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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Wing mirror - do I report it

40 replies

catgirl1976 · 02/08/2017 10:47

I was driving DS to holiday club this morning and had to go down a street with parked cars on both sides

I clipped someones wing mirror. I was only going about 10 miles an hour if that but heard a bump. I wasn't sure if I'd done any damage - couldn't see any through my rear view mirror. I couldn't stop to check due to the parked cars and there being nowhere to stop and cars behind me.

When I got home I realised the back casing of my wing mirror had come off so there was clearly more impact than I though. I went back to where it happened and had a look around but couldn't see any damaged cars or debris. I don't know which car I clipped or which house it was outside - only the rough area of the street. Maybe it was damaged but had driven off?

I've only been driving for a few weeks and can only get 6 points on my licence in the first 2 years

I'm wondering if I need to report this to the police? I don't want to get prosecuted for leaving the scene or not reporting it and get banned. There were people behind me so if there was damage they could have taken my number plate.

I'm overly worrying I think but should I ring 101 and report it?

OP posts:

Original poster

catgirl1976 · 02/08/2017 15:13

Oh! No he never did that - that sounds helpful - I will give that a go next time I drive, thank you

OP posts:

PearlyPinkNails · 02/08/2017 15:20

You've done the right thing. I bet you don't hear anymore.

limitedperiodonly · 02/08/2017 23:10

Oh FFS! These things happen if you park a car on the street, as most of us do. It's annoying, but only on MN do people expect a note and whine about their insurance. Bend your mirrors in and keep your fingers crossed.

RainbowPastel · 02/08/2017 23:19

limited why should the poor driver have to pay out for a new mirror because some incompetent driver has damaged it and not stopped. Between me and my DH we have had to replace 9 mirrors over the years. It's infuriating. Why should our insurance be increased?

LadyR77 · 03/08/2017 10:16

limited are you really saying that you wouldn't be pissed off at having to fork out nearly £300 (as it was in my case), or lose your no-claims bonus, to replace a part of your car because some wanker doesn't have the decency to stop and leave their details? Really?!

limitedperiodonly · 03/08/2017 11:23

I'd be pissed off but I'd accept that it happens. If it happened a lot, I'd either get rid of my car or replace it with something cheap to repair and spend the money on something else. Insurance companies obviously regard wing mirror damage too common and the repairs to be a total rip-off, which is why they impose high excesses to prevent claims.

MummyPigsKnickers · 03/08/2017 11:25

This happens all the time, don't let it knock your confidence. Whenever I park up in a street I turn my wing mirrors in to avoid anything like this happening to me.
I know plenty are saying you should have reported it OP, but generally most drivers would have carried on. 101 have got far more important things to deal with.

ireallydontlikefootball · 03/08/2017 12:09

And this is why I bought a car with mirrors that electronically fold in when I lock the car or if I'm sat outside waiting at school, by the touch of a little button. I park on a road which has always had issues with knocked mirrors and I'd say almost everyone either folds their mirrors in or they do it automatically. No one is knocking my mirrors off now!

pascalpascal · 03/08/2017 12:29

There is a lot of the usual MN over-reaction to this.

Okay, some door mirrors might cost £300, but that is for the full thing, and is at the expensive end of things. Many complete mirrors will be more around the £100 mark and the mirror glass and back cover are often available seperately.

You can often 'clip' door mirrors and get quite big bang, and a bit of a shock, from doing so without any damage at all. Just about all door mirrors have quite a bit of 'give' with them to minimize the damage from being knocked, and to allow them to be folded in.

RainbowPastel · 03/08/2017 12:36

No overreaction. The OP should have stopped immediately as soon as they hit the other car. That's what decent people do. Why should the other drivers be out of pocket for even £1 never mind up to £300 for damage they didn't cause?

BeBeatrix · 03/08/2017 12:57

You're right that other drivers shouldn't be out of pocket. But OP has clearly proved herself to be a "decent person" by going back, spending some time trying to find the car, and then reporting herself to the police.

If she'd stopped immediately, she would have caused traffic chaos at rush hour by blocking the whole road. She's a slightly nervous new driver and probably didn't do any damage.

I've had to replace my wing mirror after another driver damaged it and didn't stop, on a road with plenty of places to stop. That driver was an arsehole. OP tried to do the right thing. Save the judgement for the people who deserve it!

allegretto · 03/08/2017 12:59

Well done for reporting it! Someone did that to me and it cost me 1000 euros and wasn't covered on the insurance. However, given the damage they caused I don't think they can have been in any doubt that they had hit me hard.

NC4now · 03/08/2017 13:07

For context, I've had loads of wing mirror breakages. Most times I've just had to replace the glass, which costs under a tenner and you just stick it over the broken one.
I've had to replace the casing a couple of times but the garage I use got one from the scrapyard, and the other came in at around £85 from memory.
I know some fancy cars can be costly but it isn't always the case.

SusannahL · 03/08/2017 13:16

Bless you op, I feel for you!

As others have said, don't let this knock your confidence. I have come across road situations like you have described with parked cars on both sides, and they are a nightmare to negotiate.

You did the right thing reporting it though.

Cupcakekid1 · 07/01/2020 19:50

Evening all. Some advice please. On the 20th December my son was on a narrow country road, as he was going along he saw the oncoming car slow down and come to a stop so he could pass, the other driver did not pull right up to the side of the road and as my son passed him, he clipped his wing mirror against the other car. He said there was traffic whined the stationary car but could not stop as there was no room on the road, he went a bit up the road pulled in to a lay-by turned around and went back but the other guy was gone. He stopped and retrieved the cover from his wing mirror and carried on. He did not phone his insurance company as he said it was cheaper to just replace the cover himself. Today he received a letter from the police stating he did not stop or report the collision. His in a right state over it and is panicking that his going to face jail time or lose his license. The police have asked him to do a letter stating what had happened with in t next 14 days. Any advice would be really appreciated. .

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