Forum menu
Been in a collision today at 8:10pm ish,
Accepted £140 at the scene of the accident and the guy filmed him handing it me, do I report the incident still or just assume its done?
I think you have to report a collision don't you?
If he was at fault I personally wouldn't accept his ££, but take it to the law - otherwise he's kind of just buying his way out of proper justice... (not judging you for taking the cash, just thinking about not letting someone get away with hurting a cyclist)
Report it in case it comes back to haunt you. Pretty good chance he was uninsured, driving without a license, no MOT, under the influence etc too.
Why report it if you are happy with the £140. There is no legal requirement for a cyclist to report any accident. The duty to report certain accidents applies only to drivers of motor vehicles.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/170
Probably daft of me to accept the money, but my wheel looks like a taco, only thing wrong with me so far is loss of skin!
How do I go about it, even though I have the £140 and he recorded it?
He was an asian guy, with a passenger, passenger did the most talking, couldn't have been anymore thoughtful though, offered to give me a lift home, as he knew he was in the wrong, sure they don't drink?!
By accepting the money, to me, you'd look an idiot if you suddenly 'changed your mind'. It'd really annoy me if the person went back on a gentlemans agreement.
£140 is what you agreed. Just accept it.
He was an asian guy, with a passenger, passenger did the most talking, couldn't have been anymore thoughtful though, offered to give me a lift home, as he knew he was in the wrong, sure they don't drink?!
Nice bit of casual generalisation in there.
Simple to do now.
Walk into Police Station
I'd like to report an accident with a car. This is what happened, these are the details of the driver.
As above if he is un licensed,insured,mot'd then the police need to do a follow up and they should not be on the road
Not enough info, if this was a genuine accident then the party at fault would end up paying the other party compensation , is that not what has happened? are you happy £140 covers the cost of your wheel and injury?
There is a legal obligation on drivers to report injury accidents to the police.
Either he has no insurance and did not want to get done or he thought he would rather sort things out privately than go through insurers.
Personally i can see why you accepted the cash and why you now have an odd feeling about it but unless your arm now drops off you would look a bit of a richard reporting it . A roadside compromise of a cicvil claim like this is unlikely to be legaly binding in the event your losses exceed £140.
Would I tell them about the acceptance of money also, I want to report it mostly due to the above mentioned, about coming back to haunt you,it'll have to wait till tomorrow anyway, but ideally I don't want uninsured drivers, driving around on my route home!
Would I tell them about the acceptance of money also,
General rule don't lie to the police (or omit things)
Just explain what happened and that will be that. If your happy with the money as compensation then that is fine (if they paid it to you to settle damage) if they paid you to keep quiet then that is a different matter.
The money will pay for a cheapo wheel for commuting, and I can't pay for new skin or tender shins!, it's just niggling at my mind whether I should, just incase he's driving illegally and peace of mind!
And that whiplash you got is worth more than £140...
The money was purely for settling damages, he wasn't trying to be sly in anyway, so I report it anyway?
tbh you report it or you take the money doing both is taking the piss a bit IMHO
will you give him his money back now or is iot just you who is not sticking to the deal?
FWIW I dont think you should have accepted the money but you have
OK - so I have a bit of an issue with reporting and collisions but you need to report this, otherwise it never happened, it doesn't go into the bike vs car stats and it's a problem that never exists. If the driver was at fault then they are happy to carry on knowing that they can just pay to get out of trouble.
It will take 30mins of your life to report it. If there is nothing wrong then at least the car/driver will get run through the computer. If they have something wrong then it will pick it up, if this is not the first time it will pick it up.
If the money was for damages then thats fine, if the money was to keep quiet then thats very wrongtbh you report it or you take the money doing both is taking the piss a bit IMHO
will you give him his money back now or is iot just you who is not sticking to the deal?
I don't follow - the money is financial recompense for the damage. Claiming it off his insurers now would be dodgy (although if for some reason £140 didn't cover the damage then perhaps not). The "deal" is: here is money for the damage NOT here is money to keep quiet.Junkyard - lazarus
tbh you report it or you take the money doing both is taking the piss a bit IMHO
will you give him his money back now or is iot just you who is not sticking to the deal?
BUT reporting it to the police is HIS legal responsibility if there is an accident resulting in injury (which this would seem to have). If he fails to do so because he doesn't realise he needs to or doesn't think it was serious enough he is a plank, his attitude will likely determine if he gets slapped wrists, or prosecuted. If he intentionally avoiding the police because he is not legal then the roads would be safer if the police followed up.
Done deal. Don't be a dick.
Does wing mirror clash on narrow roads come under "accident", if so the police would have more reports than they could cope with!
Perhaps he offered you the settlement because he's uninsured blah blah and would naturally prefer not to be found out.
Report incident and include reg plate etc.
But surely if he has no insurance, no one else on here would want to meet his car?
So legally the driver must report it regardless of money involved?
Only got his REG details, didn't quite catch his name at the end, before I left scene! Possibly Brohan?
To be fair, after being knockced off you were probably in shock and not thinking straight. In these circumstances its hardly surprising that in haste you took a wad of notes waved in your face. Once the shock subsided you probably now have a clearer view on the matter.
Does wing mirror clash on narrow roads come under "accident", if so the police would have more reports than they could cope with!
Yes, I was followed up after one.
Does it matter that I'm on video accepting cash, I don't want to claim further, but the niggling doubt of him having no insurance and it could happen again...
Does it matter that I'm on video accepting cash, I don't want to claim further, but the niggling doubt of him having no insurance and it could happen again...
So why did he video it then? The mentality says that hes recorded it as hes more than willing to produce it at a later date if questioned, ergo hes legit.
Are you looking for more money? Are you looking for ire and retribution? WTF.
Just for balance OP, I once rear ended a car at a low speed. The guy got out (ASIAN), he looked at the rear bumper, shrugged and drove off. I never heard anything. Ever since.
You have said that you don't want to claim. There is no proof that he has no insurance. Many people offer to settle the claim outside insurance to protect no claims, jumpting to the conclusion that he has no insurance is unfounded. The fact that he has £140 on him would leave me to think that he probably is insured. He doesnt sound like a scrote driving 20 year old hot hatch who cant afford insurance that our roads are littered with.
Forget the matter and move on.
neither of them had money on them, i waited at the scene why he rung a friend who dropped money off 🙂
he was definitely not a scrote, but he was driving a 'hot hatch'
Did the £140 come out of a massive wodge of cash the size of a brick?
Personally, I'd report it. The money was for the repair, not for keeping quiet about the accident. (Although that may well have been his motive)
If the driver was at fault then they are happy to carry on knowing that they can just pay to get out of trouble.
My grandfather would often pay people in his later years when he bumped their car with his car. If there was damage he'd still report it to the police and tell them he'd paid for the damage. It just avoided the insurance companies getting involved. It was never about avoiding taking responsibility, just about not having the hassle of paperwork etc.
There's no evidence to suggest that this person has done anything different. I'd agree it's unlikely he's contacted the police but you'd be surprised how many people aren't aware that they're required to. A former colleague ended up in court over leaving the scene of an accident and tried to turn it into a conspiracy/race/sex thing but, frankly, she was mental anyway. She never once accepted that the problem was leaving the accident and not contacting the police afterwards.
On another angle of this, we all moan about drivers not taking responsibility and paying a pittance in damages when they've trashed a bike, helmet, gear etc. Sounds like this bloke accepted his part in the problem and offered to make good. I'm not sure we should be assuming he's evil.
CHB +1
It's your call - if you would feel more comfortable reporting it, go ahead. You don't owe the guy anything just because he got his wallet out at the scene. I'm guessing that you don't have the name of the driver though, so even if he wasn't insured, it's going to be difficult for the police to get anywhere.
I don't agree with the idea that having a bundle of cash on him makes it less likely that he was uninsured or disqualified. I used to be amazed at the number of 'respectable' seeming folk who I saw in court for these type of offences.
I suppose the fact he stopped in the first place is the thing that makes me think there's a good chance he's legit.
I wouldn't report it personally, I'm assuming you told him £140 would cover the damage to your bike rather than him coming up with that figure. Skin grows back and if he was apologetic I'd take it as that, just because he wanted to avoid reporting it doesn't mean he's uninsured (in fact I'd say the opposite, he was probably trying to avoid getting his insurance involved).
If you're happy with the outcome then don't waste police time IMO.
If a 60 old smartly dressed man had got out of his Honda CRV speaking the Queens English and given you money would you be suspicious to report?
He could really need an eye-test or be on prescription drugs which affect his driving.
In my experience on the Ambos police don't tend to consider accidents as reportable unless there is significant injury; ie more than just whiplash or a couple of cuts n bruises. Whether this is official guidance or just roadside triage I couldn't say. (Although that's not for the driver to decide, tbf)
If you suspect that he's uninsured just AskMID. Bet he is though; if he wasn't I suspect that he'd have just done one sharpish.
Sounds like he's the kind of driver who woudn't want the Police involved so he bribed you with cash to keep quiet. Even if nothing else happens you ought to report the incident because there may already be a history attached to this driver on the Police computer.
Ring the Police non-emergency number and ask them to take a report. In Lancashire it's 0845 1 25 35 45.
Sounds like he's the kind of driver who woudn't want the Police involved so he bribed you with cash to keep quiet. Even if nothing else happens you ought to report the incident because there may already be a history attached to this driver on the Police computer.
If I knocked a cyclist off, after making sure he/she was ok and the chap/lady said 'just a wheel/bit of grazing' and he accepted money/agreed for the damage then I'd consider it done. Whats sinister about that?
Would you'all have insisted the Police and Ambulance service attend along with a paramedic/helicopter?
Just satisfy your latent racist subconscious and report him.
£140 for a "cheapo" wheel???!!
he stopped straight away, jumped out of the car, accepted blame and asked if i needed an ambulance, another local came out with a drink for me and the driver waited until i was sure i was fine, and got picked up by the other half!
he did mention he'd prefer to do it the way he did than go through insurance, due to all the other costs!
If you're happy with the outcome then don't waste police time IMO.
this also 'allthepies' i'm torn between being a time waster and doing good by possibly removing an uninsured driver, he seemed very legit though.
£140 for a "cheapo" wheel???!!
'bigyinn' 40 was for the wheel and the rest incase i noticed anything else after, cables bent bars etc.
he did say i will take the bike and get it repaired and give you a call, or you can take money and source the parts yourself!
he stopped straight away, jumped out of the car, accepted blame and asked if i needed an ambulance, another local came out with a drink for me and the driver waited until i was sure i was fine, and got picked up by the other half!
That doesn't sound like the act of someone who is shifty.
Does wing mirror clash on narrow roads come under "accident", if so the police would have more reports than they could cope with!
I thought it was only a requirement to report injury accidents ❓
I've been in several minor accidents over the years & I am struggling to recall any that were reported to the police, even one where I received minor injuries after a car turned across my path.
Worth reporting if you think they weren't legit, otherwise waste of police time.
Just satisfy your latent racist subconscious and report him.
not racist in anyway, considering my brother is half asian 🙂
i would feel the same regardless of race.
To be honest I would do the same if I had a minor scrape because I wouldn't want to involve the insurance company. In fact somebody I know who works for a motor insurer told me, off the record, "never report a small incident where there's no claim because your insurer will put you down as an accident magnet and increase your premiums".
people have been taken to court for failing to report even with the most minor injuries.v8ninety - Member
In my experience on the Ambos police don't tend to consider accidents as reportable unless there is significant injury; ie more than just whiplash or a couple of cuts n bruises. Whether this is official guidance or just roadside triage I couldn't say. (Although that's not for the driver to decide, tbf)
that will only tell you if SOMEONE is insured explicitly for that car not if HE was. He could be covered under a trade policy that insures him on any vehicle or it could be covered under someone else's policy but not for him to drive. There are an astonishing number of people driving with no license too.If you suspect that he's uninsured just AskMID. Bet he is though; if he wasn't I suspect that he'd have just done one sharpish.
people have been taken to court for failing to report even with the most minor injuries.
so 'poly' to clarify i can be taken to court if I DONT REPORT IT?
that will only tell you if SOMEONE is insured explicitly for that car not if HE was. He could be covered under a trade policy that insures him on any vehicle or it could be covered under someone else's policy but not for him to drive. There are an astonishing number of people driving with no license too
irrelvant
Article 75 / Road Traffic Act means that insurers of a vehicle that has insurance at the time of the accident will pick up the claim, regardless of who is driving. Granted there are some procedural legal loopholes to jump through but thats what happens.
For the record we report every uninsured driver we come across (and I come across a lot) to the police (Gtr Manchester / lanc's) and not aware that anything happens as a result.
From my experience, accepting a settlement without going through insurance is a BAD idea.
Accepted £175 to replace the damaged wheel and a few rides later cracks appeared in my carbon frame.
And I wasn't hurt. If I had been, I would've definitely reported it.
I completely understand why you do take the cash settlement at the time, after getting knocked off your bike, you're just glad your ok and want to draw a line under the whole thing.
if the OP reports it to the police do they inform the driver's insurer?
Driver [i]sounds[/i] like a decent enough guy who just doesn't want to take a whack on his next insurance premium, understandable, but if it was me I'd feel happier if the incident was reported (incase of any illegalities or some other development)
but if it was me I'd feel happier if the incident was reported (incase of any illegalities or some other development)
exactly what i'm thinking!
Definitely insurance. Police is OP's choice, but you are supposed to report accidents where someone is hurt to the police IIRC.
so 'poly' to clarify i can be taken to court if I DONT REPORT IT?
NO! Only drivers have any duty to report.
Even then there is no requirement to report every accident. Even injury accidents don't need to be reported if the driver gives insurance details to the other party at the time of the accident along with name, address reg no etc.
Cyclists never have any requirement to report any accident.
NO! Only drivers have any duty to report.Even then there is no requirement to report every accident. Even injury accidents don't need to be reported if the driver gives insurance details to the other party at the time of the accident along with name, address reg no etc.
Cyclists never have any requirement to report any accident.
so call it a done deal, after accepting money on video, be a gentleman accept his money and leave him to carry on, or do i report incase of uninsured driver?
[i]do i report in case of uninsured driver?[/i]
Nah. Why the need to squeal if he's paid up all you need?
Nah. Why the need to squeal if he's paid up all you need?
Why is it squealing? If they have done things right then there is no issue.
Not reporting leads to accident stats for cars vs bikes falling. As said police and insurance are 2 different things.
You would have been better advised not to have accepted a settlement at the roadside, but given that you did, if it was me I'd move on and let it go.
hora - Member
Sounds like he's the kind of driver who woudn't want the Police involved so he bribed you with cash to keep quiet.
Far more likely that he's trying to avoid an insurance hike.
I was rear-ended (fnarr-fnarr) by someone who was very keen to make good the damage himself, who coincidently was also "Asian", for those interested.
Ended up going through insurance as I believed (correctly) that he had underestimated the cost of repair.
Wasn't a problem as he was insured/taxed/licensed, like most drivers are.
I got hit while driving (side collision) by an uninsured driver with too many points on his license. If he was busted driving uninsured, it would have resulted in a ban....
Fortunately there was a bank right next to us (his), so I ended up with £4k cash in my hand.
It could have probably been regarded as extortion looking back.... 😉
Personally not sure I'd of taken his money but you did and it's now bothering you so just go and report it and see what the law have to say.
If you don't suspect intoxicated or habitual cyclist mower I'd just move on in this situation as is.
2p given.
If I did £140's worth of damage to someone's bike I'd pay it in cash as well - it's below my excess and I'd not want to screw up my NCB. Frankly I'd probably pay anything up to close to £1k - you just pay it back in premiums otherwise. Add on the time and hassle factor and it's even worse.
You absolutely should report it to the police. It should go on the stats and, I'd hope, they'd do some sort of papers check on him as he might not be properly licensed or insured. that has nothing to do with payment for your costs.
He was an asian guy, with a passenger, passenger did the most talking, couldn't have been anymore thoughtful though, offered to give me a lift home, as he knew he was in the wrong, sure they don't drink?!
The hardest drinkers I know are either asian or ginger.
Reported as piece of mind, they are going to do checks at they will deal with it from now, and told me to stop worrying about it!
They said they will update me if any further action is taken, they said due to thestatement I gave nothing much will happen, other than background checks, and he will be taken off the road if he's uninsured!
Piece of mind and I get my new wheels tomorrow 🙂
not racist in anyway, considering my brother is half asian
i would feel the same regardless of race.
Makes your [i] they[/i] don't drink statement seem even more strange
Best give him back his money then
The Guy was helpful and offered to pay for any damage etc, you must have given him a figure and he paid up, to me you have resolved the matter and it is now closed
Doing anything else after would be underhand and a bit shitty really
Madame got hit from behind on a roundabout. Only a gentle impact but enough to break a clip off a pannier. A couple of motorcycle gendarmes stopped. Madame assured them she was fine so they asked how much the bike would cost to repair. They told the driver to write a cheque for the amount which he did, gave him a talking to and with Madame's agreement told him to drive off.
OP, I think you did the right thing and taking it further would be dishonourable and unnecessary.
A lady ran into the back of my car a couple of years ago, unfortunately my towbar rack with 2 bikes was on it...
Only real damage was to the rack. She offered me money for a new rack, which I accepted. In the end I just repair the rack.
I didn't report it, and neither did she, but then she [i]really[/i] didn't want it reporting.
[i]OP, I think you did the right thing and taking it further would be dishonourable and unnecessary. [/i]
This +1
you took the guys money, i think you should honour that agreement; unless you have incurred more costs since. jeez, give the guy a break, he got his wallet out, more than some would do
There are two separate issues here. First is the money. As many have already said, that is compensation for the damage caused and avoids an insurance claim that could be protracted for both parties and a lot more expensive for the driver. The second issue is whether or not the accident should be reported to the police.
All speculation aside, what do we know about the driver?
(a) he caused an accident
(b) he was willing to break the law
Personally, that's the sort of person I'd rather not share the road with.
B r+1
Breaking the law? Wtf. The drivers conduct at the scene etc is similar to what I'd do. If that makes me a crook (shrugs) so be it. Police have a serious amount of real crime to cope with.
This begs the question would people here pay somebody not to report an accident to the police?
bamford - Member
The money will pay for a cheapo wheel for commuting, and I can't pay for new skin or tender shins!, it's just niggling at my mind whether I should, just incase he's driving illegally and peace of mind!
Sounds like similar injuries to me some years back.
Now left with arthritis in left knee and probably to get worse further down the line
and what you call need for new skin the hospital called it damage to nerve ends.
But I went legal and regardless of monies I still rather have not been hit by the car.
Invest in you £140 wisely.
I got left hooked by someone a while back. While she was bemoaning the likely insurance rise, I remembered that the trusty Alien was in my jersey pocket. So I stripped the forks off the bike and owned her.
Job done.
WIN
In fact somebody I know who works for a motor insurer told me, off the record, "never report a small incident where there's no claim because your insurer will put you down as an accident magnet and increase your premiums".
The problem with this is it also voids your insurance policy if they find out about it later. i.e. it allows them to not pay out on future claims.
So you took the guys money and then still reported him.
Next week there'll be a thread on here asking why motorists hate cyclists, I wonder why?
If you had any doubts in your mind you shouldn't have taken his money and made it clear to him that you intended to report the incident.
Bad form IMO