have ages to wait. And this morning, returning home, i had to brake in my car, so hard to avoid going into the back of this very very unroadworthy, someone has hit the back of this already, look at the state of that car. (All because he wanted to do a u-turn in the middle of the road. So he braked hard at speed! I nearly wet myself. Not to mention cutting me up on a roundabout before that!). That i hurt my ■■■■■■■ injuries. Enough is enough!
My questions are:-
1.Anyone had bad whiplash? Please could you tell me all about it. I have since read that it can last up to two years. (gulp!)
2.All those who have ever had broken bones. Did they heal ok? I have never before had anything broken.
3.Could you tell me of any accidents you have had in your truck? What injuries did you sustain? Sorry to be so macabre. But i’d rather know than not know! Plus i imagine jack-knifing to be a million times worse than a roll over.
4.Does anyone drive with a slight disability? E.g athritus(bad spelling!) in hands. One of our drivers has a false leg! Dodgy knees ex MOD’s? Make me feel better. I feel past my sell by date!
5.Do you wear your seat belt in truck?
Jacqueline ■■■
