Thats wghy van hire insurance is so expensive, because half the muppets who hire them havent driven a van before, and have no idea about the size and width along with use of mirrors or indicators.

Report the driver to the police and hire company, they may well ban him from future hires.

As someone who has worked for a Van Hire company before, trust me, they’ll want to hear about it. You’ll be doing them a favour too! There’s very possibly damage to the van, no matter how small, that they otherwise wouldn’t know about, and they’ll want fixing.

Their insurance will obviously pay for your new wheel too, and anything else that may have been damaged. And the guy who hired the van will have to cough up the excess of probably £500… Oh, and they will report him to the police (even if you don’t) for leaving the scene of an accident, and he’ll have his collar felt very swiftly.

Remember this… Human beings are inherently lazy people. Police men are human beings. If you go to them with a case with no evidence, only your word against his, and no witness or 3rd party backup, it’s a massive headache for them for no outcome. If you go to them with the backup of the van hire company (which you will get) its a very easy open and shut case for them to prosecute the driver. Police are interested in statistics sadly, not helping people in general. MAKE SURE it’s the van driver that becomes the statistic here, not you…

Report it, at least the driver will be keeping an eye out for you in the future,although maybe not for the right reasons.

Have you reported it?

Unless you’re injured the police won’t give a monkeys and even then they’re only bothered if it’s a serious injury.

Unless you’re injured the police won’t give a monkeys and even then they’re only bothered if it’s a serious injury.

I don’t think that’s true.

It entirely depends on the officers dealing with it of course, but I watched a woman reverse into my car in the carpark at work, scuffing the bumper before driving off, and they wanted to charge her with leaving the scene of an accident.

I wasn’t even in the car at the time. Was sat at my desk.

Felt sorry for her, thinking maybe she was embarrassed, so told them I didn’t want any charges brought against her and she then denied any involvement to the insurance company. If only you could press charges in hindsight….

Gotta report it and if the desk bobby doesn’t follow it up, escalate it to the Inspector in charge. Reason being that it sounds like the idiot in the van wasn’t too concerned – what happens if the next time they hit someone its more serious and they really hurt someone?

EDIT Singletrack mind said it better than me…

So whats the conclusion??

2 of my mates have had similar incidents and the police took it really seriously. If you can identify the vehicle particularly it is easy for them to actually do something. go for it. call the police

Even if they just go and give him a warning it’s a step forward. Might make him think better of it next time.

I saw this film once where this bloke paid a big black man to beat him up to get dirty Harry in trouble.

Do you know any big black men?

If you don’t ring the police, you should be banned from here.

Agreed. FFS! He ran you off the road. He needs dealing with. Unless of course you are happy for him to go and do it again as he now knows he can get away with it.

Do you know any big black men?

Roger Black is bigger than me, but he might be busy with that telly stuff he does. Barry White would have met the bigness and blackness requirements, but I don’t know if he did the beating thing.

so did he pull in and hit you, or did he pull in and stop suddenly and you go into the back of him?

makes a huge difference and i cant tell from the OP

There’s police women too, mboy.

It entirely depends on the officers dealing with it of course, but I watched a woman reverse into my car in the carpark at work, scuffing the bumper before driving off, and they wanted to charge her with leaving the scene of an accident.

I wasn’t even in the car at the time. Was sat at my desk.

I do hope you claimed for whiplash as well.

so did he pull in and hit you, or did he pull in and stop suddenly and you go into the back of him?

makes a huge difference and i cant tell from the OP

He pulled in and squeezed me with the side of the van. I was a little late reacting as I was in a cycle lane, so I didn’t expect him to come right over.

I do know a very big black man. Seen Snatch? the massive guy who is the driver.

Should do shouldn’t he?

splendid, you now have a viable plan of action.