[Closed] Just been hit on duel carriageway

You should have reported it there and then to the police .... to is a legal requirement. You can be prosecuted fro leaving the scene of an accident etc
After the event , it may seem like you are making it up for an insurance fraud

I really don't agree with false claims for whiplash

Not false though is it? (by the sounds of the incident)

A&E 1st thing tomorrow,

So is going to the police station in the morning Ok? its closed apart from office hours.

In your situation I would have called the Police,not sure what you can do now apart from getting down to A&E sharpish

You have to report it to the police ....

I think it should be reported to police within 24 hours. But I'm no expert. Definitely should be reported though! Given the circumstances, I would've done it straight away. The guy has got to be doing something seriously wrong to manage what you describe.

Ok, copshop 1st thing, A & E straight after.

You can be prosecuted fro leaving the scene of an accident etc

OP, loads of semi-formal advice on the www

[url= http://www.rac.co.uk/advice/car-knowledge/what-to-do-if/i-ve-had-an-accident-what-now ]like this[/url]

Talk to your insurer about what to do - safe storage of your tools etc, possibly van hire if you're able to work. Get yourself checked over if you're injured (though there's a limit to what anybody can do or diagnose unless there's significant damage - although whiplash is real, it's commonly cited fraudulently as it's really hard to show or disprove)

Take care, and be bloody thankful you weren't on your bike or even cycling. Police may be interested in why he wasn't paying attention (drink/drugs/phone could all be checked if they want to)

As soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours (police), off the top of my head anyway. You can ring them and report it in the first instance, no dramas 🙂

Thanks for the advice, was a bit shaken up at the time, there where very young children in the car and safest place I could find to stop still felt pretty vulnerable to be stationary. Got the guys details and was glad to get away.

I tried to get the police in London, but just gave up in the end.

Yeah, take the injury stuff seriously - get checked out (and your kids!) and get it documented. If you've an injury that leads to time off work you'll probably need that to claim. Hell, get everything documented - all damage, injury and business losses and claim on it. It's what's insurance is for.

You should have reported it there and then to the police .... to is a legal requirement. You can be prosecuted fro leaving the scene of an accident etc

no.

OP read here: https://www.essex.police.uk/contact_us/road_collision_records/faqs.aspx

I would suggest you contact the Police and get a collision report within 24hrs. tbh given the speed of the car that hit you I would have called 101 and got an officer on the scene anyway as hitting a van doing 65 hard enough to do that damage would mean he was without reasonable doubt over the speed limit and driving without due care and attention.

Get the report and get it all logged, this will back up any claims you need to make. Do you have legal cover?

You will probably be in more pain tomorrow. Get to your GP or local minor injuries as soon as possible. Write down everything and every cost, journey etc so you can claim for it. Get signed off if you need to be (I lost 6 weeks of work last year but stupidly didn't get properly signed off and am self employed too so will now have to prove it from my lab and mileage logs and hope they accept them).

Hopefully they can rent you a temporary van. As for securing your tools can you park the van against a wall?

Minor injuries unit or GP for suspected whiplash several hours after the incident.

aren't you supposed to turn & face each other in a duel?

It's a week or do for reporting to police. Has to be done in person at a station, where you will get a form to complete.

I would have called 101 and requested them to attend, at least they'd have breathalysed the other driver.

It's a week or do for reporting to police. Has to be done in person at a station, where you will get a form to complete.

It isn't a week. It's as soon as practical or at the latest within 24 hrs.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/170

And reporting it means in person at a station or to a cop. Not by telephone.

http://www.trafficaccidentadvice.co.uk/what-to-do-if-youre-involved-in-a-road-accident.html

Minor injuries unit or GP for suspected whiplash several hours after the incident

Bear in mind you may get charged for the assessment; treatment following traffic accidents apparently isn't NHS work.

traffic accidents apparently isn't NHS work

You only NEED to report it if you can't exchange details, and in the case of injury to anyone else, insurance details as well

IME most people forget something, usually the owners details (as opposed to the driver) and in the modern age phone numbers tend to get used rather than the address
If this is the case then you must report it to the police as soon as practicable (i.e. there and then) unless you really cannot, in which case it must be within 24 hours

If you don't need to report it to police because you've exchanged everything required by law at the time and days later change your mind, possibly because an injury develops in someone else, then you can report it (much later) and the police will still take the report

andyl sadly has practical experience here, I'd be considering his advice

Gld you are ok OP. Out of interest did you have your lights on? I always put mine on in dark skies/downpours. If he hit you with your lights on I'd have called the Police. Even in heavy rain/spray yoi can see rear lights on so either he was on his phone typing or high/pissed.

Do NOT go to A&E.

Thanks for the advise, Hora no lights on 20.15 in the evening with bright sunshine from behind/to the side so no sun in the eyes. Van has day time lights so the fronts are always on.

The guy said he was distracted by the 2 very young children, baby in the back with mum and 18 month in the front in rearwards child seat.

There wasn't any other cars around, pretty sure he was driving in the outside lane and drifted across looking at how the vans been hit. The road is dead straight and uphill for 2 miles so I guess there is less incentive to look where your going.

[quote=wanmankylung said]Do NOT go to A&E.

This, surely this is GP / drop in clinic job. No wonder A&E is screwed.

Glad you're still with us, hope all turns out well!

when ever you have an a RTA call 999 immediately and take pics like your David bailey.

slightly out of touch these days but Section 170 of the road traffic act requires that after an accident you stop and give anyone who has reasonable grounds to require it your name and address, the name and address of the owner of the vehicle and the identification mark of the vehicle. If the person doesn't give his name and address, the accident needs to be reported. This must be done at a police station or to a constable as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours.

Also, in an injury RTA, there is a requirement to produce an insurance certificate to the police or someone having a requirement to see it. If this is not done then it also makes it reportable.

So, Section 170 has been complied with regarding names and addresses, but probably not for the insurance so this needs to be reported asap.

Rich.
(with thanks to an old copy of Butterworths police law and hazy recollections).

As said you have 24 hours to report to the police.

When someone drove into the back of me while I was stationary 2 years ago I went to the GP to get checked over. That way I had piece of mind that I was ok, and it was on record that I had sought medical advice. They advised not to do any heavy lifting, and to take ibuprofen.

I didn't claim for whiplash as although I was sore it didn't stop me working as I have an office job. If I were to not be able to work though it I may have persued it further, but I hate people who claim or see it as a way of making a bit of extra cash and didn't want to be that person.

As said speak to your insurance company about tools etc, and take pictures of any damage before you open the van doors. I also found that my insurance company dragged their heels as they wanted to claim as much as possible from the other persons insurance. They were trying to perusade me to take a courtesy car and claim for whiplash etc as they have their own departments that deal with it. It was blatently obvious that they were trying to push me down that route to make even more commision from my claim. If you do go down this route it may delay the process even more, as they can bill the other persons insurance company for this.

Good luck getting it sorted.

I got a caution for not reporting an accident immediately. The wording is "as soon as you can" which given you had access to a phone is straight away or when you got home. The 24 hours bit is if you really cannot maybe an really isolated place or injured.

issue a challenge for pistols at dawn

The guy said he was distracted by the 2 very young children, baby in the back with mum and 18 month in the front in rearwards child seat.

This is why some insurers ask whether you regularly have small children in the car...

and 18 month in the front in rearwards child seat.

The guy said he was distracted by the 2 very young children

Driving Without Due Care, then.

Indeed - people do appear to think that admissions of not paying proper attention are excuses.

people do appear to think that admissions of not paying proper attention are excuses.

And sadly, some of them are judges.

Speaking of which. He's been sufficiently distracted to fail to see a bloody great van on a straight road in good conditions, whilst exceeding the speed limit by a considerable margin, with his partner and two young children in the car? I'd be pushing to get him his day in court, I reckon.

The guy said he was distracted by the 2 very young children, baby in the back with mum and 18 month in the front in rearwards child seat.

..and doing 80mph?? I'd have called the police from the side of the road and got him breathalysed. Or IQ tested.

Not sure if it's already been said but you probably shouldn't be telling people you were breaking the speed limit yourself...

That aside I hope you get a swift and positive outcome to this all.

Any chance of some pics?

That's what happens when you take the duel carriageway, it's frequented by aggressive oiks!
A gentleman always takes dual carriageway.

bigshep - Member

Not sure if it's already been said but you probably shouldn't be telling people you were breaking the speed limit yourself...

... it's illegal?

TBF, if his speedo said 65 then he was probably doing somewhere around 60 anyway.

If it's a dual carriageway with a central reservation, and national speed limit in force, then the limit is 70.

Not in a van (unless a camper on the V5)

bigshep - Member
Not sure if it's already been said but you probably shouldn't be telling people you were breaking the speed limit yourself...

Whilst coming back from a ride this evening, doing 65mph

Certain vans can do 70 on dual carriageways. Depends on what the van was registered as.
Don't be a dick

The speed limit will have been 70 !

And in the very next sentence,

Thankfully driving a T5

Limit for a van on a DC os 60, not 70.

Limit seems a bit vague - if it has back seats and side windows (Combi?), then he could do 70. Anyhoo, not really relevant I suppose!

Certain vans can do 70 on dual carriageways.

Ones that are basically cars with filled in windows, yes. I could be wrong but I can't think offhand how the 60 limit wouldn't apply to a T5.

Certain vans can do 70 on dual carriageways. Depends on what the van was registered as.
Don't be a dick

Wasn't aware of that (apart from the camper, and car-derived vans, which a T5 isn't). Wasn't being a dick, just sharing what I know (or thought I knew) to help someone understand better. Not sure how that's being a dick.

Ok. Maybe a bit harsh sorry. Just seemed that you were trying to pick fault with the op.
As far as I am aware certain types of can can be classified on the v5 as being able to do nationals. Can't remember what the codes are but it was something I half heartedly looked at before being persuaded I didn't need a van yet....

[url= http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=258720 ]from a vw forum [/url]

No worries. Maybe I shouldn't have waded in on something I don't know that much about. My understanding of it is pretty much what you said.

Someone else brought up the fact that the OP was doing over the limit (notwithstanding the fact that his speedo was probably overreading and he was probably doing less than 60 anyway, as someone's already pointed out), and I'd noticed and had the same thought. Didn't mean to criticise though - doubt the police would give much consideration of that if it was admitted anyway.

I've a T5 shuttle which is a car on the v5. I drive well within speed limits anyway but thought that 70 might come in handy on the longer trips.

To the OP I hope it gets sorted easily but suspect it will prove tyresome (pun intended).

From experience, as similar happened to me on a DC, get out of van ask if other driver passengers are ok, swop details etc, examine damage, and drive home, ring insurance next day when you get up with stiff neck and back.

Insurance then arrange for replacemt Daewoo matiz or other small car, to be delivered not a van, you argue you need a van for work, eventually they provide a new van, go to hire co to sign your life away and be told by some kid about damage waivers, dirty vans etc will all be chargeable etc, go out to inspect new van and despite whats just been told you, its full of tree branches and general rubbish.

You then go to GP, who diagnoses Whiplash and back pain and refers you to a physio to start in a few weeks time.

A few days latter your van is taken away and repairs undertaken about 4 weeks, and you get your old van back.

Finallyo/p did you tell insures it needed buisneess use and had internal racking, questions you should answer truthfully.

I've had whiplash a couple of times, about a year apart.

The first time it was sore but I didn't do anything about it. It took several weeks to die down but it was never that bad.

The second time, I didn't go to A&E/Minor injuries of a doctor but it got worse after a couple of days so I told the insurance people who got me to one of their doctors to assess it.

Just to make the point that you don't have to have gone directly to a doctor to still make a (justifiable) claim.

But do make sure that you tell the insurance people and play it straight.

Quick update, according to police front desk staff and 101 phone person if insurance details exchanged no accident report required or seemingly any chance of anyone accepting one. Not in any shape or form interested. Certainly not interested in my admission that I was doing 65mph in a VAN though maybe the capital letters will give them a clue.

Should have stuck to my 85 is good policy and avoided the whole thing.

Dr suggested ibuprofen, would never have though of that! Narrowly avoided the Deawoo Matiz effect today thanks Project, tree branches tomorrow.

Thanks for the input, and next time I am involved in a accident I will remember to try harder with my spelling, interestingly notes I took at the scene are almost gibberish and barely legible so I guess a bit of adrenaline is involved

If it's a dual carriageway with a central reservation, and national speed limit in force, then the limit is 70.

Nope, that's wrong. I was caught doing less than 70.

issue a challenge for pistols at dawn

I see what you did there!

'Just been hit on a duel carriageway'

Very good!

Then the national limit wasn't in place c_g, or you were driving a vehicle that is subject to lower speed limts.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Vans is 60 on dual carriage ways and max 50 on single carriage ways unless road limit is lower. Just had telematics fitted to works L200 van and now religiously stick to speed limits.

Which has pissed the people off at work with Mitsubishi outlanders which are car derived and yet my work place has classed them as van so they have to stick to the lower speed limits.