Collision report

[Amarillo]

I have been asked to complete a collision report.

Does the below give sufficient detail to allow the reader to understand how the collision occurred?

===========

Claim reference: xxxxxxx-xxK

Incident date: 24 April 2017

1. Please describe:

a) Weather conditions

Light rain

b) Condition of road surface

Wet

2. Speed limit in force:

a) Your vehicle

20 mph

b) Other vehicle

20 mph

3. Estimated speed of each vehicle upon impact (if known):

a) Your vehicle

2-5 mph

b) The other vehicle

15-25 mph

4. Please describe how the incident happened (continue overleaf if required)

At 6.10pm on Monday 24 April 2017 I was driving southbound along Burnt Ash Hill (A2212) between Lee Railway Station and the traffic light junction with the South Circular Road (A205). I was in a single queue of slow moving traffic. Just ahead of me was an empty bus lane, operational between 4pm and 7pm. I heard a loud bang, and a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) appeared from my nearside and entered the empty bus lane and continued along it for some distance until the driver stopped just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two lanes of slow moving traffic. I followed LF 66 xxx into the bus lane, stopped behind it, got out of my van and took photos of LF 66 xxx and the damage. This persuaded the driver of LF 66 xxx to get out of his vehicle, he seemed oblivious to the collision, but once he saw the yellow paint marks on his vehicle from my van agreed that a collision had occurred.

Prior to the collision I had been checking my mirrors regularly for cyclists and motorcyclists, and I had left sufficient space between my vehicle and the kerb for these to pass me on the nearside. I was aware of a brown vehicle perhaps two or three cars behind and close to the kerb, I noticed this vehicle because its position was preventing cyclists and motorcyclists from passing it on the nearside to use the bus lane.


5. Please provide a sketch of how the incident happened:

(include the layout of the road; direction of the vehicles; position at the time of impact;

road markings; road names)



I/we declare that to the best of my/our knowledge all answers given are accurate.

 

[MattBW]

Seems pretty clear to me.

 

[Palm]

I am missing, light / sight conditions i.e. daylight, dusk, night, dazzling sun (from the front or in side mirrors). Please consider who can benefit from that as it was slow moving traffic it might be the causing party.

 

[GrannyJen]

Sorry to hear that Tom How bad is the damage?

 

[Amarillo]

Sorry to hear that Tom How bad is the damage?

Cosmetic: slight
Financial: £1500

 

[Amarillo]

I am missing, light / sight conditions i.e. daylight, dusk, night, dazzling sun (from the front or in side mirrors). Please consider who can benefit from that as it was slow moving traffic it might be the causing party.

Good point - I'll amend:

a) Weather conditions

Light rain

to:

a) Weather conditions

Light rain, good visibility, no direct sunlight, 2 hours before sunset.

 

[Seaside Sussex]

How annoying for you Tom. Yes, your statement gives sufficient detail imo to understand the events which led up to, and surrounding the collision.

 

[GrannyJen]

Cosmetic: slight
Financial: £1500

Your statement is clear.

You must be spitting feathers. Stupid, selfish and ultimately futile behaviour.

 

[andyinluton]

Have you budgeted for a ticket for going in the bus lane?

I wouldn't have said appeared from my nearside etc. I would have phrased it something like as i was moving slowly forward in a queue of heavy traffic, I heard a loud bang as the other car made contact as it sped past into the bus lane on the passenger side of my vehicle....

 

[Amarillo]

Your statement is clear.

You must be spitting feathers. Stupid, selfish and ultimately futile behaviour.

My two boys were in the van. They were safe, and that is what really matters.

Although it is clearly not my fault, my main emotion is one of embarrassment. In 30 years of motoring, I have never had a vehicle on vehicle collision. I'd previously noticed the brown car's unusual road position and should have anticipated its driver's likely move.

 

[Amarillo]

Have you budgeted for a ticket for going in the bus lane?

I would hope that TfL would see a collision as a reasonable excuse. However, it has crossed my mind, and a 261 did pass while I was stopped in the bus lane, and I know that TfL fit them with cameras to detect bus lane infringements.

 

[Amarillo]

I wouldn't have said appeared from my nearside etc. I would have phrased it something like as i was moving slowly forward in a queue of heavy traffic, I heard a loud bang as the other car made contact as it sped past into the bus lane on the passenger side of my vehicle....

It is a clumsy and long sentence.

Change from:
I heard a loud bang, and a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) appeared from my nearside and entered the empty bus lane and continued along it for some distance until the driver stopped just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two lanes of slow moving traffic.

To:
I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) passed my nearside and entered the empty bus lane and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

 

[andyinluton]

whilst travelling at a slow walking pace I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) passed my nearside at an estimated 20 - 25 mph and entered the empty bus lane and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

 

[Amarillo]

whilst travelling at a slow walking pace I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) passed my nearside at an estimated 20 - 25 mph and entered the empty bus lane and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

I can see the merit in reiterating my estimated speeds of the vehicles, but prefer a more factual tone, which, I hope, adds credibility to my account.

While moving forward in the traffic queue at an estimated 2-5 mph I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) passed my nearside at an estimated 15-25 mph, entered the empty bus lane and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

 

[Joker 1299]

I can see the merit in reiterating my estimated speeds of the vehicles, but prefer a more factual tone, which, I hope, adds credibility to my account.

While moving forward in the traffic queue at an estimated 2-5 mph I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) passed my nearside at an estimated 15-25 mph, entered the empty bus lane and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

Hi Tom, I think you still need to emphasise that there was actually a collision. He/she didn't pass your near side, they collided with it causing the damage. Just saying there was a loud bang doesn't necessarily equate to a collision, it could have been a backfire from an exhaust. You need to spell these things out. Hope you get it sorted before your trip.
Edit: Perhaps I should add that for the last 30 years I have been a specialist liability insurance broker and before that I specialised in motor insurance for 15 years.
Steve

 

[Stoneybroke]

Gutted for you @Amarillo

 

[Amarillo]

Hi Tom, I think you still need to emphasise that there was actually a collision. He/she didn't pass your near side, they collided with it causing the damage. Just saying there was a loud bang doesn't necessarily equate to a collision, it could have been a backfire from an exhaust. You need to spell these things out. Hope you get it sorted before your trip.

While moving forward in the traffic queue at an estimated 2-5 mph I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) collided with the front nearside of my vehicle with its rear offside as it passed me on the inside at an estimated 15-25 mph. The vehicle did not stop but entered the bus lane ahead and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

 

[Amarillo]

Gutted for you @Amarillo

Don't be.

We are about to embark on a long journey, and if this prang makes me drive just a bit more mindfully of others on the road, then it will have all been for the good.

 

[Joker 1299]

While moving forward in the traffic queue at an estimated 2-5 mph I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) collided with the front nearside of my vehicle with its rear offside as it passed me on the inside at an estimated 15-25 mph. The vehicle did not stop but entered the bus lane ahead and continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two southbound lanes of slow moving traffic.

Much better Tom. Good luck with it. Steve

 

[Amarillo]

Complete statement with revisions

==========================================================================

Incident date: 24 April 2017

1. Please describe:
a) Weather conditions
Light rain, good visibility, no direct sunlight, 2 hours before sunset.
b) Condition of road surface
Wet

2. Speed limit in force:
a) Your vehicle
20 mph
b) Other vehicle
20 mph

3. Estimated speed of each vehicle upon impact (if known):
a) Your vehicle
2-5 mph
b) The other vehicle
15-25 mph

4. Please describe how the incident happened (continue overleaf if required)
At 6.10pm on Monday 24 April 2017 I was driving southbound along Burnt Ash Hill (A2212) between Lee Railway Station and the traffic light junction with the South Circular Road (A205). I was in a single queue of slow moving traffic. Just ahead of me was an empty bus lane, operational between 4pm and 7pm. While moving forward in the traffic queue at an estimated 2-5 mph I heard a loud bang as a brown Dacia Sandero (VRM: LF 66 xxx) collided with the front nearside of my vehicle with its rear offside as it passed me on the inside at an estimated 15-25 mph. The vehicle did not stop but continued along the empty bus lane for some distance. The driver of LF 66 xxx stopped his vehicle just before the bus lane’s end and behind traffic turning into the bus lane from the outside lane, this made two lanes of southbound slow moving traffic. I followed LF 66 xxx into the bus lane, stopped behind it, got out of my van and took photos of LF 66 xxx and the damage. This persuaded the driver of LF 66 xxx to get out of his vehicle, he seemed oblivious to the collision, but once he saw the yellow paint marks on his vehicle from my van agreed that a collision had occurred.

Prior to the collision I had been checking my mirrors regularly for cyclists and motorcyclists, and I had left sufficient space between my vehicle and the kerb for these to pass me on the nearside. I was aware of a brown vehicle perhaps two or three cars behind and close to the kerb, I noticed this vehicle because its position was preventing cyclists and motorcyclists from passing it on the nearside to use the bus lane.

5. Please provide a sketch of how the incident happened:
(include the layout of the road; direction of the vehicles; position at the time of impact;
road markings; road names)



I/we declare that to the best of my/our knowledge all answers given are accurate.

 

[Joker 1299]

You might want to add: the driver was seemingly attempting to squeeze through a gap which did not exist to gain entry to an empty bus lane, where others were respecting the time restrictions on use of that bus lane.

 

[Amarillo]

You might want to add: the driver was seemingly attempting to squeeze through a gap which did not exist to gain entry to an empty bus lane, where others were respecting the time restrictions on use of that bus lane.

I think that at the moment of impact the other driver, having thought he was past me, was moving right to move away from the kerb and take a more central position in the bus lane ahead. He simply hadn't taken account of the fact that I was moving forward. Of course, it helps that he was or appeared to be oblivious to the collision.

However, I fear that he might claim that I turned left into him as he passed so I might access the bus lane, and that I should have looked before manoeuvring. I have tried to preempt this possible claim by saying that I was checking my wing mirrors regularly, and had noticed his unusual road position behind me. I've also suggested that I was keen that the bus lane should be clear so that it could be used legitimately by cyclists and motorcyclists.

 

[Joker 1299]

Hi Tom,

The arrow on the front of your van seems to be pointing to the left rather than straight ahead, this could look like you were turning in on him.

 

[Amarillo]

Hi Tom,

The arrow on the front of your van seems to be pointing to the left rather than straight ahead, this could look like you were turning in on him.

It has all been sent off now.

I think that the other insurers will accept liability and pay up. I cannot see how they can wriggle out of the fact that their driver was undertaking in a single lane section of the road.

 

[T6 CFO]

In general it is better to keep these things simple and not try to hard to preempt or speculate on a defence.
You were traveling slowly in a line of traffic. He overtook you and collided with you. The fact he hit you is not in dispute. The fact he failed to even notice that he hit you shows he was driving without due care and attention. His only defence to this is that he did realise he hit you and or it was your fault but as he decided to drive off after the accident he has issues with this. He's toast !!

Back to looking at Dashcam's

Mike


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