Drive Assist

Yes, inasmuch as they handled the car hire when my car was written off and insured at the time with M&S. It was all very straight-forward and the hire costs were recovered OK as there was no question of liability.

However, that is my only experience and I have a feeling that there can be problems if the other party's insurers dispute the claim and then you can be lumbered with their very high hire costs.

I think you are right to be suspicious of the way they work.

Andy C

Thanks, Andy. Unfortunately it's the other way round in my case, a simple shunt which left both cars unmarked, and I left the other driver to have her car inspected for any structural damage, with a view to settling privately.

Had a call from DA today asking for my account of the incident. I declined, and resigned myself to informing my insurers.

I did some searching on DA and found some telling stuff on a forum from clients who had not read the small print. Largely on the lines of your second paragraph.

In message , Gordon H writes

Good outcome. I called the young lady tonight and she immediately told me that she had taken the car to a garage owned by a family member, who gave it thorough examination and declared it undamaged, apart from a couple of scratches which he fixed free of charge.

Her insurers had called in DA, who contacted her and offered to arrange a hire car. She declined, until she had the car checked over, and then told them she would not pursue the matter further so I tipped her off about the small print on DAs agreements.

My faith in human nature is restored. If I knew her address I would send her a bunch of flowers. ;-)

I thought she was obliged to give it, and if with good reason to withhold it, should attend a police station within 24 hours.

Close. In the case of certain accidents, you are obliged to stop at the time and exchange certain particulars, including name and address of the drivers. If you don't do this, the law obliges you to report the accident to police at the earliest opportunity and, in any case, within

In message , Fredxx writes

I am not inclined to demand the address of an unaccompanied young lady, even in those circumstances, where there was no injury nor damage. :) We exchanged phone numbers, names and registration numbers. Should have swapped insurance companies, but that didn't really matter.

In message , Howard Neil writes

What is the meaning of "certain" in this context?

There was no acrimony or dispute about the cause of a very minor shunt.

It is a little complicated so here is a link to the actual legislation (Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170).

In message , Howard Neil writes

It does appear to apply where ".....damage is caused to a vehicle other than the driver's own vehicle....". So technically we should have exchanged addresses, but there was no visible damage, and we agreed to communicate by telephone after she had the car checked at a garage.

I would have been happy to give her my address. ;-)

You say "technically we should have exchanged addresses". Yes, that is the same thing, in the eyes of the law, as saying "technically we should not murder someone or steal from them". Although obviously not as serious, it is still an offence and a court would find you guilty of it.

In message , Howard Neil writes

Perhaps, but who would want to do bring me to court on that charge? I would plead guilty and apologise on behalf of the complainant and myself for wasting the court's time. Then I would take the lady I bumped into to lunch, because she would be on the same charge. ;-)

About 40 years ago a plod stopped me and pointed out that my road fund licence was out of date by two months. I had renewed before the expiry of the old one, and forgot to replace it. I offered to produce the licence immediately or later, as we were only two miles from my house, but he said: "No, it's ok, I'll report you for not having a RFL, and you'll probably hear nothing further". I put the new licence in place a soon as I got home.

Then the notice came, and I was so annoyed that I took a half day off and appeared in the magistrates court, rather than plead guilty by letter. A PC stated that my car was in fact licensed at the time I was stopped, so it was a "failure to display" charge, the wording of which is quite amusing.

I explained exactly what had happened, and apologised on behalf of myself *and the PC* for wasting the court's time.

I was rewarded with a nice smile from the lady chairperson and was given an unconditional discharge, and told to "Try to be less forgetful".

That was the only motoring (or any other) offence I have been charged with in 55 years of driving, except for a couple of parking fines and one which I contested and won.

Well, good luck to you in the future but please note that the offence you have committed is much more serious that the ones you mention above. Still, it is to my benefit if people get fined large sums of money so don't let me persuade you to obey the law. ;-)

In message , Howard Neil writes

Never mind, there's always Mr Loophole. I'd love to see him caught for something serious. ;-)

Oh, me too. One day, one day. :-) :-)

No one - you've said there was no damage to either vehicle. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary the case would collapse on that point.

-- DAS

Quote from an earlier post from the OP "apart from a couple of scratches which he fixed free of charge"

A couple of scratches constitutes damage, albeit not very much damage. The act does not specify how much damage, so ANY damage qualifies.

In message , David A Stocks writes

I rest my case, M'Lud.

She was a smiley, friendly lass, but if she had been unpleasant about such a minor shunt I would have wanted to know more detail... I probably reminded her of her Dad, (or Granddad). ;-)

In message , Howard Neil writes

No! I said that there was no visible damage (as inspected by myself, the other driver, and a third driver who had stopped to help).

"The act" doesn't know whether the scratches were there before the event, and it was a family member who owned the garage who decided there was something which would benefit from a "touch up".