Child probably written off car

[Trumplosttheelection]

Just looking for a bit of a handhold. My poor kid bought their first car a few months ago and last night she misjudged a corner and collided with a fence. Thankfully she is ok but the car isn't and as it was quite low cost I think it will be written off. Just realised she won't get a premium refund either. It's more than she's ever spent on anything and she was so upset. Can anybody say anything to help? I'm sitting here feeling so anxious about it. Beyond thankful she is ok of course but she loved that car and now her heart is a bit broken.

depends on the damage. A dented panel can write off a perfectly usable car and is easily and cheaply repaired with parts from an online scrappie and a competent (=not main dealer) mechanic.

she needs to go to insurance though to get the fence repaired. Yes, five years of pain, but that's what happens. At least she is ok.

driving is a responsibility. She needs to stop blubbering and learn to cope. Nobody died.

@BlackKittyKat

I think this is a rite of passage for all young drivers to go through. I vividly remember my first crash. I misjudged a gap and pranged the back of a brand new BMW that was waiting to turn right. I was devastated. She will get over the shock and disappointment and she will become a better driver because of this. She will be fine - just give her hugs and reassurance.

It's really not a rite of passage at all 😐

Was there anyone behind her? There's a corner (the left turn off a 60mph A road to a B road) on the way to my parent's house that I've been driving for over 20 years and I still turn off the main road a bit too fast on occasion (it's a deceptive corner- the mouth of the B road is wide but the corner is tighter than 90 degrees although due to the lie of the land you can't see that till you've done it). I know that you need to slow down more than you think do but I still made the same mistake quite often (not over the white line but wahhhh, the sunglasses on the dash sliding along, thank goodness I have good tyres type of turn). Till I realised that I tended to do this mainly when there was somebody quite close behind me on the A road...that feeling of being "pushed on" a bit faster or not wanting to hold other people up. Now I indicate a well in advance and start to slow down earlier...on occasion I have an A road person behind me quite close up my arse and I can practically hear them thinking "Pah pathetic woman driver slowing down far too much for that wide corner, hurry up and get out of my way" and I just think tough luck you can wait. Same with turning right onto a busy road with people behind me on a small road....usually I can judge a gap just right, occasionally I err on the side of caution "uh I coulda gone" but if the latter then tough luck on the person behind me, they can bloody well wait.

She’ll have to report the accident to her insurance and will probably be liable for any damage to the fence but she does not have to make a claim. If she is claiming due to having to have to fix the fence it is possible she can buy the car back off the insurance company and live with the damage if it is just purely cosmetic. Body shops have different prices for repair dependant on whether it is an insurance claim or a private claim.

My DB crashed and wrote off his first car within two days of passing the test and buying the car.

It was pricey for him just after that but since then he's never crashed and is a very safe driver. If you can get her back driving asap, the concern with my DB was that he would be too scared to drive again and not get back behind the wheel.

Another thing to talk about is getting her very hot on checking tyre pressure and wear. I used to know a rally driver who reckoned most people were poor at keeping on top of this and he said underinflated or worn tyres on normal A to B cars is a major contributor to accidents. And the flip side- the odd time when you accidentally corner a little too fast you can feel good tyres really grip the road. Obviously not to be relied on, in that you should probably keep your tyres right but drive as if they are a bit worn or soft, but at least it's a factor you can control before you set off.

How bad is the damage? Just because it's been written off doesnt necessarily mean its unsafe, depending on what category.
It also doesnt mean it cant go back on the road depending on what category.
I wrote my car off end of last year, and it needed abit of body work which I bought the parts second hand and replaced, it was an easy enough fix.
Depending on the damage you might just be able to buy it back and drive it as it is if it's only superficial paintwork damage.

It's hard, but hopefully she will learn from it. To assist in that, maybe buy her one of these vouchers, if it won't get taken the wrong way.

www.iamroadsmart.com/courses

Do you have a picture of the damage?

This is why insurance is so dear for young people.
Luckily most live to make sure they are more careful in future.
Glad your dd wasn't hurt.

First of all fair play to her for becoming independent. Unfortunately accidents do happen and its positive that she was ok afterwards.

I think you can explain to her the benefits of her taking some help form you as it will allow her to get a better / safer car. You can always allow her to pay you back.

And, full marks on the user name - Trumplosttheelection - I like it!

The sooner this 'rite of passage' nonsense is put down the better.

Crashing a car is not a rite of passage, many drivers have never had a crash and that should be our expectation, not that young drivers will inevitably have a crash.

Your DD should have some additional lessons, complete Pass Plus (if that still exists?) and concentrate on anticipating events while driving, rather than just reacting to them.

www.gov.uk/pass-plus

From your heading I have understood your child (little) has damaged your car (smashed it with a hammer)

OP, sorry for my previous comment. It's not appropriate.

Hi Op
Sorry to hear of your daughter car accident..

Very Glad to hear your daughter is Alive and thank God she is ok.

My first car was written off by some little bastards trying to steal it for a joyride (based on the amount of damage they did, they clearly planned to torch it once they were done). I was absolutely gutted, tbh. Of course your dd will be too, bless her. But in time she’ll get another car. The main thing is that she’s in one piece.

OP - you are probably feeling a lot more concerned and worried for her because you can't just scoop her up and give her a hug. It is wonderful that she is ok and I'm sure she is relieved, but it does sound like you two are close and actually she probably just wants you to give her a hug too!

In terms of the car - hopefully it will be replaced mostly in full by the insurance company. Did she have a black box fitted? If not, she can probably agree to pass over the policy to any new car and if she didn't have a black box offering to have one installed will help her premiums if they do increase.

I won't comment on her driving - none of us were there and its all speculative. However, it's a good lesson to learn and does make you realise the power of a car. Hopefully she will be slightly more cautious when driving but it is important that she drives again soon. If she is really anxious about it then there are some short courses she could take to improve her confidence on the roads.

Certainly not a rite of passage. But many young people pass their driving test without having done sufficient driving hours as a learner imo, so they’re very green.