I did something stupid

That would only have applied in the case of a reportable road traffic collision - i.e. one which caused injury to another person or damage to another vehicle or property. That isn't the case for the OP - she stopped, and as far as she can reasonably ascertain there is no damage to another vehicle, so she has no duty to remain or report.

The main point being she doesn't know that there was no damage to another car. All she knows is that her own car was damaged.

At the end of the day, it's OP's decision. At least if she reports it, she doesn't need to worry about getting a letter from someone's insurance company in a week or two accusing her of driving off after damaging a car.

I'd report it to the police if it is worrying you. I can't see them taking any action if no one else reports damage to a car. If someone does report that their car is damaged then you have done everything you can to comply with the law. Either way I can't see that you would end up in any trouble, so you can stop worrying about it.

Yes, this is exactly the likely conversation IF somehow there was damage the Op couldn’t see and IF someone reports it.

This incident or possible incident isn’t something the OP needs to live in fear of the Police or Insurers doming after her about, with her being in big trouble.

She went back and checked for damage and couldn’t see any. Consequently nothing to report. If somehow there is something she missed and it gets reported, when contacted, she will be honest about it and give the details and co-operate with next stages. End of.

This is not an example of Op committing a hit and run, or damaging someone’s car and knowingly driving away or trying to pretend nothing has happened or lying about it. A wing mirror was clipped. OP’s own car was very slightly damaged. She checked the cars which it might have been but could t tell which it was or see damage. If she could, she would have left a note and have something to report. But she couldn’t see anything.

OP’s insurance won’t be invalid and she won’t have the Police after her or the insurers. Most likely she won’t hear anything and if she does, it will go through the usual processes which are there for a reason and for this kind of thing.

I wouldn't do anything TBH, especially if you can't be sure you actually did anything.

Maybe someone clipped you before you got in the car and noticed. I've clipped a couple of wing mirrors in my time and you can't miss the noise.

"margotrose · Today 15:28

There was a thread recently about a girl who'd had an accident and failed to report it - the police turned up at her door.

Legally speaking, you need to report accidents to the police if you haven't been able to swap details with the other driver. Personally I would report it to 101 - it only takes a few minutes and at least you'll have a clear conscience"

That would only have applied in the case of a reportable road traffic collision - i.e. one which caused injury to another person or damage to another vehicle or property. That isn't the case for the OP - she stopped, and as far as she can reasonably ascertain there is no damage to another vehicle, so she has no duty to remain or report.

Honestly, there is a lot of scare mongering on this thread with scant understanding of the law, all of which will whip up the OP's anxiety.

As someone who was screwed over by their insurance company (back in May, and STILL trying to deal with it), I advise you to say NOTHING to the insurance company.

I drove too close to my own bin on my drive and popped the wing mirror casing off quite dramatically, but it definitely wasn’t at any speed at all and really a very low impact incident. So it doesn’t follow that OP must have damaged the other car.

Why don't you ask the police whether you need to report it at all, THEN you can worry about what you actually tell them.

Are you sure it didn't just fall off if you didn't hear an impact and couldn't see damage on anyone else car?

There was a thread recently about a girl who'd had an accident and failed to report it - the police turned up at her door.

Legally speaking, you need to report accidents to the police if you haven't been able to swap details with the other driver. Personally I would report it to 101 - it only takes a few minutes and at least you'll have a clear conscience.

Did you clip the other car or it’s wing mirror?

Wing mirrors have some bounce in them, specifically for this kind of thing. They can often take a gentle bump and just spring slightly.

Personally, I think that if you know which car you clipped, you leave a note for them on their windscreen and the. It’s up to them if they want to pursue it with you or through insurance. It’s their decision to judge if they want to or not. I would always leave my details following an incident plus take a photo of the car reg if poss. However, I would then wait to see what happened. If it was something where I couldn’t see any damage I wouldn’t contact the Police or my insurer unless I heard from the other party. Sometimes people choose not to pursue it - they check their car and can’t see any damage themselves. Or they check and whatever has happened is so minor they aren’t interested in it. Sometimes they are interested in an out of insurance settlement ir sometimes they want to go to insurance. It is totally up to them and personally I would be guided by them.

Reporting an incident where you cannot say which car it was or specify any damage you’ve done, sounds like it won’t achieve anything for the owner and in all likelihood the owner won’t be pursuing it, but reporting it will mean it’s on your insurance record for 3-5 years, even though it’s essentially a non-event. If the owner if the car reports the incident, then you take full responsibility and let matters take their course. But the point is, there maybe no matter to take it’s course.

Perhaps return to the area again to look at cars there. However, I think what you did was reasonable. Sometimes something like a clipped wing mirror has happened and you’re only aware if it as you are beyond the car. You may have to drive a little distance down the road in order to stop and look at your own car and to turn round and return to where it happened. If you can’t see any damage to any car where it happened a few minutes later…chances are you didn’t cause damage. Something like a clipped wi g mirror can sound Lou’s and damaging but there’s nothing to show for it. I think you did the right thing to go back and look. If there’s nothing to see there’s nothing to report.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother doing anything. You stopped, you checked to see if there was any damage, there wasn't any.

You are over thinking this.

Police wouldn't be remotely interested.

It seems batshit to bother the police and report it to insurance.

People clip mirrors all the time round here (narrow rural roads), mine gets hit at least once a week during the night when parked.

I clipped someone else's once, stopped and they didn't even let me get out of the car before rolling down their window to pop it back and yelling 'its fine, it happens... don't worry'.

Unless you hit it going fast enough to do serious damage like taking the mirror off then usually it just folds (they can even fold backwards to a point) and is really its no big deal.

Well it's a different account from your OP.

"didn't realise" has now become "I didn't stop because it wasn't safe to do so"

And "didn't notice any marks on the other car" is not consistent with "I wasn't sure which car it was"

Police no, I wouldn’t bother unless your insurance company tells you to, just report to your insurance company.

I clipped someone’s wing mirror (the car I hit was stationary). I didn’t realise what had happened until I was further on. Then realised the casing around my wing mirror had come off.

If you clipped it hard enough to remove the casing from around your own wing mirror I can't fathom how you didn't realise, as that level of impact would surely have made a quite a loud bump. Or your casing was already loose?

Do an online report to the Police.

You have made reasonable steps to find any vehicle you have damaged.

However, if the car has already gone and there is damage (and CCTV) you could be caught up with for failing to stop and failing to report.

If the other party doesn't contact Police or insurance - you have done everything you can.

I wouldn't worry. I'm sure a pedestrian would report it for you, I've certainly done this. How on earth do you hit a car and not know what the car looked like?

and this is why you'd be mad to tell yours.

So you just heard the bang, saw the stationary car, and kept going because you panicked ?

If that’s what happened, then that’s understandable but you should try to track down the other car owner and advise them.