If I see a stupid accident say, a bump at traffic lights, someone reverses into another vehicle, I don’t get involved, can’t be arsed with the hassle. Is this right/wrong?
Lets put it this way. If someone bumped into you and they said it was your fault. Would you want someone to come forward to say it was not your fault?
Paul
did it once and i wouldnt do it again! the hassle and messing about i had when i was a witness to a minor bump , was summoned to court in exeter 270 miles ish from home , time off work, loss of earnings etc etc , and an hour before i was due to set off to drive down there the court rang me and said the date had been moved ! if i see something minor again my official answer will be " i never saw a thing officer"
largebloke1969:
did it once and i wouldnt do it again! the hassle and messing about i had when i was a witness to a minor bump , was summoned to court in exeter 270 miles ish from home , time off work, loss of earnings etc etc , and an hour before i was due to set off to drive down there the court rang me and said the date had been moved ! if i see something minor again my official answer will be " i never saw a thing officer"
The sort of thing I consider…
If I was around long enough, and the offender was being a tool about it I would.
But on the whole…No.
I was once sat at traffic lights when a shabby van ran into the rear of the car next to me.
I must admit to not wanting to get involved, but the lady car driver got out of her car and looked at me and said ‘help me’
So out I got, walked round to the van drivers door, and saw a mess of wires where the ignition used to be, nd a can of superstrength lager wedged between his legs.
His passenger got out and legged it, the driver wobbled out of his side to attempt to leg it, but he was just too bladdered (this was 11am, BTW), and kept trying to push me away . . . so I threw him on the pavement and sat on him until the bobbies got there.
It all felt a bit daft in busy Southport centre, with shoppers walking around me getting on with life, and because both lanes of the main street were blocked by my truck, and the car and van, I managed to bring Southport to a gridlocked standstill … … oops 
No, ■■■■ that. I had some ■■■■■■ drive into the back of me in april but i still wouldn’t expect someone else to get involved .
I don’t usually get involved unless I think that someone is going to get unfairly screwed.
Yesterday I was riding on my bike with my daughter to the library, she was slightly ahead and was stopping at the zebra crossing. A BMW stopped although I wouldn’t have really expected it to as I was obviously with my daughter and not quite there. There was a guy on a Fireblade behind who was riding quite sensibly in the 30 limit. All of a sudden he lost his front wheel and slid about 6ft along the ground at low speed into the BMW. I went to see if he was OK (injured pride) and was going to help him get his bike up but another biker stopped so I left it to them.
As we came out of the library the Fire Brigade turned up making lots of noise andsprinkled some sand on the road. As we rode up the road there was a traffic car pulled up. Now I’m not a biker and think that often they get what’s coming to them but this guy was not riding irresponsibly or dangerously and I thought that maybe I’d better go back and offer my details. The Police were not interested as no-one was hurt but I left the biker my details in case someone spun it badly in his favour. Who called 999 is a mystery.
Helped out once in blackburn town centre. Sat at ped crossing when a young lass in a wheelchair was crossing a sidestreet when mr taxi driver decided he could get out before the traffic started moving again needless to say she was sprawled out in the middle of the road. I very nearly introduced him to my right fist but after the doo the lass had at him i think he’d had enough. Paramedics checked her out while me and a copper fixed her chair. Gave all my details but never heard anything.
Not for a minor accident no, it’s just not worth the hassle. I’ve had plenty of minor bumps, some my fault some not and I can’t say I want people to come forward as witnesses
I have on a couple of occasions given witness statements.The reason that I will do it,is the fact that when I had a bad accident I would have been glad of a witness.Unfortunately no one else was around.
only if it looks like an induced accident, ie loads of asians piling out of a car clutching their necks, or if I saw someone reverse into someone. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother.
Dave the Renegade:
I have on a couple of occasions given witness statements.The reason that I will do it,is the fact that when I had a bad accident I would have been glad of a witness.Unfortunately no one else was around.
Ah but he said minor. I’m sure many of us would if it was a serious accident.
Witnesses of traffic accidents are notoriously unreliable, for a start unless it looks a bit dodgy to start with, most aren’t really looking at the events leading upto the accident and their mind fills in the gaps of what they think they saw, this is normally fuelled by their own prejudges.
E.G. Trucks, Bikes, Performance Cars, Young lads will be speeding. OAP’s will not be concentrating. Etc.
switchlogic:
Dave the Renegade:
I have on a couple of occasions given witness statements.The reason that I will do it,is the fact that when I had a bad accident I would have been glad of a witness.Unfortunately no one else was around.Ah but he said minor. I’m sure many of us would if it was a serious accident.
The two I gave statements for were minor.My smash was serious.
I was driving along a narrowish road yesterday when a woman in a people carrier decided to brake hard instead of creep past me; White van man following too close behind runs into the back of her…I waited for a bit (didn’t get out) until they got out and started discussing things, at which point I drove off before either party could dash over with a piece of paper…I’m sure some people will say I was way out of order but why should I get involved?
I would have thought that having a young son yourself would have made you a little more considerate towards others - obviously not!
Would you have driven off if it had been your wife/partner in the car with or without your son? No, of course not…so why is this any different? It takes a couple of minutes to exchange details and it really does give the injured partner a helluva lot of peace of mind. It shouldn’t impact on your life at all so where’s the problem?
If everybody acted as a genuine witness, surely the insurance companies wouldn’t spend soo much time squabbling like school children and it may (!!) reduce premiums for the rest of us. I doubt it though… but it would definitely give them less reason to bicker and consequently get it sorted quicker, which would only be a good thing…
You reap what you sow… 
Muckaway:
I was driving along a narrowish road yesterday when a woman in a people carrier decided to brake hard instead of creep past me; White van man following too close behind runs into the back of her…I waited for a bit (didn’t get out) until they got out and started discussing things, at which point I drove off before either party could dash over with a piece of paper…I’m sure some people will say I was way out of order but why should I get involved?
That was a bit mean mate. If you’re in that much of a hurry just hand her your phone number on a piece of paper before you bugger off. I did the same on the North Circular a few years ago. A Suburu got rear ended by a yank tank right by the side of me. I handed Mr. Subaru my phone no. and [zb]ed off. Some days later I received a phone call from the insurance company and they sent me a witness statement which I filled in and sent off. Didn’t hear any more. No real hassle to me, and I presume a big help to Mr Subaru cos his car was destroyed through absolutely no fault of his own.
i would definately chuck my business card to a trucker or biker but probably not for other vehicles unless it was unusual ie someone in the wrong gear at traffic lights and reversing into the vehicle behind. normally that would be a rear end shunt scenario with the rear vehicle being at fault but strange things do happen with an increasing number of women drivers 
scanny77:
… things do happen with an increasing number of women drivers
That last statement has just proved what I always suspected, sexism doesn’t exist and truckers are the best drivers around 