Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask to see the police report? Somebody borrowed my car and bumped it.

63 replies

mameulah · 30/12/2014 10:01

Long story short.

I was forced into a situation where I basically had to lend my car to a friend for about an hour. In that time they were involved in a small two car collision. Thankfully no one was hurt and there was barely any damage. But the police were called.

I just get the feeling that my friend isn't being honest about what actually happened.

How do I go about getting the police report? Am I entitled to do this because the collision happened in my vehicle? Will my friend find out that I have been snooping?

tia

OP posts:
KatieKaye · 30/12/2014 10:34

OP said :I was forced into a situation

which is why people asked about this aspect. Then it changes to They didn't 'force' me.

Two quite different scenarios. So which version is it?

lem73 · 30/12/2014 10:37

I don't understand that either Katie.

Nicknacky · 30/12/2014 10:37

mrsmorton, That is incorrect, the owner or registered keeper can also have committed the offence of causing or permitting the vehicle to be used in a road or other public place without insurance. They have responsibilities as the owner/reg keeper of the vehicle.

Original poster
mameulah · 30/12/2014 10:41

Apologies. The thread should have read, 'circumstances forced me'. Not the person 'forced me.'

'Forced' was obviously the wrong choice of word. But easier writing that than 'I was having a difficult day and by allowing my friend to use my car and thus freeing me up to be somewhere else in order to do something else I decided to lend my friend my car...'

Personally I don't really get why that is such a big issue?

OP posts:
DandyHighwayman · 30/12/2014 10:44

If you fail to notify your insurers of the collision then your insurance is very likely to be invalidated. Please ring them asap.

(Ignoring the I was forced to lend my car/I was NOT forced to lend my car strangeness)

Nicknacky · 30/12/2014 10:45

And to answer your question, you won't be given a copy of the police report if you ask for it. It contains personal details such as names, addresses, phone numbers etc. all you can do is pass it to your insurance company and let them deal.

DandyHighwayman · 30/12/2014 10:45

Ah x post wrt forcing, or not.

forumdonkey · 30/12/2014 10:56

I assume there will be a claim on your insurance, did your friend know the details of your policy to give to the other party and don't you need the other parties details?

KitKat1985 · 30/12/2014 10:58

OP can you explain a bit more about the accident? Your post its very vague about what actually happened. What does your friend say happened and why are you suspicious? Who was liable for the accident?

They may very well not be a police report if it was just a minor ding unless the police suspect an actual crime was committed (e.g, that someone was drunk or driving recklessly).

lem73 · 30/12/2014 11:02

My concern is that the driver gave the op's name to the police. How can the op check that? Surely at the very least the op can ring 101 with all the information she has and see if they can help. Did you check before you gave them the keys that they were insured to drive another vehicle ie get a company name and policy number? I wouldn't let my own parents drive my car without that.

forumdonkey · 30/12/2014 11:07

My car was hit and run (it was parked up at the time) I had a witness and the other driver acknowledged the damage to the witness, but instead of leaving details she drove off. I phoned the police within minutes with make and model of car and partial reg number and they weren't interested.

InfinitySeven · 30/12/2014 11:07

When DP had a gentle collision in my car, I was given a copy of the police report. It had the third parties name obscured, but my insurance company had a copy with the third parties name intact, I believe.

I'd ask your friend for a copy of the report, for your insurance company. If she doesn't offer one, ask for the incident number, and contact the local police. They should be happy enough to show you, even if they have to obscure some details.

It does sound very suspect. In general, the police wouldn't attend unless there was strong hostility, or they suspected a serious injury or drink driving.

Have you told your insurance company? Was your friend insured? Don't be temped just to leave it, it's the type of thing that can blow up in your face!

newyearsresolutionsnotforme · 30/12/2014 11:18

Police can be called if there's aggression involved as well as injury, they can also be called if someone refuses to hand over insurance details-whether they show up or not on the latter though...

How else can you and the other driver claim through insurance if you don't get the number? Was this person insured? All sounds very suspect.

weeblueberry · 30/12/2014 11:21

Have you had the car checked out by a mechanic and everything is okay? Because if it were anything more than a bump they'd have likely found something.

Did they specifically say the police had been called or that they attended? I ask because I was a passenger in a car a few years ago that had a very minor accident (nothing you'd ever call the police about) and because a police car happened to be passing they stopped and asked if everything was okay. So they technically 'attended the scene' but didn't write a report etc.

lem73 · 30/12/2014 11:27

Infinity I had a totally different experience when my dh had an accident in my car. He gave his name and number to the other driver. My insurance company contacted him by phone to confirm details but never informed me. There was no damage to my car so theoretically he could have hidden from me. When my policy was up for renewal I moved companies and told the old company I was moving because of that. Of course if you are letting someone drive your car you should be able to trust them. In this case it's clear the op doesn't trust the person. I would advise the op to check everything as thoroughly as she can.

26Point2Miles · 30/12/2014 11:33

I think the key here is who actually called the police

forumdonkey · 30/12/2014 11:37

And was your friend insured to drive your car? Was this the reason the police attended?

Tinkerball · 30/12/2014 11:40

Was your friend actually insured to drive the car though? I don't get why you are so worried about upsetting them yet it was them that crashed your car! And regardless of what you had to do I don't see the connection to giving your friend your car.

loveka · 30/12/2014 11:40

If you call am ambulance the police come automatically, so maybe the other driver panicked and called an ambulance? Not necessarily 'fishy'. Could have just been a prang as your frend said. You can ask her for the number though, as you are the person who needs if you are contacted by the insurance company
So she shouldn't be offended if you ask for it.

Jollyphonics · 30/12/2014 11:52

I've had a few little bumps over the years, but the only time I've ever had to call the police was when the other driver was a Belgian lorry driver who claimed to speak no English, so we couldn't exchange insurance details. My car was badly damaged so I knew insurance was essential. A witness suggested I called the police, who came quickly, and amazingly the other driver's English got a lot better!

SeasonsEatings · 30/12/2014 11:55

If there is going to an insurance claim on your insurance then you will need to get copy of the police report. If the driver was third party on their insurance and a claim is going through their insurance then as the vehicle owner you can request information.

I would call 101, give your details and reg number, if you are the registered keeper then they should be able to give you some details. I would be worried that the driver was pretending to be you tbh. Give then a ring, see what they say?

Unexpected · 30/12/2014 12:10

You haven't actually answered the fairly important question of whether your friend was insured to drive your car or not? If she wasn't I can absolutely see why the police attended, presumably she was unable to give the other party any insurance details?

clam · 30/12/2014 12:13

God, that last post has just made me realise I've no idea who I'm insured with! Not off-hand, anyway. Nothing dodgy, it's just that I surfed the internet for so long looking for the perfect deal, and I change providers most years, that I can't remember who I settled on in the end! Blush Same for house insurance.

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 30/12/2014 12:24

If you let someone drive your car, without insurance, you can get in trouble, I thought?

wowfudge · 30/12/2014 13:08

What has your friend told you OP that makes you suspicious about what really happened?