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Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

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PinkDalek
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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384179

Postby PinkDalek » February 6th, 2021, 1:58 pm

Thanks for the elucidation. I was feebly playing with words rather than the actualité.

AF62
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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384204

Postby AF62 » February 6th, 2021, 3:44 pm

oxmatt wrote:Saab used to describe the "Moose/Elk Test”


The other “Moose/Elk” test that is performed is swerving around the moose/ elk at 40mph in a fully laden car.

It gained notoriety when the original Mercedes A Class failed spectacularly by rolling over during the test, with Mercedes recalling thousands of cars and retrospectively fitting an electronic stability control system - https://driventowrite.com/2020/03/13/ro ... e-punches/

These people test most new cars and have videos of the tests and the difference can be astonishing - https://youtube.com/user/km77video

Compare something like an Audi Q5 (https://youtu.be/uqIjflKPSu0) which handles the test quite well with something like a Dacia Sandero (https://youtu.be/fekg75XbjBg) or god forbid a SsangYong (https://youtu.be/B6xF0Di9Qa4).

However even with expensive modern cars some seem to do badly because of the tyres, such as this test of the new VW Golf mk8 - https://youtu.be/A7x1n3kDuAY

Lootman
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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384208

Postby Lootman » February 6th, 2021, 3:46 pm

AF62 wrote:
Lootman wrote:Yes, she was 24 at the time and was clearly flustered and stressed at the scene of the accident. I thought at the time that she probably blurted something out to the police that made her situation worse.

Very likely. NEVER say ANYTHING to the police to explain your innocence. It will never help you and is far more likely to be used against you.

That has been sound advice since the dawn of time. So much so that the UK has implemented a police caution deliberately designed to intimidate you into saying things when it is never in your best interests to do so.

But of course, if you drive your vehicle into a wall with no other vehicles involved, then you are going to be blamed 100% in any event.

The question I raised is whether it is better to not report the incident at the time, if feasible, and think carefully and take advice, to decide how to handle it later. Not always an option of course but would have been in this case.

taken2often
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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#390308

Postby taken2often » February 26th, 2021, 4:00 pm

A bit late with this one. If a human being is involved in any way report to the police. The police seem to have moved from crime solving to box ticking of easy targets. As described earlier, easy money and positive stats. It appears that if anyone turns up at a hospital even days after an event and mentions a car or vehicle it will be reported to the police as a road traffic accident. Totally innocent people have been convicted for not reporting an accident, just because someone bump them even as a pedestrian or cycalist, no damaged told all is well.

daveh
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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#394595

Postby daveh » March 11th, 2021, 12:35 pm

taken2often wrote:A bit late with this one. If a human being is involved in any way report to the police. The police seem to have moved from crime solving to box ticking of easy targets. As described earlier, easy money and positive stats. It appears that if anyone turns up at a hospital even days after an event and mentions a car or vehicle it will be reported to the police as a road traffic accident. Totally innocent people have been convicted for not reporting an accident, just because someone bump them even as a pedestrian or cycalist, no damaged told all is well.


I was knocked off my bike on a commute to work a couple of years ago - ended up in the other carriageway. Bike was badly damaged. I was a bit shocked and had a scrapped knee and sore wrist. I got the car drivers details, he drove me home so I could pick up my car, and retrieve the broken bike which I took in to the EBC. The car driver paid the bill for fixing the bike. We didn't waste the polices time (or in this case his insurers). Does that mean we've broken the law?

I crashed my car into a dry stonewall 10-15 years ago (lost it in bad snow). I told the nearest house who said they rented the field and would inform the farmer. I informed the police next day (and my insurer). The police weren't interested, though did, when pressed, make a record. I had the car repaired at my expense, and the farmer phoned me a few days later to say he'd repaired the wall and wasn't charging me or my insurers - I sent him a bottle of single malt via the guys who rented the field as thanks.

A couple of times I've been crashed into by other vehicles (not my fault) I've exchanged details and dealt with it through insurance, but never informed the police, again was that breaking the law?

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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#394619

Postby Lootman » March 11th, 2021, 1:47 pm

daveh wrote:
taken2often wrote:A bit late with this one. If a human being is involved in any way report to the police. The police seem to have moved from crime solving to box ticking of easy targets. As described earlier, easy money and positive stats. It appears that if anyone turns up at a hospital even days after an event and mentions a car or vehicle it will be reported to the police as a road traffic accident. Totally innocent people have been convicted for not reporting an accident, just because someone bump them even as a pedestrian or cycalist, no damaged told all is well.

I was knocked off my bike on a commute to work a couple of years ago - ended up in the other carriageway. Bike was badly damaged. I was a bit shocked and had a scrapped knee and sore wrist. I got the car drivers details, he drove me home so I could pick up my car, and retrieve the broken bike which I took in to the EBC. The car driver paid the bill for fixing the bike. We didn't waste the polices time (or in this case his insurers). Does that mean we've broken the law?

It seems to me that if two parties to a non-injury accident agree to sort it out without police or insurance, then that should be the end of the matter. Whether technically illegal or not, it would just be pointless paperwork for the cops. Sometimes the parties want or need that paperwork, say for an insurance claim. But absent that I would take the view that you did nothing wrong.

Mind you, any driver who is as obliging as this one is either a very noble soul, or else had very specific reasons for acting that way. I recall a driver knocking off my door mirror once by overtaking too close. We had a brief chat about it and he handed me something like a hundred quid to fix it, which I accepted. I thought afterwards he maybe did not have a valid license or insurance, and just wanted the matter to go away. Not my problem.

Way back in my youth, when the situation was reversed, I had a chat with the other driver and everything was going fine until he said he was going to call the cops. I saw no need and had had a couple of drinks, so I just drove off. Never heard any more about it. His loss.

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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#394644

Postby daveh » March 11th, 2021, 3:20 pm

Lootman wrote:
Mind you, any driver who is as obliging as this one is either a very noble soul, or else had very specific reasons for acting that way. I recall a driver knocking off my door mirror once by overtaking too close. We had a brief chat about it and he handed me something like a hundred quid to fix it, which I accepted. I thought afterwards he maybe did not have a valid license or insurance, and just wanted the matter to go away. Not my problem.



The driver was quite shocked - once I'd calmed down I had to calm him down, plus he was very embarrassed, saying "I'm always telling friends to watch for cyclists and then I go and flatten one" I think if the repair had been very expensive he'd have done it through his insurer. There were plenty of witnesses as I found out when I cycled to the pub that evening (on my spare bike) as a couple of people asked me if I was the guy squished by the car as they'd seen it from the 291 bus. That's what happens when you live in a small village, lots of people know what your up to.

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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#396307

Postby taken2often » March 16th, 2021, 10:40 pm

Been away for a few days. I still maintain if a human being comes in contact with a vehicle report it to the Police. That day ASAP. No cost to you do not even need the contacts details. All it needs is to bounce of your wing, record your details, vehicle make, colour, licence plate wait 24 hours Box ticking offence. Insurance claim. Money for old rope by courts and claiment.

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Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#396351

Postby bungeejumper » March 17th, 2021, 9:02 am

taken2often wrote:Been away for a few days. I still maintain if a human being comes in contact with a vehicle report it to the Police. That day ASAP.

That would still be my basic supposition today. And the next time a cyclist slams into the back of my car at the traffic lights (it's happened twice), I'll report that as well. With dashcam footage if appropriate.

But we're not just talking about humans here. Minor shunts happen far too often to need reporting every time - a clipped mirror, a parking bumper knock. Especially if the two drivers can sort out an agreement on the spot about it.

I once had a Ford Focus in front of me slam on the brakes without warning, and in the middle of a straight clear road, and although I braked like hell I still (just) contacted his bumper at maybe 2 mph. As he got out, it was clear from the sounds coming from within the car that he was in the middle of a major domestic row with his wife, and that he'd stamped on the anchors to shut her up.

We both inspected the damage (none visible), and he grunted that he'd let it go, and got back into his car, where herself was still giving it 200 decibels. Of course, he might later have found that his rear lights weren't working and tried to come after me for recompense, but that was a risk I was prepared to take.

Another good reason for having a dashcam. ;)

BJ


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