Commercial vehicle parking inconsiderately & my first bump

[Darksideoftheprune]

Reversing off my drive this morning on new build estate (small roads) where there is a no commercial vans in the covenants, neighbours son's commercial van is parked on the opposite side and on the road from my house and drive all the time now and it makes it tricky to reverse out with a long car. I'm not sure what happened today as my sensors didn't go off and I ended up bumping into the van and scratching their door handle with the back off my car, I was going very slowly. Swapped details etc, but just wondering if a commercial vehicles insurance policy prohibits them from parking residentially on the road over night and if it might put the neighbours employer off making a claim? It's also parked really close to a corner. I know I'm at fault, but it's really tricky to reverse off when the van is there. I've only been driving a year and my insurance was 1300 odd last year so I'm dreading what it will be after this now. 🙃

Bump

You hit a parked car, there is no loop hole to get out of it!

My neighbour hit my parked car and blamed me for not giving him enough room. Nothing to do with the fact that he can’t drive.

Have you asked him to park so you can get out?

Nope afraid not. You should be reversing onto your drive, not off it for exactly this reason and as for your parking sensors not going off, why are you relying on them? Look over your shoulder!

If it’s only a damaged handle, why don’t you offer to pay instead of going through insurance?

You should never reverse off your drive. Reverse in so that you can drive out. Much safer.

You might ask driver if he knows it's a no commercial vehicle area and see what he says. It might make him think twice about not going through insurance and paying for any damage himself? Agree with other posters though - don't blame parking sensors and back in.

😂😂😂

You hit a parked vehicle and think it's his fault?

I'm not trying to get out of it, I already said I know I'm at fault... it'll go through the neighbours employers insurance so neighbour has no control of not making a claim, I just wondered if the employer realised his employee is parking the van on a road and place he shouldn't park on it would make a difference to the claim.

I will always reverse on the drive when he isn't parked there preventing me from doing so. When the van is already parked there it I can't reverse in its too tight.

I'm not blaming the sensors, I was looking over my shoulders and in the mirrors and it looked ok hence the "im not sure what happened". Jeez, I learnt to drive later in life and have only been driving a year, cut a gal some slack.

Did you even read my post, particularly the part where I said "I know I'm at fault"?

just wondered if the employer realised his employee is parking the van on a road and place he shouldn't park on it would make a difference to the claim.

why shouldn’t he be parked there? You seem to be intent on causing problems for him and his work.

If you can’t get your car safely on your drive then you can either talk to him and ask him not to park there, but it doesn’t sound he parked illegally. Get a smaller car or park elsewhere.

The employer won't give a shit, covenants on a lot of new build estates are rarely enforced.

I'm assuming if he's been making your parking difficult for a while that you'd spoken to them before this even happened to let them know it was impacting your driving? Maybe this will be more impactful than previous conversations.

Why are you going through insurance? Surely would make it cheaper for you to settle it yourself?

Can you offer to pay? If it's just the door handle it would be easier all round.

Your final paragraph makes it clear that you should not be allowed to be in control of a motor vehicle.

He shouldn't be parked there because like I said, we aren't supposed to have commercial vehicles parked anywhere on the estate residentially other than our driveways. Also because like I said, he parks right on a corner which you shouldn't do.

I have a disabled child so need a long car and to park on my driveway, but thanks for the advice that I did not ask for.

Oh piss off. My first incident since passing my test a year ago. I drive as safe as I possibly can and I wouldn't have passed my test if I wasn't able to drive safely.

A covenant on a new build estate won't put them off making a claim. Having lived on one before our current house, I have never known a covenant to be enforced, although regardless the employer won't concern themselves with that. Your insurance will deal with it but I would expect a rise in premiums.

I was just assuming as an employer there might be strict rules they have to claim on insurance other than me just pay upfront myself.

Hopefully if that's not the case he will let me pay it upfront myself as its only a scuff/scratch on the door handle.

Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted … BUT, you should have talked to them about the van being parked there as soon as they started doing it.

No matter how awkward it is, you can definitely reverse onto your drive regardless of how they’re parked - you just need patience and confidence.

Talk to them now, tell them why they shouldn’t be parking there, offer to pay for a new door handle, tell them if it goes through their insurance you WILL make the company aware that there are parking prohibitions in place for this type of vehicle. Hopefully, they’ll think it through and not go through insurance.

Don’t be so ridiculous. She has a disabled child and the van was obviously badly parked.

Maybe so, I'm not going to make excuses but you have no idea how complex my life is at the moment. The van being around is fairly new (im not even sure how long ago it started parking there) and it isn't always there when I need to get in/out. And when he parks late I can't just leave my house to have a chat with him as its often when I have to be 100% present in my house at all times. Unfortunately I can't just shut the front door and run out unless there is another adult here. Also, I'm just mentally and physically exhausted and didn't want to make a fuss.

I do agree, patience practice and confidence i could reverse on. I just dont always have those things, nor the time. Having a really long car makes it so much harder with the van so close when really I'm still finding my confidence.

I'll offer to pay myself if the employer gives me a call tomorrow.

The disabled child is as irrelevant as the position of the other vehicle. Which was stationary. Remember?

Reversing off your drive is actually harder than reversing on to it.