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Had a car accident on the way to school

217 replies

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 10:08

Was on the way to take my kids to school this morning, exited a roundabout 2nd exit with my left indicator on. I assumed my indicator had turned of because I had turned and I have played back the dash cam footage and can’t hear any indicator. Neither when I was driving could I hear the indicator hadn’t switched off.
was driving 40 on a 40 road. This was 1/2 minutes approx after putting my indicator and exiting round about.
next thing I know driving down this 40mph road a car on a give way on my left with his indicator on turns out in front of me, immediately as I see him turning I slam my brakes on and beep my horn. Because of my high speed you can hear on the dash cam footage the noise my brakes are making because I slammed down. He didn’t even attempt to move back and he hit into the left side of my car. The man wasn’t even getting out of his car he just reversed back. I got out of my car shouting “ what have you done?” “ why did you just do that?”
only then he got out of his car and even then didn’t check his car or mine and just stayed at his drivers door. When I kept asking him “ why did you do that?” He just remained calm, smiled weirdly and said “ you had your indicator on to turn left, I’ve got it all on camera”
my indicator wasn’t on when I immediately got out to check my car, he didn’t even bother to check for any damage on his car and didn’t bother to see mine.
I asked him for his phone number and details and that I would be going to drop my kids off at school because we are now late and they are in shock and upset and he refused and said “ it’s a company car, just take a picture of my reg” and got back in his car. He didn’t even move away from his drivers door, didn’t check the damage, didn’t make any pictures or videos of our cars or the damage. Refused to give me his name and phone number and just said take a picture of my reg and got back in his car and drove away like nothing happened.

im just in complete shock, my son was sat in the passengers side and im just getting a panic attack thinking if I wouldn’t have slammed the brakes as soon as I saw him doing what he did it would have been a bad accident. No one is hurt, my car isn’t badly damaged mostly just bad scratches.
I genuinely did not know my indicator was on ( if it even was!) I can hear when my indicator is on and I couldn’t hear anything even looking back at the dash cam footage you can’t hear the indicator just me and my children casually talking and then you can hear me beeping and slamming down on the brakes and then the collision. If my indicator was on, I’m not sure why it hadn’t turned off or made noise because I exited the roundabout a minute or 2 before the collision.

surely by my speed going 40mph and not slowing down or intending to turn he should have known I was not turning and shouldn’t have pulled out! Trying to remain calm but it’s just so strange he refused to give me his name and number and also very strange he didn’t seem concerned to atleast check his own car and any damage, didn’t even take any pictures or videos!

OP posts:
Auroraloves · 09/06/2026 13:15

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 10:52

Bad quality as I just recorded this from the dash cam to show my husband, will be downloading the video in a bit and sending over to insurance company.
but as you can see when he came out and hit me I was already past the line/road he was “expecting” me to turn into. So I clearly wasn’t going to turn.

Well this is definitely not your fault, and the insurance company won’t hold you liable. He is supposed to give way until you’re passed

Geneticsbunny · 09/06/2026 13:14

Catroo · 09/06/2026 10:21

He should of given his name, but as you have the car reg it won't be classed as fleeing the scene and the police won't care.
I know it can be really unnerving, but it sounds like the blame is on him, regardless of indicator or not, he pulled out/started manoeuvre when the road wasnt clear.
Just give your footage and factual statement about what you know happened (not what you think may have) to your insurance company.

Not true. A guy crashed into me, refused to give his details so i reported it to the police and they prosecuted him. I had his reg and a witness.

LakieLady · 09/06/2026 13:14

Watchoutfortheslowaraf · 09/06/2026 10:43

she didn’t leave it on.

even is she did, you never pull out when someone is indicating if they haven’t slowed right down. He would still be at fault. She has right of way.

When I learned to drive, I was taught not to assume that a driver was turning until you saw their wheels start to turn towards the corner.

No way was this your fault, OP.

Mumoftwoadults · 09/06/2026 13:13

It may or may not be stolen; it may or may not be a scam. That's for your insurance company to sort out. I'd mention that he said your indicator was on, give them your dash am footage and they can deal with it. Also give them a photo of the damage.

Once that's done, try not to worry. That's what we pay insurers to do.

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 13:12

anothernewname6789998212 · 09/06/2026 13:09

Yes it did also occur to me that if it’s a company car he knows they will just sort it out for him, and if OP was having a go at him felt he had no interest in passing his number to her for her to potentially harass him afterwards for private settlement or whatever which he wouldn’t be able to do with a company car anyway.

Which isn’t right of course, but might be why.

But I wasn’t violent, aggressive or planning to harass him or having a go at him. He pulled out and hit into me and my son was in that side of the car. I was obviously very upset and panicked. I had 3 kids in the car not just my son, my girls were in the back one of whom is only 2 and he pulled out and hit into me. I was upset and panicked and only asked him why did he do that ( as in why did he pull out and hit me) and what have you done.

OP posts:
Dbank · 09/06/2026 13:11

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 10:52

Bad quality as I just recorded this from the dash cam to show my husband, will be downloading the video in a bit and sending over to insurance company.
but as you can see when he came out and hit me I was already past the line/road he was “expecting” me to turn into. So I clearly wasn’t going to turn.

Great you have a dash cam, this should show the pertinent information, he pulled out into your path.

Whether you were indicating or not, or what he was expecting, or what he thought is irrelevant and a distraction to the fact, he pulled out into your path and committed a criminal offence by leaving the scene of the accident without leaving his details (or reporting it at a police station within 24 hours)

As previously suggested I would go and report it yourself as you also "failed to exchange details".

JustMyView13 · 09/06/2026 13:11

IdBeLionIfISaid · 09/06/2026 13:08

Nope. OP was driving within the legal limit. Even if she had her indicator on he should have waited til she had begun to manoeuvre. That's what the highway code says.

Agree. Liability for insurance is the act that causes the accident. Doesn’t matter if OP was travelling 30/40/60. It’s the responsibility of the person exiting the junction to check it is clear to do so.

Peacewillcome · 09/06/2026 13:11

I sometimes watch ‘BigJobber’ clips. He is an insurance claims liability expert who reviews dash cam footage. One thing I have learnt is that liability is not the same as legality and that dash cams can alter liability significantly. I think he covered an indicator left
on case and concluded that with no dash cam (and remember they have a wide field of view) it doesn’t impact liability. With dashcam
footage it may change liability but it would depend on the context. It’s an interesting watch and a bit of a rabbit hole.

anothernewname6789998212 · 09/06/2026 13:09

JuliaRobHurts · 09/06/2026 13:03

Just to play devil's advocate OP you were the one who turned it into a aggressive confrontational situation by immiediately shouting at the other driver.

Accidents happen.

The other driver may have not chosen to exit the vehicle because of your aggresive demeanor. His wry smile and refusal to engage in conversational is likely due to him knowing he was in the wrong.

He was commiting an offence by not providing his details but if challenged he might pull the card that he was "afraid" of engaging due to your aggresive stance (even though that would likely be a lie).

As others have said report the failure to provide details to the police and contact your insurance company with the info you do have.

Hope you and DC are ok, car accidents aren't fun and the shock can last a while.

Yes it did also occur to me that if it’s a company car he knows they will just sort it out for him, and if OP was having a go at him felt he had no interest in passing his number to her for her to potentially harass him afterwards for private settlement or whatever which he wouldn’t be able to do with a company car anyway.

Which isn’t right of course, but might be why.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 09/06/2026 13:08

Your insurance will provide you with Solicitors.

FYI.. check and see if there are any street/speed or other cameras near the scene, if so, they may have caught it on film. But you will need to be quick as they often reset quite soon. There should be a label on them somewhere or tell your insurance company the camera location as they will know how to find this.

I say this because I was hit when I was parked in a public car park and the person (who I videoed ) said he didn't see me... This didn't matter in the end as he then lied about it and I couldn't get hold of the public camera footage by then which would have proved he was at fault.

IdBeLionIfISaid · 09/06/2026 13:08

ijustwanttoworkout · 09/06/2026 10:33

You left your indicator on, 40mph is a limit not a target and you should’ve been paying better attention. A scary lesson to have learned.

Nope. OP was driving within the legal limit. Even if she had her indicator on he should have waited til she had begun to manoeuvre. That's what the highway code says.

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 13:06

JuliaRobHurts · 09/06/2026 13:03

Just to play devil's advocate OP you were the one who turned it into a aggressive confrontational situation by immiediately shouting at the other driver.

Accidents happen.

The other driver may have not chosen to exit the vehicle because of your aggresive demeanor. His wry smile and refusal to engage in conversational is likely due to him knowing he was in the wrong.

He was commiting an offence by not providing his details but if challenged he might pull the card that he was "afraid" of engaging due to your aggresive stance (even though that would likely be a lie).

As others have said report the failure to provide details to the police and contact your insurance company with the info you do have.

Hope you and DC are ok, car accidents aren't fun and the shock can last a while.

I did make it clear before, when I said I shouted I wasn’t aggressive or violent and it’s even caught on the dash cam audio. I was shocked, panicked and got upset and kept asking “ why did you do that and what have you done” I wasn’t being violent or aggressive, I never would be because my children were in the car. But obviously considering my son was in the passenger seat of the side he just pulled out on me and hit me I would be very panicked and upset because this incident could have been a whole lot worse.

OP posts:
SandyHappy · 09/06/2026 13:06

problembottom · 09/06/2026 12:59

DP's had a company car for years and the great thing is if you do crash they sort it all out for you at no expense. If this guy has one why would he be so cagey? A Range Rover is a high end company car too, at DP's company you'd be pretty high status to get one, again why would you be so worried? I'm not buying it...

I would hazard a guess that it's not HIS company car, or for whatever reason he shouldn't have been driving it, it could even be stolen, or taken without consent.

Without giving his name and his details, and without a picture of him how can anyone prove it was him driving? The reg will lead to an insurance company (hopefully) but it doesn't prove who was driving.

I've had real problems with a stolen car hitting my parked car, I'm still waiting for some of the payout, the insurance company STILL want to know who was driving (police detained him at the scene and have that info), only now, three years later(!) has it been referred to the MIB.

Really the police should have been contacted at the scene when he refused to give his details.

JuliaRobHurts · 09/06/2026 13:03

Just to play devil's advocate OP you were the one who turned it into a aggressive confrontational situation by immiediately shouting at the other driver.

Accidents happen.

The other driver may have not chosen to exit the vehicle because of your aggresive demeanor. His wry smile and refusal to engage in conversational is likely due to him knowing he was in the wrong.

He was commiting an offence by not providing his details but if challenged he might pull the card that he was "afraid" of engaging due to your aggresive stance (even though that would likely be a lie).

As others have said report the failure to provide details to the police and contact your insurance company with the info you do have.

Hope you and DC are ok, car accidents aren't fun and the shock can last a while.

Mangelwurzelfortea · 09/06/2026 13:00

Sounds like he was driving a car that is untaxed/uninsured or he doesn't actually have a UK driving license and is just a bad driver who probably wants this to go away.

problembottom · 09/06/2026 12:59

DP's had a company car for years and the great thing is if you do crash they sort it all out for you at no expense. If this guy has one why would he be so cagey? A Range Rover is a high end company car too, at DP's company you'd be pretty high status to get one, again why would you be so worried? I'm not buying it...

Soontobesingles · 09/06/2026 12:59

Report to police and your insurance company. Not much else you can do.

Solaitt · 09/06/2026 12:56

WhatsAWeekend · 09/06/2026 12:52

She doesn’t have dash cam footage

Yes she does! She’s stated several times on this thread re: the footage.

Have you commented on the wrong thread?

Zaina89 · 09/06/2026 12:55

WhatsAWeekend · 09/06/2026 12:52

She doesn’t have dash cam footage

I do, I have it all on camera and the dash cam even shows my speed and the speed doesn’t drop to show I was slowing down, my speed is the exact same up until he pulls out on me and I hard brake.

OP posts:
SandyHappy · 09/06/2026 12:54

WhatsAWeekend · 09/06/2026 12:52

She doesn’t have dash cam footage

Yes she does.

anothernewname6789998212 · 09/06/2026 12:54

Whattodo1610 · 09/06/2026 12:50

Honestly it’s so infuriating. It feels like they’re just being let off for their careless/dangerous driving! I’m sorry your mum when through that. It seems we’re in a state of only high grade crime is looked into .. it’s neither wonder thieves/criminals carry on as they are - they know nothing is going to happen to them 🤷‍♀️

Yes it’s very unfortunate. When I was younger I remember 2 coppers coming out after my dad had his trainers stolen from our porch which seems comical now but a sign of the times - fat chance of that happening these days!

SandyHappy · 09/06/2026 12:54

Wetcoatsandmudagain · 09/06/2026 12:45

It sounds very much like an insurance scammer. They deliberately cause an accident and flee the scene. If he was saying take a photo of his plates then they are probably cloned plates. Not being flustered or bothered about checking his car and the grinning all seems suspicious. They often hang around junctions and roundabout etc

What is the possible scam though? He is liability for failing to give way.

This sort of scam only works if there are other vehicles involved that can claim off each other once the original instigator has left the scene.

aster10 · 09/06/2026 12:53

It’s the law I believe that you have to wait until the person indicating starts to turn. Exactly for cases when the person indicating has not turned off the indicator yet ( from the previous maneuver, for example). Was drummed into me for the test. Obviously in real life people don’t always do it, especially at roundabouts.

WhatsAWeekend · 09/06/2026 12:52

Solaitt · 09/06/2026 12:52

Even if your indicator was on, the other party is still liable for the accident.

As per the Highway Code, using indicators is only a signal of intent, not guarantee. You had right of way on the road you were travelling on. The other party pulled out of a junction. His fault.

I am glad you and dc are physically okay. I’ve been in similar accidents before and they do really shake you up.

Your insurance will definitely sort this. Thank god you have dashcam footage. The guy has no leg to stand on.

She doesn’t have dash cam footage

Solaitt · 09/06/2026 12:52

Even if your indicator was on, the other party is still liable for the accident.

As per the Highway Code, using indicators is only a signal of intent, not guarantee. You had right of way on the road you were travelling on. The other party pulled out of a junction. His fault.

I am glad you and dc are physically okay. I’ve been in similar accidents before and they do really shake you up.

Your insurance will definitely sort this. Thank god you have dashcam footage. The guy has no leg to stand on.