Car Park Accident - Hitting a Pole

[jimmyinin]

Hi, I am wondering if someone can help me out on this? Whilst driving 5 miles an hour in a supermarket car park being a Saturday noon it was quite busy and I drove into a parking pole whilst driving into my bay. It took of my wing mirror and a dent occurred on my right side of the car. Haphazardly this happened so fast that I didn’t get the chance to react on it. When I looked back of the car, the car-parking pole was damaged and I left the scene of the accident without stopping, as I was scared and worried. When I visited the car park again I realised the little car park pole was uprooted. I am happy to settle the matter without recourse to my insurance company, as this would affect my claim & costs being my second minor accident this year. No one was hurt but presumably I panicked. Can someone advise what do I need to do ?

[BeaverDiva]

i would probably contact the store in question and explain it to them. It may be that the accident was covered by CCTV in which case they may, just may, contact your insurers re the damage. I doubt it though - doesn't sound like it was any too bad and i'm sure if you just explain that you didn't realise there was any damage to the pole until you returned to the carpark on another occasion they'll understand. Alternatively, don't say anything and wait to see if they contact your insurers. Don't worry too much, it will be fine though....

[bookbinder]

Photograph the damage, then go to the supermarket manager and explain what happened. Say that you will pay for the damage. I say 'photograph the damage' just in case the supermarket management try to inflate the damage and charge you more than they should.

[jimmyinin]

As I did a runner by not stopping Do I need to report this matter to the police? I would not want the cops to land at my door step and charging me for this ? I dont know what / how witnesses react to this ?

[bookbinder]

The police won't be interested. They usually show up only when someone's been injured.

[ummmm]

Contact the supermarket first. You're not the first person to have done this, and you won't be the last.

[dannyk13]

The police are only concerned when an accident occurs on a road,not on private property.

[EvianBaby]

I'd do nothing.

[New Judge]

Although the car park is private property it is a "public place" for the purposes of the various Road Traffic Acts. Strictly speaking you have committed an offence under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, though it is doubtful that the police would be interested in following up the matter unless the supermarket insists. Under that section of the act you have a duty to stop and provide your details.

[Smowball]

Agree with EB

[ABerrant]

"Strictly speaking you have committed an offence under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988"

*** Pedantry Alert ***
Strictly speaking, two offences - failure to stop and failure to report (after not stopping). The failure to stop is usually viewed as the more serious of the two.

[ummmm]

My ex got done for that and he only clipped a wing mirror. Can't remember the wording but along the lines of 'failing to stop and report an accident'

[jimmyinin]

Who should I provided the details too ?? This Supermarket has 9 shops around it and it was a very busy car park. I also clipped a wing mirror and a dent on my right wing and door. When you say your ex got done what are we looking at ? What can I do now ?

[Bazile]

.

[ummmm]

Someone reported him. They checked the CCTV...can't remember what the outcome was.

[jimmyinin]

I am assuming someone will report me too but being such a busy car park who am i supposed to give my details too although should the supermarkets be so fussed up a little bollard being damaged by a car. Surely I mustin have been the first person to do it .. Agreed I should have reported to but most people i spoke to said the police would not be interested in a petty accident unless someone is hurt.

[New Judge]

A bit off topic, but an interesting point, AB.

The wording of S170 is as follows:

A person who fails to comply with subsection (2) [the duty to stop] or (3) [the duty to report] above is guilty of an offence..

I think the important phrase is “…guilty of AN offence.”

Have a look at Magistrates’ sentencing guidelines for the offence (p127 of this document):

　http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk/
docs/MCSG_(web)_-_Complete_8.pdf


about halfway down the page you will see “Examples of Nature of Activity”. These are provided to help Magistrates recognise the seriousness of the offence. In the first category you will see (essentially) “stopped but failed to report”. In the second, more serious, category you will see (essentially) failed to stop AND failed to report. This suggests that a driver failing to undertake both of his obligations under S170 is guilty of just one offence. However the offence is aggravated by his failure in both duties and he would be sentenced more harshly.

Interestingly this offence is one of the very few motoring offences which can attract a custodial sentence.

[ABerrant]

The wording of s.170 can be interpreted as

fails to comply with subsection (2) is guilty of an offence

-or-

fails to comply with subsection (3) is guilty of an offence


Two offences with a conditional separator.

The CPS goes with this interpretation.

http://www.cps.gov.uk...ic_offences/#P71_3529

[cathfromsaron]

ditto, speak to the manager first!

[bookbinder]

How would you know how much to pay for the damage? The owner of the car park could name any figure they liked, and you (presumably) wouldn't know if that was accurate or not. You might end up paying for all kinds of other damage around the car park if you went to the management and owned up. Keep quiet about it.