Be Excellent To Each Other

So a month ago, I slightly bumped another car in a car park. I didn't know at the time. But when I returned to the car there was a woman and her daughter fuming at me.

Apparently her daughter was sat in the car at the time as well.

After a while of shouting at me (about 10 minutes) she seemed to just say I should be more careful in future and that was that.

Now I get a letter from the police saying that I have committed an offence under 172 (2) (a) (b) of the road traffic act which is something to do with not leaving identification with her.

Am I going to get completely and utterly shafted by this?

No idea, that's very strange! 172 (2) (a) (b) is all about the registered keeper being required to identify the driver, not about you as a driver not handing over details, so shouldn't apply I would have thought. Unless there is correspondence that you have missed?

Give the rozzers a bell in the morning and see what they say.

Indeed it says:

"Duty to give information as to identity of driver etc in certain circumstances.

Where the driver of a vehicle is alleged to be guilty of an offence to which this section applies—

(a)the person keeping the vehicle shall give such information as to the identity of the driver as he may be required to give by or on behalf of a chief officer of police, and

(b)any other person shall if required as stated above give any information which it is in his power to give and may lead to identification of the driver."

This is definitely the first communication I've received about this (It was signed for).

Surely this is just saying that I should have supplied identity information?

I'm presuming there wasn't much damage? I'd chat to the police tomorrow and tell them that you didn't realize you'd hit it.

Was it a private car park? I have absolutely no idea but would that have any bearing on the situation and whether the police would pursue it?

It was a supermarket car park. I couldn't see any damage. But the woman was utterly fuming and seething. Suggesting I should be banned from driving. Mainly because her daughter had been in the car and I hadn't stuck around afterwards. As I say I didn't know that I'd even touched the car.

The 'Woman' in question wasn't present at the time of the incident. I presume she phone the police in the interim period between the incident and seeing me.

There you go then, no damage, you had no idea you had even touched her car, all you know is someone was shouting at you that you had. Should be easy to argue that you didn't need to hand over details as there wasn't an accident.

Be careful that there hasn't magically appeared a load of damage on her car though...

Are you sure this letter isn't just a request for the driver details under the statute (rather than notice of an intended prosecution)?

Can you post a redacted letter?

I'll see what I can do later. It may be just a request for driver details for an 'alleged offense' (as it says)

Sounds like it to me. If you supply your details then surely it'll all just go away (although sounds like she wants some compo).

You can probably decide whether you want to put your insurers on notice. I'd take some good pictures of your undamaged car though for completeness.

Photos of my car probably won't help as it's covered in minor bumps and scrapes...

Here's the police form/letter. Thing.

It's just the request for your details. You won't commit the offence provided you supply your details within 28 days.

Fill it in, and send it off ASAP.

Nowt to worry about.

But it's in relation to an 'alleged offense', right?

She must have reported the incident to the cops, yeah, but I can't see the cops doing anything about a bump in a car park. You're both insured presumably so the cops will probably do eff all. I can't promise it of course but I've never known the police to prosecute for minor damage.

Try not to worry and wait it out. Let us know of owt else happens.

Ok cheers. I think it's possibly just the way she may have potentially painted it to the police considering how hysterical she was at the time and yet the bump was probably at no more than 3mph. But you never know how her daughter may have painted it to her.

Can't see her having any case here, you didn't leave the scene of the accident as you where speaking to her for 10 minutes.

Did she ask for details or show you the alleged damage? Does the Police letter say what the nature of the offense is?

I would check with your insurers legal people before you do anything, chances are it will go nowhere as the daughter is the only witness to the alleged incident and the mother will back off before she puts her kid on the stand?

I wouldn't check with insurers at all until you have something to needs to go through them. They may well mark it down on your file as an accident and your premium will increase, regardless of whether anything more comes of it police wise, or they have to pay out anything. Actuaries see, bunch of cunts. "waves at Curio"

It's the people who make the pricing software you most have to blame...

The police letter is EXACTLY as shown above. It just says alleged offense. And suggests violation of 172 (2) (a) (b) of road traffic act. And a request for my details.