Car driving over a solid white flicked up stone denting and smashing windscreen

Kirath

Hi was driving along the a10 where the car in front was continously driving over the solid white line on the left essentially driving in the dirt.

They kicked up a huge stone that's made 2 dents in my bonnet and smashed my windscreen. I was giving them at least 4 car lengths as they were swerving.

Is there anything I can do? Or am I stuck with repairing it myself for their dumb driving?

I have the whole thing on dash cam and can see them driving over the solid white over and over and the moment they kicked up the rock.

Mildly_Miffed

"at least four car lengths" - let's assume they're big cars, so 20 metres. Closer than the driving test minimum distance for reading a number plate.

What speed were you doing on the A10, a road that goes from 20mph limits in central London through NSL dual carriageways to King's Lynn?

At 20mph, that might be an appropriate distance to leave - it's a little further than the "two second rule". But a "huge stone"/"rock" wouldn't move very far if hit by a tyre at 20mph.
At 30mph, it's about a second and a half.
At 40mph, it's only just over one second.
At 50mph, it's less than a second.
At 60mph, it's about two thirds of a second.
At 70mph, it's not a lot more than half a second.

Notwithstanding that, if you knew his road positioning was such that he was kicking up debris, why didn't you drop further back?

Hoenir

Kirath said:

I have the whole thing on dash cam

This will also show if you were driving too close to the vehicle in front. 

Kirath

I was not too close to the vehicle it was 60 single carridge area. I said 4 because that's the standard in driving lessons 60 road is about 4 car lengths behind the vehicle in front as it's based on thinking distance not stopping.

I was further back than that at times but between roundabouts etc traffic builds up.

Nice advice though. Come on a forum to not answer the question that was asked. Way to go keyboard warriors! 

cw8825

Kirath said:

I was not too close to the vehicle it was 60 single carridge area. I said 4 because that's the standard in driving lessons 60 road is about 4 car lengths behind the vehicle in front as it's based on thinking distance not stopping.

I was further back than that at times but between roundabouts etc traffic builds up.

Nice advice though. Come on a forum to not answer the question that was asked. Way to go keyboard warriors! 

It’s unfortunate but your going to have to suck it up and deal with it yourself 

you could ask the insurer if the other car but it’s likely you will be politely told to go away

ps realistically it’s probably a small stone not a rock and the gaps are based on stopping time not thinking time - that would be madness 

Mildly_Miffed

The answer is simple. No, you do not have a leg to stand on - but you may wish to take the lessons on board and drive more defensively in future.

You're right that at 60mph, 18m is the thinking distance.
This merely means that if - say - the spare wheel drops out from under the floor of the car in front, you will just about realise it at the same time as you hit it. If you think the HC "thinking distance" is the appropriate gap, I suspect you are mis-remembering what your driving instructor told you, and you may wish to revisit Highway Code rule 126... 



You'll note that the HC gives 4m, not 5, for a car length. A new VW Golf hatch is 4.3m, a new VW Passat estate is 4.8m.
4 x 4m is, of course, 16m - or less than the 18m thinking distance, and a LOT less than the 73m stopping distance.
Two seconds at 60mph is 54m.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158



This public information film is probably from before your time. The concept hasn't changed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf5d2DP4Pp0

Car_54

Kirath said:

I was not too close to the vehicle it was 60 single carridge area. I said 4 because that's the standard in driving lessons 60 road is about 4 car lengths behind the vehicle in front as it's based on thinking distance not stopping.

I was interested to read that. How long is it since you had lessons?

When I was an instructor, we taught people to follow the rules in the Highway Code. I have just checked and that hasn't changed, and (b) neither has the HC.  It says (Rule 126):

"The safe rule is never to get closer than the overall stopping distance" and "allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on high-speed roads", assuming that the road is dry.

Two seconds at 60 mph is 176 feet, or about 13 car lengths

35har1old

Kirath said:

I was not too close to the vehicle it was 60 single carridge area. I said 4 because that's the standard in driving lessons 60 road is about 4 car lengths behind the vehicle in front as it's based on thinking distance not stopping.

I was further back than that at times but between roundabouts etc traffic builds up.

Nice advice though. Come on a forum to not answer the question that was asked. Way to go keyboard warriors! 

Is it a hardwired dash cam ?

facade

In general, a driver is not liable for road debris being kicked up by their wheels, unless they were deliberately trying to fling it up - or driving at 60 when there are " Loose chippings- max speed 20mph" signs.  (They would be liable for mud or rocks trapped between their wheels from off-road use as they are required  to ensure that their vehicle is safe to drive on the road)

I wonder if in this case they were deliberately driving through the dirt to discourage you from driving so close behind.

So you could try claiming on their insurance.

If you weren't so close you could send the dashcam footage to Operation Snitch as evidence of their careless driving, but you would open yourself up to the same charge if you submit it now.

LightFlare

Kirath said:

Hi was driving along the a10 where the car in front was continously driving over the solid white line on the left essentially driving in the dirt.

They kicked up a huge stone that's made 2 dents in my bonnet and smashed my windscreen. I was giving them at least 4 car lengths as they were swerving.

Is there anything I can do? Or am I stuck with repairing it myself for their dumb driving?

I have the whole thing on dash cam and can see them driving over the solid white over and over and the moment they kicked up the rock.

If you were driving that close - he may have been shifting over thinking you wanted to go past him

DullGreyGuy

54m is the Highway Code distance to leave at 60mph so vastly more than your 4 car lengths. It will be deemed you were the author of your own misfortune by failing to follow the highway code and leave sufficient space from the car in front. 

You could claim from your own insurance as a fault claim, alternatively just claim the windscreen from your insurance as a glass claim and deal or live with the bonnet yourself