minor hit and run

[d1mkaz]

Driving in town 2 lanes in one direction, suddenly car next started changing the lane without any turning light, I had to press a horn and brake and almost avoided him but he still was moving towards me and inevitably clipped passenger side wing and... kept going. No witnesses, I mean there were few cars around but no one cared. On next traffic light I went out to check the wing, it's nothing major just a bit of a paint of other car left and some not significant scratches. Most of it probably will go off after polishing, but not all.
I made a picture of other car reg. But now thinking that this is lose-lose situation for me. If I report it, I have to deal with insurance and most probably increase on the next one and also excess -250. If I won't report it won't cost me anything I just will be left with damage and .
What would you do?

[Bonymaenjack]

If you report it with no witnesses in your favour then it's your word against the other driver and that's a civil matter , but by you reporting it to the Police covers you against a charge of not reporting and failing to stop after an accident( a criminal matter) , you don't know whether he/she has ( 0r whether cctv cameras have recorded it ) so imo cover yourself by reporting and I'm afraid get hold of a good polishing machine

[Satan]

I'd repeat it and request their details to make a claim against the other driver you do not need to go though your own insurance company, also its and offence to drive away after an accident.

Also get a dash cam as this saved me a lot of grief or a 50/50 claim as the Vector lost its rear end on ice, I was in a Subaru AWD with winter tyres........... non fault claim and cash in lieu payout as the car is an import.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeE4gj53qD8

[DHFiS]

I wouldn't report it. If you do the insurance company will use it to up your premium for the next 5 years even if you pay for the repair yourself.

[Satan]

I wouldn't report it. If you do the insurance company will use it to up your premium for the next 5 years even if you pay for the repair yourself.

My insurance went down.......

[d1mkaz]

I'd repeat it and request their details to make a claim against the other driver you do not need to go though your own insurance company, also its and offence to drive away after an accident.

Also get a dash cam as this saved me a lot of grief or a 50/50 claim as the Vector lost its rear end on ice, I was in a Subaru AWD with winter tyres........... non fault claim and cash in lieu payout as the car is an import.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeE4gj53qD8

So I can report a collision on met.police.uk (as it is London) I'm pretty sure area of accident should be covered by cameras as it is main road and that won't be passed on to my insurer?

Also I was actually checking dash cams last week and ... left it for later. Quite good quality in this video, what do you have? Definitely getting one.

[Satan]

Not this one but something similar as I bought it a few years back, I also wired in a 12V - 5V step down adapter as I hate trailing cables, so it powers the dash cam when you fire the car up as well having a spare USB port to charge a phone. Just need a longer lead from the unit to the cam,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-Supp ... p+down+usb

To be honest its all trial and error with the cams,

Check this one out same type of Cam in my Lotus, it was edited......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp-pqtHTxgQ



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wide-Angle-G-S ... s+for+cars

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0711K92J1/ ... UTF8&psc=1

[d1mkaz]

Not this one but something similar as I bought it a few years back, I also wired in a 12V - 5V step down adapter as I hate trailing cables, so it powers the dash cam when you fire the car up as well having a spare USB port to charge a phone. Just need a longer lead from the unit to the cam,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-Supp ... p+down+usb

Nice one! Thanks for suggestions, definitely getting the adapter! And probably Anker dash cam, have couple devices from them and they all good quality.

[ChrisHC]

Definitely report it to the police, as Bonymaenjack advises, because if the other driver reports it first, you may be charged. You need to do so within 24 hours. The police are unlikely to pursue a careless driving charge as it is essentially one driver's word against another's, so once they have put the two drivers in touch with each other they will probably decide to take no further action.

Inform your insurance company, again you have an obligation to do so, and the other driver may claim against you, but you may decide not to make a claim.

[martauto]

Definitely report it to the police, as Bonymaenjack advises, because if the other driver reports it first, you may be charged. You need to do so within 24 hours. The police are unlikely to pursue a careless driving charge as it is essentially one driver's word against another's, so once they have put the two drivers in touch with each other they will probably decide to take no further action.

Inform your insurance company, again you have an obligation to do so, and the other driver may claim against you, but you may decide not to make a claim.

Fully agree with all of this.
Its called covering your arse.

Mart.

[d1mkaz]

Reported to Police and Insurance (without claiming), will post update when anything gets back to me.

Thank you!

[TriggerFish]

Can't advocate getting a dash cam enough since this happened to me:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hKJbwiYz5MPbF2YJ7

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1)

FWIW, even with this claim, it only (provisionally) increased my hypothetical quotes by ~£40 a year.

It's interesting, I sure a policeman at an event in the evening, and he said that I didn't need to report it, as no-one was injured/nothing public was damaged. Do you only need to worry about reporting it if the other party doesn't stop? (Never had a crash before this one, so not sure of the processes)

[Satan]

If you have their details you can make a claim directly and not involve your insures, when it gets awkward then you need help, my car was written off but as its an improvement its worth more then the standard Subaru Legacy so I had to have an assessment done and it worked in my favour, a lot of insurers will look at an E30 as a £500 turd.

[ChrisHC]

It's interesting, I sure a policeman at an event in the evening, and he said that I didn't need to report it, as no-one was injured/nothing public was damaged.

Never take legal advice from the police, they tend not to know as much as they think they do.

The legal requirement arises from s.170 RTA1988 So apart from the categories he mentions there is damage to a vehicle other than your own, an animal you do not own or property, not just public property.