A couple of months ago my wife (whilst attending a hospital visit with my wheelchair bound son) reversed our Renault Trafic van out of the parking space in the hospital car park which was very busy at that time and lightly hit a parked car opposite. There was no damage to our van and only a small 3 inch scratch on the wing of the other car. My wife left her details on the car and left. A few days later we received details of the other parties insurance and passed them to our insurers and we have been since told that everything has been handled by them (we are fully comp with protected NCB). However, today while I was out the police have been round to see my wife with a possibility of charging her for not reporting the accident to the police 
I was of the impression that as it happened on private property (hospital car park), that no one was injured and also that there was no significant damage that was causing disruption to other road users then the police didn’t have to know.
Obviously, when I got home the wife was deeply upset about it and I have spoke to the police who are visiting again tomorrow.
Does anyone know if I am correct in the above or should my wife have reported it? 
As long as you’re sure you wife DID indeed leave details on the car she’d hit, then it’s nowt to do with the plod, so tell them to [zb] off and go and catch some burglars.
Also, the other party must have got your details okay otherwise how would the cops have known it was you? 
Yes Rob she did leave details otherwise the other person’s insurers wouldn’t have been able to get in touch.
It is things like this that makes us think twice about being so honest next time.
I always thought that you were only obliged to inform the police if someone had been injured in an accident that you were involved in. If it is only vehicle damage our lot down here are not even interested.
Hope things work out OK for her.
Mothertrucker:
It is things like this that makes us think twice about being so honest next time.
I always thought that you were only obliged to inform the police if someone had been injured in an accident that you were involved in. If it is only vehicle damage our lot down here are not even interested.
Hope things work out OK for her.
That’s my understanding too. Point this out to the plod and also ask why they’re interested as no-one was injured.
Always the way with the plod isn’t it? Never there when you REALLY need them but there like flies round [zb] when you DON’T. 
Complete waste of time, the [zb] lot of them 
.
Mothertrucker:
I always thought that you were only obliged to inform the police if someone had been injured in an accident that you were involved in.
And certain types of animal.
I bet they wore their stab vests… 
Mothertrucker:
I always thought that you were only obliged to inform the police if someone had been injured in an accident that you were involved in. If it is only vehicle damage our lot down here are not even interested.
I too was under that impression. When i flipped my car into a field beside an airport, i called them out as i’d obviously had an accident.
However as i hadnt damaged anything other than my car and my pride they weren’t interested. To their credit however they did sit on the road and slow everyone else down before they went past (big patch of black ice on the bend) where i’d gone off. They also closed the road when the recovery arrived.
I was told that unless a person was injured or there was going to be a problem on the road itself they didn’t need to know.
Mothertrucker:
It is things like this that makes us think twice about being so honest next time.
I always thought that you were only obliged to inform the police if someone had been injured in an accident that you were involved in. If it is only vehicle damage our lot down here are not even interested.
Hope things work out OK for her.
agree with you
however what if you are the only one injured? do you have to call the police? 
Might be better to call an ambulance ?
ralliesport:
however what if you are the only one injured? do you have to call the police?
Only if your dead. 
Seriously though, if you were planning on using one of those I’ve Done Something Stupid So Need To Claim Money To Look Less Stupid companies then I guess a polce report might help your case.
Highway Code Rule 260:
If you are involved in an accident which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST
- stop
- give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
- if you do not give your name and address at the time of the accident, report the accident to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours.
(Law RTA 1988 sect 170)
I guess the debate is whether leaving a note on the car is deemed to be “giving details to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them”.
I suggest a letter to the chief contable highlighting the time being wasted by them for such a minor incident. Failing that, ring The Sun newspaper, they love stories like that!
Plod was probably short on overtime .Go round and upset unarmed taxpayer,nice and safe couple of extra hours on the clock.
Longwayround:
Plod was probably short on overtime .Go round and upset unarmed taxpayer,nice and safe couple of extra hours on the clock.
They must have clocked up some overtime when they reacted to an ‘incident’ 
in my street a couple of weeks ago, six vehicles turned up including two from the Firearm Support Unit and one from the Dog Unit. I was quite flattered they thought i was worth all that effort.
MrFlibble:
I guess the debate is whether leaving a note on the car is deemed to be “giving details to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them”.
It isn’t. Therefore some ‘twit’, probably hoping to get their car repaired quicker, or trying to lever a bit more compensation has ‘reported an offence’.
Nothing will come of it. It’s a total waste of time but the formalities have to be followed so that a forrest’s worth of paperwork can be completed for the benefit of the politicians and their statistics which, as we all know, establish that ‘Speed Kills’, even though we, as a species, have survived for many thousands of years on a planet which, not only rotates at about 1,000mph, but also hurtles through space at some horrendous rate.
Coffeeholic:
Longwayround:
Plod was probably short on overtime .Go round and upset unarmed taxpayer,nice and safe couple of extra hours on the clock.They must have clocked up some overtime when they reacted to an ‘incident’
Ah, was that when you spent the night in one of the Queen’s local hotels?
penfold:
A couple of months ago my wife (whilst attending a hospital visit with my wheelchair bound son) reversed our Renault Trafic van out of the parking space in the hospital car park which was very busy at that time and lightly hit a parked car opposite. There was no damage to our van and only a small 3 inch scratch on the wing of the other car. My wife left her details on the car and left. A few days later we received details of the other parties insurance and passed them to our insurers and we have been since told that everything has been handled by them (we are fully comp with protected NCB). However, today while I was out the police have been round to see my wife with a possibility of charging her for not reporting the accident to the police
Obviously, when I got home the wife was deeply upset about it and I have spoke to the police who are visiting again tomorrow.
Does anyone know if I am correct in the above or should my wife have reported it?
Penfold, 100% definate you did not need to report it to the police. I’m assuming the other party got the details you left? It might seem a daft question but if they didn’t and maybe someone gave them your registraion. The only way the police could of contacted you is if someone contacted them about it, you need to speak to the other people and ask why they contacted the police. What more did the police say about it?
Well yes you are supposed to report an acident to the police if you cause damage to a third party’s property. I think if you injure a person then you have to report it imediately, if you hit and animal (Dog, Cattle, horse etc yeah like you would drive off after hitting a 1ton bullock!) or cause property damage you’re suppose to report it within 48hours.
Leaving notes on windscreens is frowned upon as it could blow away or it could rain and make it unreadable etc.
HOWEVER as they other partly clearly got the note and the claim has all been dealt with, it is pretty pointless the police persuing it.
Although someone must have told the police.
Did the person actually get your note or did the third part get your details from a witness…