I had a car crash

My fault.  Not really sure what happened.  One minute I was pulling out of a junction, the next moment everything was very noisy and I was spinning round and round.  Maybe I looked the wrong way as I pulled out?

We're all fine.

I'm a bit upset about it because it's not like I was fiddling with the radio, or speeding, or anything that I can blame and not do again.  I had both the children in the car with me.  I hate that I put them in danger.  I hate that I can't be sure never to do it again.

The other woman got out and started shrieking obscenities at me (ha ha I just typed 'obscentitties').  I called over that I was just checking if my children were okay and I think she sort of snapped out of the initial shock and was really nice after that.  In fact by the end we had a big hug and exchanged mobile numbers.

When you crash in Dubai you are not allowed to leave the scene or move the cars until the police have been and issued a pink slip to the driver at fault, and a green slip to the other driver.  I got the pink.  The police were lovely and put on the nee-naws for Sprog.  They carry frightening guns.  I don't like that.

All I keep thinking is thank fucking christ for car seats.  Both of my precious babies were strapped securely into 5-point harnesses, properly installed into the car.  It's not an exaggeration to say that they might have saved their lives this week.  When you think that much of my driving over here is at speed on 7-lane highways, my little smash wasn't even very serious, but everything in the car was thrown about and they would have hit the windscreen had they not been strapped in.  Out here we are in a minority, that we use carseats.  Most children rattle around in the back, or the front, or climbing over the seats, or camping in the boot.  European families get out here and seem to adopt the Dubai way and don't bother.  I can't stop thinking about it.  Thank god they were in car seats.  About half of my friends over here don't use carseats. 

It was also lucky that Mr S decided that we would probably be safest in a normous 4X4.  There are very few small vehicles on the road out here.  I know, but when it's my call, the short term survival of my babies wins out over the long term survival of the planet.

I drove past where the crash happened again this morning.  All the glass and metal and bits of engine are gone, but there are some serious, thick black skids on the road.

Hooray for the humble carseat.