Rude words!!!!!!

[Llanigraham]

All of which has been told to my insurance company, but they will not alter their view.
I can't be bothered!!
It is going to cost me £150 and nothing more, as my NCD is totally protected, and because of their attitude I will probably go elsewhere next year, and I have been with them for more than 25 years!!

[Spanner110]

You forgot to mention your price

I don't charge friends.........
I just have a problem with insurance companies wriggling out of everything, and stitching up members of the public.

[Spanner110]

All of which has been told to my insurance company, but they will not alter their view.
I can't be bothered!!
It is going to cost me £150 and nothing more, as my NCD is totally protected, and because of their attitude I will probably go elsewhere next year, and I have been with them for more than 25 years!!

Incidentally, who are your insurers? (forewarned is forearmed) I wouldn't like to be giving them my money would I now.

[Llanigraham]

LV=Frizzell

[Spanner110]

LV=Frizzell

Thanks. that'll go in in the little black book

[littlelegs]

The moral of this story is of course keep your distance even at slow speeds, that way you have time to react no matter what happens ahead!

[Spanner110]

The moral of this story is of course keep your distance even at slow speeds, that way you have time to react no matter what happens ahead!

Grahams not going to like you saying that

We all of us cannot cater for every eventuality and sometimes it is impossible/ impractical to leave that 'safety gap'. In this instance I feel that Graham had zero chance of avoiding a collision given that the car in front stopped as quickly as it if it had hit a wall, and the fact that he would have had no visual warning from the brake lights.
I feel in this case it is simply an instance of sheer bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Llanigraham]

Grahams not going to like you saying that

We all of us cannot cater for every eventuality and sometimes it is impossible/ impractical to leave that 'safety gap'. In this instance I feel that Graham had zero chance of avoiding a collision given that the car in front stopped as quickly as it if it had hit a wall, and the fact that he would have had no visual warning from the brake lights.
I feel in this case it is simply an instance of sheer bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

To be honest, I'm not bothered about what someone else thinks, Spanner.

FACTS
We were doing about 30mph and I was about 3 or 4 car lengths behind her. Sudden realisation that she had stopped but NO brake lights. Brake hard and swerve towards grass verge. I didn't make it by about 6".
Sh1t happens!
Metal can be repaired, bodies take longer, but luckily no-one was hurt. End of.

It's going to cost me my excess. Not a lot I can do about it if the legal bods won't take it on.

[Chaser]

Accidents happen in a moment, it's hard to allow for every possible scenario but thats what we are supposed to do. The only thing hurt is your pride Graham. No need to switch insurance companies, LV have followed the same guidelines as they all do. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face, you've have good cover and suffered minimal financial loss so why change?

[Llanigraham]

Chaser,
agreed about LV, especially as they are unique in allowing me to compete up to National A class on motorsport, on the CSMA standard policy, but since they have been bought by LV= the service isn't what it was. We shall see next March.

My pride takes more than this to dent it. After all I could have hit them square on, which would have been a lot harder for both of us, and would probably written mine off as well.

C'est la vie!

[eurolandy]

Graham,
I have been reading this with interest.
I have been with Liverpool Victoria (LV) / Frizzel via the CSMA for many years (along with my wife with her Nissan). This year I shopped around for a quote when my renewal came in and found that by going to LV direct ‘on line’ I saved about £50 compared to my LV / Frizzel / CSMA renewal. No brainer, I went direct to LV (What the renewal will be next year is anyone’s guess though).
Let us know how you rate the quality of the repair.
The Sister-in-Law, has just pranged her Ford Galaxy and has been directed to a local (Blackpool) backstreet bodyshop by her insurers so I am waiting to see what kind of job they have made.
Hope your sorted soon.
Chris

[littlelegs]

Grahams not going to like you saying that

We all of us cannot cater for every eventuality and sometimes it is impossible/ impractical to leave that 'safety gap'. In this instance I feel that Graham had zero chance of avoiding a collision given that the car in front stopped as quickly as it if it had hit a wall, and the fact that he would have had no visual warning from the brake lights.
I feel in this case it is simply an instance of sheer bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have little sympathy for Graham but agree there are times when you can get caught out in unusual circumstances but generally it's driving too close or not paying attention that causes accidents, three or four car lengths is not enough and stop lamps are meant to be an advanced warning not a signal to brake yourself! Parked cars don't have brake lights yet most people seem to miss them!

I can relate two unusual incidents of my own. I'd picked up a large, heavy, unladen trailer behind my Astra van just as it had started to rain, a few hundred yards down the road the traffic had stopped behind a car signalling to turn right and waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear. I found I couldn't stop on the greasy road so I past the line of cars while the oncoming cars mounted the pavement, as I reached the lead car it turned into the cul de sac, I still couldn't stop on the wet road so I turned as well and ended up alongside a very surprised woman driver, still with the trailer! Didn't hit anything!

Driving along in a line of traffic I was distracted by a phone call that my wife had taken, then realised the traffic had stopped ahead, I had time to brake ok and look in my mirror to see the too close lorry behind wasn't stopping! I steered on to the pavement and along side the car ahead, rather him than both of us! The artic also half mounted the pavement and stopped about two feet behind us! Sometimes you have to drive for the vehicle behind as well as ahead to avoid getting involved.

[Llanigraham]

Graham,
I have been reading this with interest.
I have been with Liverpool Victoria (LV) / Frizzel via the CSMA for many years (along with my wife with her Nissan). This year I shopped around for a quote when my renewal came in and found that by going to LV direct ‘on line’ I saved about £50 compared to my LV / Frizzel / CSMA renewal. No brainer, I went direct to LV (What the renewal will be next year is anyone’s guess though).
Let us know how you rate the quality of the repair.
The Sister-in-Law, has just pranged her Ford Galaxy and has been directed to a local (Blackpool) backstreet bodyshop by her insurers so I am waiting to see what kind of job they have made.
Hope your sorted soon.
Chris

Chris,
so far, other than the fact that they won't argue with her insurance, the service has been great. Rang them on the Saturday afternoon, and all details taken over the phone, with no forms to fill in, and the car was collected and loan Fiesta delivered on Monday. It has gone to a bodyshop between Welshpool and Oswestry, that I know have a good reputation.
I did try the CSMA Legal Service, but as they said, it's my word against hers. I did try pushing the fact that I am on the national Motoring Committee (cheeky, but you never know) but that didn't make any difference.
I had a similar situation this year, and actually got them to match the LV online quote, all bar £5. That amount I wasn't bothered about, but for me the differences in the 2 policy's, although small, make a difference. LV/Friz give me the motorsport cover plus cover when I do voluntary work with 4x4 Response.
Might be worth checking with Templar whether he knows anything about your sister's bodyshop. I don't think he is too far from you.

[eurolandy]

Graham,
Wife tells me the Sister-in-law got her car back last night so I will nip round and have a look………........................when it stops raining.
Chris

[Llanigraham]

Littlelegs,
I don't think I have ever said I am looking for sympathy, other than having to drive a fiesta.

If you actually check, I think you will find that according to RoSPA and IAM guidelines I was within their safety parameters for the speed we were going, especially since it was dry and sunny at the time. Plus the car I HIT (note, I admit it) had NO brake lights showing, since she had dropped it into PARK, stopping dead.
I would suggest that the regular defensive driving courses I attend actually saved us both from a lot more injury, by my swerving towards the verge. If not I would have hit them square, not just clipping the soft rear quarter of their car, and thereby spinning them slightly sideways, not straight on.

However, as I have already said, sh1t happens, but no-one was injured.