This day just kept getting better. Something was wrong with her brakes, but she could not pinpoint what. She had been late for work again, only this time no one had noticed she was six minutes late because no one was nearby to see her come in. She had managed to get through the day without further issue and managed to be productive for once. That had been the best part of the day, now she was stuck in a situation that could ruin everything.
She had been driving home from work when she noticed the approaching backed up traffic ahead. She began to slow down as she approached, the car in front of her slowing down as well but far enough ahead to not be an issue. She was still slowing down in the fast lane of the freeway as the car in front of her almost reached the stopped vehicles ahead. She was not slowing fast enough. She put more pressure on the brake until she had her full weight on it but the car was still not slowing fast enough based on how close she was getting to the car in front of her.
She slammed her feet into the brakes as hard as she could and held them down as she bumped the car in front of her. That should not have happened. She should have been able to slow down enough and had plenty of room moments before, but the brakes had not worked fast enough. She had not been going that fast. What had happened? The hazards came on and she followed the car she bumped over to the side of the freeway when traffic began to move again.
She shut off the engine, reached into the glove box, pulled out the insurance, and got out of the car. The man in the car she hit stepped out and the two talked, exchanging insurance, taking pictures of both vehicles, and calling the cops. They waited for two hours, watching multiple cop cars pass them on the road, before the operator told them no cops were available in their area and that they were free to leave if they chose but should reach out to the cops again in the next ten days to fill out a report if they still wanted a police report issued.
They exchanged phone numbers and left, each filling out insurance reports once they got home. Both cars were drivable. His only had bumper damage while hers had a hood that would not close fully and the plastic connectors surrounding the radiator and condenser being broken. She took the car into a shop for an estimate on the damage and discovered that her tires were worn through, and the brakes were worn down to just under thirty percent. The repair costs and the replacement of the tires and brakes would cost a few thousand dollars and only a small percentage of the cost would be covered by her insurance.
She needed to work and attend school so since the workers said the car was still safe to drive, she had them replace the tires and brakes, costing her nine hundred dollars, and determined to wait until she had more money to pay for the damages. The car was safe to drive otherwise, so she may as well drive it. The day could always get better.