Asda Van hit my car!

texranger

kazzah60 wrote: »

ETA an ambulance or fire engine who needed to get through on an emergency call would have no compunction in scraping past a badly parked car, so drivers who choose to park inconsiderately in a narrow one way road are assuming a certain level of risk in any case.

Actually- this is FACTUALLY INCORRECT - my husband was a Firefighter for 18 years before an ill health retirement and I can tell you that they would be buried under a MOUNTAIN of paperwork explaining what had happened and quite possibly disciplined for driving without due care and attention if they hit a civilian car ( or another fire engine in fact)

it is much more likely that if the way was obstructed they would park where they could safely and then run hose to the fire rather than risk damaging another vehicle

exactly as even being emergency vehicles they are still governed by the road traffic act and are accountable for any road accident they are involved in, just like any other driver

andrew-the-cat

catieeb06 wrote: »

Should I be worried that they came and photographed the car?

They said it was for their records and also insurance purposes.

My OH has gone ballistic at me for letting them take photo's.

Did the person who came and photographed it stray on to private property to take the photos? Were they trespassing, harassing you or using a telephoto lens to take photos of something in an area where you would normally have a reasonable expectation of privacy?

catieeb06 wrote: »

Apparently the van is spotless, is it worth me going down to store and taking a photo of the van in question for my own evidence?

You could go down and ask to look at all of the vans but don't expect them to let you in. I'm not sure about how Asda/etc work but at my work, all of our company vehicles have extensive visual checks carried out on them by whoever is in charge, at the beginning and end of each day. This is so if any vehicle is damaged they can easily find out who has done it - not only will they use it to punish the driver (if appropriate) but it also helps when dealing with insurance claims. I don't know about Asda but our work would never side with a driver if there was overwhelming evidence against them like there seems to be in your case.

harz99

kittiej wrote: »

^^ Yes this is true, however if you drive a van for a living as the Asda chappie then you are a professional driver and should know what both you and your vehicle is capable of.

The opposite can also be true with Joe Public on the roads, how many times have you thought "come on dear - you could get a bus through that gap" lol.

I'm not defending the Asda driver nor making excuses for him, but in no way is a van delivery driver a "professional driver"!

The term refers to people who have undergone the relevant training, testing, and hold a vocational driving licence such as HGV/LGV drivers, PSV/PCV drivers and Hackney Carriage (Taxi) licence holders.

societys_child

Nicki wrote: »

No, not quite! :rotfl:

But that if it is a tight gap, and the only other option is to sit blocking the traffic for an indefinite period of time (ie because the driver of the offending car is not in sight) that MOST people whether driving their own car or a company van would try to squeeze through it, particularly if they were likely to be disciplined at work for being unable to complete their deliveries in time or at all. And therefore to say that you would not try to pass unless you were certain you could get through without incident, as one poster did, is somewhat naive in these circumstances.

ETA an ambulance or fire engine who needed to get through on an emergency call would have no compunction in scraping past a badly parked car, so drivers who choose to park inconsiderately in a narrow one way road are assuming a certain level of risk in any case.

You do talk some rubbish, in fact, you worry me . .

rustyboy21

I just think people should be more respectful to other traffic, when parking.

The roads round me are quite narrow, we all park 1/2 on pavement ( pavements are about 6' wide), so emergency traffic and other vehicles can get through. Police nd council officials are around all the time and no problem with parking like that.

I would never forgive myself if someone died in a fire or accident, due to my car blocking the way for an emergency vehicle to get through.

I think it is very selfish of people who park with no respect for others.

andrew-the-cat

I expect that any self respecting fire fighter would rather cause a bit of damage to someone's car to get their vehicle to the end of a street than let a family die in a fire. Sure they'd get punished later on, but I'm willing to bet 99% would rather get a slap on the wrist than fail in the primary role of their job (saving lives) because of red tape. If I remember rightly there was a woman recently who fell down a mine shaft, fire fighters were not allowed to try and rescue her because they were technically not allowed to rescue anyone other than colleagues with the equipment they had. They were going to try anyway but were stopped by their commander. The woman died.

texranger

andrew-the-cat wrote: »

If I remember rightly there was a woman recently who fell down a mine shaft, fire fighters were not allowed to try and rescue her because they were technically not allowed to rescue anyone other than colleagues with the equipment they had. They were going to try anyway but were stopped by their commander. The woman died.

yes becuase even though they are fire fighters and that is their job, they has still not to place themselves in danger. this is totally different to the OPs situation.

A driver of a fire tender is still governed by the road traffic act

ThumbRemote

harz99 wrote: »

I'm not defending the Asda driver nor making excuses for him, but in no way is a van delivery driver a "professional driver"!

The term refers to people who have undergone the relevant training, testing, and hold a vocational driving licence such as HGV/LGV drivers, PSV/PCV drivers and Hackney Carriage (Taxi) licence holders.

The term might mean that to you. To most people a professional driver is someone who makes a living out of driving - like a van delivery driver.

arcon5

kazzah60 wrote: »

ETA an ambulance or fire engine who needed to get through on an emergency call would have no compunction in scraping past a badly parked car, so drivers who choose to park inconsiderately in a narrow one way road are assuming a certain level of risk in any case.

Actually- this is FACTUALLY INCORRECT - my husband was a Firefighter for 18 years before an ill health retirement and I can tell you that they would be buried under a MOUNTAIN of paperwork explaining what had happened and quite possibly disciplined for driving without due care and attention if they hit a civilian car ( or another fire engine in fact)

it is much more likely that if the way was obstructed they would park where they could safely and then run hose to the fire rather than risk damaging another vehicle

But what if this wasn't possible? Or you needed multiple vehicles to assist? Some deadend roads can be very long so if the hose or the situation doesn't support this option, are you telling me they wouldn't drive down knowing a car or two would be damaged in order to get to the job and save lives?

catieeb06

Due to the front passenger wing being dented I cannot access the passenger side through the door, it makes an almighty creak when you try and open it.

My OH's grandfather was a panel beater before he retired and has offered to beat it back into shape in order to allow me to use the car to it's full capacity whilst we await Asda's insurance company to re-open on the 3rd Jan, is this a good idea? So far my insurance company have only requested photo's from myself and havn't taken any of their own so I am going to contact them and find out their advice shortly but I wanted to check with you MSE'rs too!