Had a bump today!

[LiamR172]

Firstly, i'm not sure if this is the correct place for this thread but if not then i'm sorry!

Anyways, i was on my way to the dump earlier and i came down a sliproad to join the dual carridgeway, i drove along the sliproad and got up to speed (70)ish.

There were 2 cars in the outside lane, i pulled into the middle lane from the sliproad just behind the 2 in outside lane, i was traveling faster than them before i changed lanes so when i eventually got into the middle lane i was already passed one car and was just behind the other, when he put his indicator on and started pulling into my lane!

I was half passed him then he hit my rear wheel/quarter and back bumper.

I carried on to get off the dual carridgeway at the next exit and i stopped to have a look at the damage, my wheel is scuffed and my bumper was hanging off, slight scuff on the quarter which will polish out, i clipped the bumper on and then the guy drove passed me.

When i got back home i called the police to let them know what had happened and the lady said they would call me later or pop round and talk to me.

Now, the one thing im a bit worried about, is this classed as undertaking on my part?

I was merging onto the dualler when he pulled into my lane, but at the same time, i was undertaking him?

Just looking for your opinions really!

 

[Spinksy]

I was merging onto the dualler when he pulled into my lane, but at the same time, i was undertaking him?

Just looking for your opinions really!

you get his reg?

afaik it should be at least partly his fault for not paying attention as he has pulled into the middle lane?? proven by him clipping your rear quarter (unless you were speeding to undertake then possible it may be mostly your fault) as he should have seen you if the front half of your car is past his windscreen....

i havent experienced this though mate, im just going off my logic....

 

[Andyk1801]

Tough one but IMO the guy in the other lane should have been checking his mirrors and blind spot before pulling over... So I'd say it was his fault.

 

[LiamR172]

I never got his reg as i was infront and i was shitting myself after someone hitting me haha.

I dont know exactly how fast i was going but it was roughly 70. Couldnt of been much more(if any) as i had just pulled out onto the main road.

Really gets on my tits when people dont check their mirrors. For the sake of 2 seconds to have a look.

One good thing is that the car isnt badly damaged after a pretty high speed knock!

 

[Andyk1801]

Then I wouldn't worry too much about it, his car can't really have been damaged or he would have stopped.. So I wouldn't count on this going anywhere but in your wallet to repair your own car.

 

[Spinksy]

I never got his reg as i was infront and i was s**tting myself after someone hitting me haha.

I dont know exactly how fast i was going but it was roughly 70. Couldnt of been much more(if any) as i had just pulled out onto the main road.

Really gets on my tits when people dont check their mirrors. For the sake of 2 seconds to have a look.

One good thing is that the car isnt badly damaged after a pretty high speed knock!

if it was around 70 then completely his fault imo because he could have seen you without looking in his mirrors so he definitely wasnt paying attention (probably why he didnt stop...), and will have just glanced it...

fingers crossed the police get a positive ID on the car

 

[LiamR172]

Yeah thanks, just really the 'undertaking' part i was more worried about.

Because i was coming from a slip lane would it still be classed as undertaking?

Cheers

 

[Keenan172]

lucky things didnt turn out worse travelling at those speeds, could have possibly been more serious!

 

[Spinksy]

Yeah thanks, just really the 'undertaking' part i was more worried about.

Because i was coming from a slip lane would it still be classed as undertaking?

Cheers

ignore the 'undertaking' bit mate, its his fault atm regardless for him not paying attention... only way it would be your fault would be if you had come down middle lane a bit above 70

 

[LiamR172]

Cool, thanks for the info. Putting my mind at rest

Yeah it could of been alot more serious so im really happy that no one is hurt and my car.. well, you wouldnt be able to notice if you didnt know!

 

[josh11490]

If the other person is caught isn't it possible for him to be done for hit and run? Because they have hit another car without stopping?

 

[jesus]

Didn't he stop?

 

[Spinksy]

If the other person is caught isn't it possible for him to be done for hit and run? Because they have hit another car without stopping?

classed as leaving the scene of a road traffic accident iirc

 

[LiamR172]

After he hit me i carried on because theres no way im stopping on the dualcarridgeway. I got odff at the next exit and when i was out looking at the damage and he drove passed me.

I didnt get his details though, just a black volvo s40!

 

[Chris_ZS]

Its not undertaking if you drive past someone in a left hand land who's going slower than you, I.e your doing 70 in the left hand lane and someone in the middle is doing 60. If you go past them it's not undertaking unless you change from the middle, to the left, to the middle, thats undertaking.

End of the day he could have been overtaking you and then pulled in without looking.

 

[LiamR172]

Thanks for pointing that out chris.. looks like im allgood in that department then!

Just waiting to hear back from the police about it now then!

 

[crombie1]

It's not undertaking if your pulling out from a slip road. Keep an eye out for it in the next week at any body shops. That's how I found a car that hit me a few years ago

 

[LiamR172]

Thanks crombie, good idea but i work in elgin alk day so i wont be able to look about!

Happened coming down from inches onto the dualler!

 

[LiamR172]

Just had a call from the mrs whos taken the car to college today, she said theres a loud rattle coming from the rear wheel.

As the arch liner is broken im guessing it will be that, but is there anything else i should look out for after a knock like this?

 

[LiamR172]

Just spoke to the police again..

The man said that he is going to give me the other drivers details and give the other driver my details. We then have to call our insurers and they will sort it out.

However, i dont want to claim off him and as his front bumper had obly unlipped itself im guessing he wont want to claim either.

What do i do now? Ive been thinking that if i get the other guys contact details then ill give him a call and we can both sort it out ourselves, because ive just read on the net that insurance will up my premium next year even though its a no fault claim?

Opinions please?

 

[Vee]

Contacting the other guy and you both sorting your own problems will be the quickest solution.

Insurance companies take AGES to sort things out, I had an old car away for 6 weeks to get a dent pulled out the drivers door and it resprayed!! Plus as you said, if it goes down as a 50/50 claim (more than likely I'm guessing) then you'll both end up losing out when it comes to re-insuring next time.

As long as he's happy to pay out for his repairs... I'd take the hit this once and get your repairs done and learn from it

 

[MarkCup]

Can't see at all how this isn't undertaking.

You joined from a slip road, then having done so you made your way from lane 1 into lane 2, and then with the clear sight of slower moving traffic in lane 3, continued to pass them in a place/manner where the normal road driver does not expect to be passed. That'll be his defence.

50/50.

 

[Rhauri]

If you go past someone on the left, that is undertaking - if you go past someone on the right, that is overtaking, simple as that.

The key is the speed and manner in which you undertake on a dual carriageway/motorway is what determines it illegal/legal - same as overtaking too really.

As long as you are not exceeding the speed limit and you are not driving without due care & attention (switching lanes constantly/abruptly), you can undertake all day long. Hence why its not illegal for the inside lane to move quicker than the outside lane in traffic jams.

 

[Rhauri]

Can't see at all how this isn't undertaking.

You joined from a slip road, then having done so you made your way from lane 1 into lane 2, and then with the clear sight of slower moving traffic in lane 3, continued to pass them in a place/manner where the normal road driver does not expect to be passed. That'll be his defence.

50/50.

Given that the other driver clipped RSIceberg's rear bumper indicates that the other driver was not paying due care and attention, as there is no way on earth he could not have seen, heard, or even felt the presence of RSIceberg's car without having eye-sight and hearing problems, texting, faffing with a sat-nav or tuning into the Archers on Radio 4!

I would argue till I went blue that it was the other drivers fault. Aswell as the above, he was simply going too slow for the 3rd lane too. He should have been in the 2nd lane, to provide room for joining cars from the slip road, and to allow cars to pass in the 3rd lane.

That's the conclusion I come to with RSIcebergs account... of course there are two sides to every story though, and it is totally dependant on your driving at the time.

 

[LiamR172]

Its not undertaking. Thats not the question anyway.

I was asking on your opinions about going through the insurance etc

 

[Rhauri]

Now, the one thing im a bit worried about, is this classed as undertaking on my part?

I was merging onto the dualler when he pulled into my lane, but at the same time, i was undertaking him?

Just looking for your opinions really!

Really?

And the answer is - yes you were regardless of which lane you were in - it was on the left, however, your undertaking was not illegitimate.

Re: Insurance, if he's willing to pay for damage, no. If he's not willing to pay, then yes - go through the insurance.

 

[Munson]

This is just my perception, but it actually seems to me like you joined the DC, nailed it, tried to undertake but then got clipped by a clumsy driver. People are asking why he didn't stop, but you were actually in front the whole time after the incident.

 

[.GAZ.]

Any pics of the damage, Liam?

 

[LiamR172]

This is the only picture ive got but its hard to see due to the salt.

Basically the archliner is fucked, a thin scratch on the lip on the bumper, 2 in black mark on the rear quarter which i think is paint and then a few scuffs on my wheel.

The rear bumper was already scuffed and scratched so im really not bothered at all.

 

[yellow_chris]

That's a poor photo of the damage Liam lol looks a bit more in person.

 

[LiamR172]

This is just my perception, but it actually seems to me like you joined the DC, nailed it, tried to undertake but then got clipped by a clumsy driver. People are asking why he didn't stop, but you were actually in front the whole time after the incident.

Yep i nailed it up to 70 to get upto speed, started pulling into the middle lane along side the 2 cars in the outside lane, like i said in the OP i was already going faster than them.
I got into my lane and was almost passed him and he obviously didnt check his mirrors/blind spot before changing lanes. I seen him pulling in and then he hit my rear quarter etc, i carried on and got off the DC to have a look at the damage because theres no chance im stopping at rush hour in the middle of a DC.

 

[LiamR172]

That's a poor photo of the damage Liam lol looks a bit more in person.

Just remembered that the paint had actually cracked where the bumper was obviously bent..

But no, there really is very little cosmetic damage considering it was a 65-70mph knock!

 

[LiamR172]

That's a poor photo of the damage Liam lol looks a bit more in person.

Just remembered that the paint had actually cracked where the bumper was obviously bent..

But na, there really is very little cosmetic damage considering it was a 65-70mph knock!

 

[Tim.]

Yep i nailed it up to 70 to get upto speed, started pulling into the middle lane along side the 2 cars in the outside lane, like i said in the OP i was already going faster than them.
I got into my lane and was almost passed him and he obviously didnt check his mirrors/blind spot before changing lanes. I seen him pulling in and then he hit my rear quarter etc, i carried on and got off the DC to have a look at the damage because theres no chance im stopping at rush hour in the middle of a DC.

Sorry fella but if you nailed it "to get up to speed" and then you were going faster than other vehicles on the carriageway I think you have to accept some kind of responsibility. No idea what the legal parlance is but in my opinion you should join the carriageway at the same speed as the flow of traffic. If you'd done that perhaps you'd have avoided the accident, but then again if they guy didn't look then perhaps it would have made zero difference. For me, the fact that you were going faster than the traffic as you joined makes you at least partly responsible. Either way, I hope everything gets sorted out for you.

 

[Martin.]

Its not undertaking if you drive past someone in a left hand land who's going slower than you, I.e your doing 70 in the left hand lane and someone in the middle is doing 60. If you go past them it's not undertaking unless you change from the middle, to the left, to the middle, thats undertaking.

End of the day he could have been overtaking you and then pulled in without looking.

What Chris said exactly.

It's swaying more in your favour though seeing as he hit the rear of your car. How someone can not see or hear another car next to them let alone slightly in front of them is beyond me. Unless he checked his mirrors, all clear, and you were going so so fast that before he even started to move over you were passing him...

Call this company: http://www.accidentexchange.com/

They will give you legal advice on your exact situation, give you possible out comes and a way to go about it all. They will even help you claim off the other party if they believe you are at no fault. Sorted my parents out massively a couple of years back when someone ran into them.

EDIT: Your damage doesn't look that bad really. Nothing more than maybe £100 quids worth of sanding and spraying maybe. Or is it just a really poor photo?

 

[yellow_chris]

I'm sorry but IMO even if Liam was doing 70 passing a driver doing for example 60-65ish, for the driver to hit liams back bumper with the front of his car.. I think the driver should of seen his car along side him if he nailed it or not..

 

[LiamR172]

Lol.. i only said nailed it for the sake of Roy! The other guy must of been doing around 60-65 because i wasnt passing him quickly.

Anyway... whats done is done and we were both lucky whoevers fault it was.

The police man said when he seen the volvo it didnt appear to be damaged, just the bumper had unclipped itself, obviously his front bumper has cought my rear bumper and as we seperated they have both pulled eachother off a little.

So hopefully he wont need to claim!