Foreign lorry driver hit our car
12-May-2008
*
* Your Gripe Gripe List Quick Gripe Comments Gripe Poll About Us Site Map Resources Home *
*   *
 

Foreign lorry driver hit our car

Bookmarking, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Digg, Delicious, Redit, Furl and many more Add To Any >> 
Feedburner Subscribe to feed >> 
Other Related Gripes >> 
Email To A Friend >> 

 
 

Last Sunday I was travelling home from London on the M25 with my other half, was going past Heathrow airport when a Polish lorry driver decided to plough his vehicle into the side of our car!  We were in the middle lane doing about 35mph (there was a long line of slow moving traffic due to an imposed speed restriction of 40mph), we overtook a lorry who was on the inside lane, and as about 3/4 of our car had passed him he decided to pull out into the middle lane,despite there being about 6 car lengths of room in front of him in the inside lane.

Well of course he went straight into the back of our car, scratching it all down the side and denting the back bumper as he dragged us along the motorway!  I was in the passenger side so leaned out of the window and indicated for him to follow us to the hard shoulder.  I might add that he only decided to do this when I got out of the car as if I was going to run across the carriageway and kick his door in!

At the side of the road he patted the damage to the car and in very broad Polish, "Is small car... I did not see!", to which my reply was "If it had been a guy on a motorbike you would have killed him you ass-hole!"

A car accident

He only gave me his insurance details when a lovely lady pulled over and said she had seen what happened, he had simply not looked and pulled out into our car!  She has kindly said she would be our witness - thank God there are honest people about!

I am so cross, luckily both myself and my other half are OK but the car is FUBAR, it could have been so much worse.  Lorry drivers are a liability at the best of times, but the foreign ones drive like maniacs!  Only 10 minutes before we had been cut up by a Portuguese lorry driver doing 50mph (in the 40mph zone).  If they can't read simple signs (like how fast you should be going) and abide by the Highway Code (Mirror Signal Manoeuvre) they shouldn't be driving in this country!

Furthermore, since the accident we have been told we are unable to claim for the damage to the car.  The driver did not report the accident to his insurance company and they have no record of the accident or the lorry.  The lady that I spoke to at the call centre said that all we could do was to either contact their insurance company ourselves (which I have done by email already) and wait for a response or to have the repairs done ourselves and keep all receipts and then take the matter out with an independent solicitor.

She said that when people are hit by Polish drivers in this country, more often than not the case is never resolved.  If an English man or woman had a RTA abroad the foreign police/authorities can contact the DVLA in Swansea and get all our personal details, but as the driver was Polish and has Polish insurance, due to some stupid EU regulation the British police cannot force the Polish authorities to trace this individual.  How is this right?

By:Sarah


Other Related Gripes

Britain is loosing its Britishness
The immigrant hierarchy in the UK
No road tax on foreign cars
Why are English people so cold?
Lorry versus car at rush hour
Fed up with Lorries causing mayhem
Immigration policies in the UK
Lorry drivers are rude and selfish
Car drivers forget Highway Code
Insurance company nightmare
Rudeness and foreign language
M25 traffic and the lack of information
Car insurance company useless
Stuck behind a slow lorry again
Insurance companies are nothing but sharks




Sponsored Links


Visitor Comments

Please read this before you post

Enter your comments in the space below

Name or nickname


Remember my name



 
I was hit by a romanian lorry a few months ago and still haven't heard anything from the other drivers insurance company. I ended up having to pay a £650 excess on my insurance to get my car repaired which it doesn't look like I'll end up getting back and I'll lose my no claims. I even got the drivers details, the company he works for etc. and I called the police who came to the scene of the accident and gave me a crime reference number. It goes to show that even if you are careful and get all the foreign drivers details, you still don't have much chance of getting your money back! We seem to have no protection against foreign drivers!
*D  30-Apr-2008 09:26

 
Are you sure you know what country that vehicle came from? That plate looks as if it could have been Dutch or Portuguese, I can't remember offhand how the number sequences go.
*MikeP  05-Apr-2008 10:52

 
In response to Sarah
On Tuesday of this week I was on my way to saisbury ,when at a bridge I stopped to let a foreign lorry driver through as it was a narrow road,he proceded to take the whole drivers side of my Toyota celica with him but failed to stop so I turned the car around followed him and managed to put my car in front of him to enable me to get his details.
At this time both vehicles were stopped, as I was about to get out of the car he rammed my car in the rear removing the rear spoiler and crushing the back quarter pannel,he then swerved around me mounting the grass vergr at the junction he then proceded down onto the by-pass ,I dialed 999 from my mobile guess what yes you got it the police were not interested and would not attend the incident. I managed to get his trailer number yellow plate OG-39-LR OR OJ-39-LR this was passed to my insurance and the police, I was then informed by the police to report to the nearest station with thr relevant documents which I did asap filed a police report got a crime number only to be told that the vehicle number was not registered or registered internationally for insurance. My car has been uplifted by my insurance company for assesment yet I will have to pay the excess and loose 26 years no claims for a non fault accident why. when will the powers that be in this country wake up to the real issues out there these drivers have to be stopped he could have killed me its just a good job my kids were not in the car
Karl
*karl  04-Apr-2008 15:59

 
Report untaxed vehicles at (you do not have to give your name):-
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/UntaxedVehicle
If enough people do this maybe we can reverse the Dross Zone situation.
*Deliverance  31-Mar-2008 10:22

 
I am a lorry driver and I want to say something about that "Foreign lorry driver hit our car", and that is that lorry driver can not see you if you are in dead angle so if you are driving in same speed as lorry is then there is no way to see anyone. It does not making any difrent if driver is foreign or not. Car drivers just dont tink about dificitalities that lorry drivers have when driving. Tell me then ho is selfish then lorry driver or driver who do not think of thet what he was lerning at driving school. Just think about it.
*marko  15-Mar-2008 00:59

 
This is terrible what happened. It is a shame that the truck driver did not look in the mirror. Anyway, I am in the same situation with an English lorry. I am Polish and we were driving to London few months ago. English van driver hit us and I have never received any Penny to repair my car. The same stupid EU regulations apply to Polish drivers. The driver of the van never reported the accident to his insurance company in UK and we were left with nothing. Honestly, there shall be any regulations between UK and Poland, because this is unacceptable.
*Lenny  14-Mar-2008 13:12

 
if you know the registration of the lorry, you should be able to claim from the motor insurance bureau (mib.org.uk)
*laughing gravy  12-Mar-2008 18:34

 
you have been lucky in Southampton there are polish registered cars being used as Mini cabs and I can't imagine they have ANY insurance
even the police have trouble getting information from Polish insurance companies and usualy advise that you are wasting your time tryingIt's high time we had similar rules to others in Europe whereby the vehicle is impounded untill insurance or court cases are sorted
We realy are becoming the Dross Zone of Europe
*twiggy  06-Mar-2008 20:29

 
Just read the following -

Why is it people ALWAYS bring politics into it.

When in an accident involving a lorry, ALWAYS get the police involved.This way your sure of one thing, The LAW on your side. foreign drivers HAVE to have the correct papers, if not their screwed. -
My husband rang the police who said as no one was seriously injured they would not attend. Not even a crime number. We did not know the information we should get but even if we had there is little hope of recompense. The public need to be correctly informed of what to do and then everyone involved needs to stick to it.
*witc h  12-Feb-2008 14:46

 
Found your article whilst looking up how to trace a foreign lorry. My husband stationary at lights when hit side on by 'eastern european' lorry driver who changed lanes. Our car might be written off. He has given false name and apparently we should have asked for his cab details, the number plate we have is for the trailer. If anyone else has this happen, get name of driver, company name, trailer number plate and country sticker and cab number plate and country sticker. Apparently plate we took could be registered to four countries. No hope of finding him for either car claim or personal injury. Sympathy to anyone else in this position.
*witc h  12-Feb-2008 14:41

 
"We need to take down the 'Britain For Sale' sign, withdraw from the EU asap and tighten up all the regulations about foreigners in this country"

Too late for that. Britain has already been sold to Europe. Pathetic and sad what one government has done.
*MikeP  07-Feb-2008 14:36

 
I have seen these foreign drivers trying to load containers at the docks.All you have to do is back into a box area its simple. When the stradel carrier pulls up behind you get out of your truck and watch your container get loaded and give the thumbs up to the driver so he knows the box is sitting ok on your trailer. You dont chase the stradel carrier across the dock trying to get under it and bring the docks to a stand-still. Its simple foreign drivers are not trained to dvla standards.Left hand drive trucks should unload at dover and be put back on the ferry back to where ever they come from they can`t drive blind spot my ass.

To all british racist pigs - don't blame Polish drivers for their driving skills (which in my opinion are on a high level), but better have a look what you (native britons) are doing on roads!!!
Best regards!
polish driver 22-Nov-2007 20:50
Polish driver we are not british racist pigs.But if you dont like it go home don`t let us british racist pigs give you a better life style. Theres a old saying "when in rome" in other words "shut up"
*v8 topline  06-Feb-2008 21:16


View more comments on this gripe


 
*   *
* © 2000-2008 The Weekly Gripe. All rights reserved. Please see our privacy policy and disclaimer. *