Accident this morning

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

So I’ve been with my new company coming up to 8 months now, in that time I’d had 2 minor accidents. First one I was reversing with the aid of a banksman, who back me into a parked van… office understood that I was under direction, it was in an underground car park so very tight/dark, and I was doing as directed. 2nd one was early morning, changing lanes approaching a roundabout, man in a car behind me, I check mirror, clear, indicate, glance in mirror, still clear, pull right, car… he’d tried to over take me somewhat last minute, minimal damage, a scratch more than anything.

Then this morning… oh boy… so. I’m on an industrial estate, looking for my last drop, and I’m crawling as it’s dead, I think I spot the place. Handbrake on to check the paper work, yep that’s the one, need to back up about 10ft to pull in. About to put it onto reverse, and a copper is driving towards me, I watch him in my drivers side mirror to make sure he isn’t pulling in behind me to ask what I’m doing, I can see he’s carrying on. So with that I hit reverse, quick check, handbrake off… BEEEEEEEEP!

Mercedes is behind me, so close I can’t see it in the mirror. Ballcocks. Jump out, bonnet is knackered but nothing major, engine runs etc. Copper has come back and pulls up. Swap details coppers happy, the lad driving however… I asked how close was he was because I didn’t see him approach, he said he wasn’t up my backside, I can’t have reversed more than 2 feet. I asked did he not see reverse lights, or hear the beeper, he said no. I asked if he’d followed me up the road, he said no. Copper pulls me to a side, and says “I can’t put it on record as I didn’t see it, buy I think he’s come too fast, and stopped short not paying attention to what’s in front of him, and you haven’t seen him cos he’s too close” I ask if he was behind me when the copper drove passed me, the plod said “no, I saw him driving up after I passed you”

The driver is claiming that I just reversed into him, buy to me it sounds abit more 50/50 knock for knock. What do you think? And also, do you think I should be worried about repercussions at work? Ie getting the sack?

Thanks guys

2

All you can do is fight it on the basis that you are certain that he drove into the back of a clearly marked reversing vehicle absolutely deffo wasn’t there when you started the manoeuvre.But reversing anything on the road is always a can of worms especially in the case of a missed turning.

3

Accidents happen but honestly it comes down to experience I can’t remember the last time I had a Accident in fact I can’t remember the last time someone horned at me

For the last Accident 100perc your fault you didn’t know what was behind you I know it’s a bugger as you checked mirror but that’s not good enough personally iv been in the position looking for someone and missed it and needed to reverse if there were no roundabout or turning points I’d drive forward and snake myself with the artic so I can see what’s behind me then would reverse ( some car drivers in general are either real dumb or just want a free claim or car so they won’t bother Horning or position themselves so you can see them if they do horn it’s a excellent but honestly on a roundabout or normal road someone has there left indicate on you shouldn’t just blindly pull out)

All the best

4

It would be an absolute bargain if it came out as 50/50, but even then it would be expensive for your company. Anything going wrong whilst reversing is difficult to be found ‘not at fault’. And, if you were the car driver, would you accept anything less than full costs from the reversing vehicle? If its not managed right away, what can happen is the csar driver gets a hire car and all those costs are adding up to your company!!!

5

years back i did exact same only it was a treasured very low miler Triumph Dolomite.Old boy had pulled up close to nip out and quickly load his boot with firewood from a heap hed been in the habit of pilfering . I backed up enough to push his roof down.Happy days!

6

I’d say that last one is on you. I know it ■■■■■ (happened to me in my early days but no damage to the car). If you’ve been distracted by looking at something (map, paper, sat nav, looking around focused trying to spot the place/name of company) always assume something happened in your mirrors that you missed therefor always assume there’s some idiot parked 0.2m behind you waiting not knowing what to do so get out to make sure or pull forward and at an angle if in a rigid to clear the blind spot HOWEVER they might still follow you from up close (invisible to mirrors)

7

Northern_monkey_33:
So I’ve been with my new company coming up to 8 months now, in that time I’d had 2 minor accidents. First one I was reversing with the aid of a banksman, who back me into a parked van… office understood that I was under direction, it was in an underground car park so very tight/dark, and I was doing as directed. 2nd one was early morning, changing lanes approaching a roundabout, man in a car behind me, I check mirror, clear, indicate, glance in mirror, still clear, pull right, car… he’d tried to over take me somewhat last minute, minimal damage, a scratch more than anything.

Then this morning… oh boy… so. I’m on an industrial estate, looking for my last drop, and I’m crawling as it’s dead, I think I spot the place. Handbrake on to check the paper work, yep that’s the one, need to back up about 10ft to pull in. About to put it onto reverse, and a copper is driving towards me, I watch him in my drivers side mirror to make sure he isn’t pulling in behind me to ask what I’m doing, I can see he’s carrying on. So with that I hit reverse, quick check, handbrake off… BEEEEEEEEP!

Mercedes is behind me, so close I can’t see it in the mirror. Ballcocks. Jump out, bonnet is knackered but nothing major, engine runs etc. Copper has come back and pulls up. Swap details coppers happy, the lad driving however… I asked how close was he was because I didn’t see him approach, he said he wasn’t up my backside, I can’t have reversed more than 2 feet. I asked did he not see reverse lights, or hear the beeper, he said no. I asked if he’d followed me up the road, he said no. Copper pulls me to a side, and says “I can’t put it on record as I didn’t see it, buy I think he’s come too fast, and stopped short not paying attention to what’s in front of him, and you haven’t seen him cos he’s too close” I ask if he was behind me when the copper drove passed me, the plod said “no, I saw him driving up after I passed you”

The driver is claiming that I just reversed into him, buy to me it sounds abit more 50/50 knock for knock. What do you think? And also, do you think I should be worried about repercussions at work? Ie getting the sack?

Thanks guys

My mrs got reversed into by a foreign lorry who couldn’t get under the bridge on Springfield road in Grantham , he wrote her car off by reversing into it & even though pedestrians were shouting at him to stop he just carried on , shoving it into the cars behind her & frightening my girl to death as she thought the trailer was coming over the top of them , I was called , the police came & told me I didn’t understand how difficult it was to drive a lorry !!! in turning him he hit a wall & a sign
A few months later we got a letter from the police saying they weren’t pressing charges due to lack of evidence ( write off car
, damaged cars , walk , sign ) .
Not long after mrs ran into the back of a car , 1 st accident in 30 yrs driving , car came out wrong exit of car park at speed , women hit brakes , my mrs ran into the back of her , now it was my mrs fault no doubt , but the police then charged her with some driving charge , she had to go on a driving course ( think that was £170 ish )
I’d just change your name to bogdan, miroslav etc & you should be fine

8

@dozy I have a soft spot for foreign drivers tbh away from family for weeks and ends ( yes I know it might be there choice) driving wrong side of road and completely congested even in the night you will still have people on the roads

But surprised the lorry plowed into your wife when people were telling him to stop hmm… I know language barrier but stop and people screaming would be quite obv when I was a new driver the foreign drivers helped me out more then the English