Today someone shunted the rear of my car when I was in stationary traffic. I suggested to the lady to pull over to the side and we'd exchange information. I asked for all her info, she gave address and phone number (etc) and vice versa. However, due to the fact she had no documentation I asked for a form of I.D. She had nothing with her, not even a debit card. I've subsequently contacted my insurance company and everything on her behalf seems valid. However, no one stopped as a witness and I'm just wondering what I should do if I'm in that predicament again.... Should I have called the police as a precaution?
I let her use my phone to call her dad and I checked it with the number she gave me so wasn't too concerned. Also the damage to my car isn't huge (does need a new bumper) in comparison to her brand new ford ka.
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>Should I have called the police as a precaution?
No - providing nobody was injured, nobody was being threatening and you weren't causing a dangerous obstruction, they would have told you to just exchange details and move on.
I think you did all that you can do, to be honest.
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It all sounds normal and above board. Quite a few people dont carry any form of ID. If no one is hurt, the police dont want to know.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Thanks for the comments. I'm just being uneccesarily cautious. If it had been a 19 year old in a clio with a fat exhaust and go faster stripes then I would have been somewhat anxious with the details he would have given me. I don't mean to steroetype but would presume he had no insurance and a 'mickey mouse' name.
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Not wanting to be a downer on it all, but in the exact circs you describe the lady who hit me turned out to be uninsured! My insurer has now traced her (after 8 months) but they are not hopeful of making any recovery and therfore restoring my NCB :(
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Another tip is to check the tax disc, just to make sure it's genuine and valid and for that vehicle and has the gold gilding.
If it's not, you know you're probably dealing with a rogue and they won't have the other required documents and insurance.
In that situation, I *might* be inclined to ring the Police and say I have reason to believe the details given are false and cite that as a reason.
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Cant agree more, I always carry my camera with me. Captured some briliant sunrises before!
Seriusly thought, It helps acident claims to be procesed quicker if you can capture the exact vehicle positions and damadge.
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I've usually got a cheap disposable in the glovebox for this scenario
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Once happened to me. There was no witness.
The other guy claimed that I had changed lanes suddenly and without indicating and then braked sharply. After SIX months of hearing nothing, he suddenly came up with a witness who saw everything. I ended up with the blame and the bill.
There are plenty of such people out there.
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I hear there are such people available for hire, known to the bent element of the legal profession. Maybe you should have hired a private detective to trace the "witness" pattern of perjury?
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Well.... Used my day off to discover that they might be writing off my car. Went to nominated insurance company accident repair centre who were polite and helpful. He asks me to look underneath and there is significant damage to the 'T' section and observed obvious displacement where the spare tyre sits.
'Due to the age and milage of the car the insurance company may not think it's financially viable...' Now I do hope her information is correct. Good idea abot the photo. Thanks for all responses.
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I've usually got a cheap disposable in the glovebox for this scenario
So do I, but when someone unexpectedly ran into the back of me my hand was shaking so much I couldn't get a decent photograph!
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L\'escargot.
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Someone earler mentioned carrying a digital camera. I thought digital photos were not accepted as valid evidence on the basis that they can be easily modified.
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I assume if the original picture remains on the camera and saved on the card unmodified then there should be no reason it shouldn't be ok. After all I could easily scan in a 35mm neg, alter it and then make a print from it. You can also write digital files to 35mm film with the right equipment , but I don't know whether there are any tell tale signs you have done that, so you could produce the 'original' negative without much bother.
teabelly
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All my cars have a disposable flash camera in the glove box and a dictaphone. OK the camera has to be replaced every year or two as the film deteriates but I have even used one at the scene of other peoples accidends and given the camera to the innocent party which they gladly pay for. The dictaphone is two fold, one, in an accident scenario your collect all the conversation, and two in a police stop situation you bite your lip and you have got everything they said. Also when you see something strange going on you can hit the botton and record reg numbers, colours, makes etc, and retrospectively decide whether you have witnessed a crime or what ever.You can not retrospectivly recall the reg numbers atc. Today's technology of course provides the solution in a mobilephone, photo's MP3 audio recorder all in one unit. When I do use the recorded I just tune it on and slip it in my top pocket. Regards Peter
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