Rufford Ford

It would be interesting to hear from an insurers perspective, when there is ( potentially) deliberate damage to a vehicle.

My dad wrecked his car driving through a flood, he’d previously leant a car to a friend who crashed that as well – 2 X total losses in a short space of time equalled refusal to insure for a while, but he got another friend to put him on their insurance untill those losses became historic.

From what I’ve seen some insurers have an exclusion about being driven deliberately into deep water. Otherwise they might go with a “causing deliberate damage” exclusion.

But it’s generally subject to a careless/reckless assessment – so should the driver have taken precautions. Like looking at the signs, stopping, slowing down, taking another route, driving according to the highway code, etc.

Or did the driver go into the water unknowingly.

If it’s reckless, the claim would likely be declined. If it’s careless then hopefully it’ll get paid. Evidence is going to be very important here, but frankly given the staggering levels of buffoonery (and social media coverage) at Rufford I doubt many insurers will be looking to fork out willy nilly for those claims.

Absolutely brilliant attempt by the guy on a motorbike here at 2:10, and a proper submarine mission by a onelifeliveit at 17:00.

It used to be nice at Rufford, lines of kids on the footway and you got a cheer if you splashed them.

Harmless fun and a useful shortcut. Washed the underneath and wheel arches too.

More than once I turned around because the water was too high, you could tell because it looked bloody deep and a lot wider than usual.

Muppets the lot of ‘em!

Work colleague has just bought a cheap insurance write off Volvo XC70 project that’s been hydraulic’d in deep water and bent a con rod.

This popped up on my Youtube suggestions just now. I watch a fair bit of the Auto Shenanigans channel, he’s very good. This was filmed in November 2022 just before they first put a road closure in for the ford. Some interesting history about the place too.