Yesterday, midday I entered Cudham Lane North from leaving the A21 in the Bromley area, and this being a narrow, winding road retracted my Door mirrors for the 3 miles uphill drive to one of our favourite Pubs for lunch (Blacksmith's Arms).
There seemed to be more than usual traffic coming in the opposite direction and so I kept well over to the hedges and slowing where necessary. A stream of oncoming vehicles passed me and then there was a 'bang' and obviously my mirror housing had been hit, dislodging the mirror from its backing plate assembly. I was able to lower the driver's window and recover the unbroken mirror.
I proceeded but then became aware that I was being followed closely by a black Merc or Audi and was obviously wanting me to pull over and stop.
I slowed down and immediately the car overtook me and pulled across by bows. An angry young bloke got out accusing me of breaking his mirror and said I was in the middle of the lane.
Fortunately we were near a large driveway and were able to take our cars off the lane that we were blocking.
He was irate and said that I have got to pay for the damage in cash or by bank transfer to his bank. I obviously said no and that I had no idea that it was his vehicle whose non-retracted door mirror had it mine. I said let the Insurance company deal with this and so we exchanged details and left it at that.
Apart from mirror detachment in my folded mirror casing everything appeared to be working and the Silver casing only had a slight blackish scuff mark.
Well, we had lunch which was not as relaxed as it should have been and as soon as I got home I cleaned the rear of the mirror and plate and re-attached it using my usual strong double sided tape and polished the scuff mark of the metallic Silver finish.
Later I phone my new SAGA Insurance company to tell them what had happened and that I was not making any claim but I don't know how I stand with what the other bloke will do to get his broken mirror replaced.
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You got dashcam?
Pretty sure on a road like you describe no insurance company will try to blame one or other, it will be an equal blame basis.
Just hope he decides not to claim.
If he was demanding cash I am guessing he maybe won’t.
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>> You got dashcam?
>> Pretty sure on a road like you describe no insurance company will try to blame
>> one or other, it will be an equal blame basis.
>> Just hope he decides not to claim.
>>
>> If he was demanding cash I am guessing he maybe won’t.
>>
He said he had a dashcam but I don't.
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>>Just hope he decides not to claim.
If he even has insurance.
Or it was already broken and he was looking for a victim to blame - deliberately causing a ding.
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No independent witnesses. Even a dashcam doesn't cover a door mirror. Insurance will treat it as a 'knock for knock'. And the fact that he has reported it to his own insurance could increase his premium on renewal so he may not be inclined to do so.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sat 9 Mar 24 at 22:12
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>> Or it was already broken and he was looking for a victim to blame -
>> deliberately causing a ding.
You need to be a superstar driver to just touch mirrors at speed
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>> You need to be a superstar driver to just touch mirrors at speed
Yes considering my mirror on my Golf was folded in and sort of up. I'm amazed why more drivers on road/lanes like this don't fold in their mirrors where possible and are always travelling faster downhill as this one does coming back down from the pub to the main road. Absolute lunacy.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 11 Mar 24 at 10:57
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>> I'm amazed why more drivers on road/lanes like this don't fold in their mirrors where possible
I always do that when driving down the narrow lanes in godforsaken-Cornwall.
I don't think the ole woman does though - or even knows where the switch is.
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If no internal switch then roll down the window and pull the ruddy thing in assuming it's hinged so to do.
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Some don't know where the switch is.
Some cars don't have folding mirrors.
Some think that folding mirrors are for use only when parked.
I view them as as effective width guides. If the mirror can get through a gap unscathed, the bodywork will will sail through unmarked. Cheaper to fix a wing mirror than doors and wings.
A clash of mirrors on a narrow road is almost certainly going to be 50:50 unless there is very clear evidence to the contrary - eg: camera.
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I'm
>> amazed why more drivers on road/lanes like this don't fold in their mirrors where possible
>> and are always travelling faster downhill as this one does coming back down from the
>> pub to the main road. Absolute lunacy.
>>
I'd imagine most people manage to drive down roads without hitting another car, so don't think to.
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I lost nearside mirror a few decades ago...driving my ex FiL H reg Discovery touring Norway. 5 up, minding my own business, when ( so I was told by front seat passenger) there was a slow camper coming in the opposite direction. An impatient driver behind the camper pulled out looking for an overtaking opportunity. He edged out a little too far. Big Bang and my nearside mirror disappeared.
We didn’t stop and I replaced it from a scrapyard a few weeks later. Back in the days before fancy mirrors.
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>> I'd imagine most people manage to drive down roads without hitting another car, so don't
>> think to.
>>
Maybe in general, yes but when one is in a lane where one cannot drive any more to the left because of high hedges hiding tree trunks then at the best one can stop but can do nothing about an approaching vehicle who choses to perhaps drive too fast for the prevailing circumstances or has misjudged whether there is sufficient clearance. I can't just beam up out of that situation although i was not stationary.
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I was mooching down a narrow pot holed lane in Cambridgeshire when one of those suicidal speed cyclists came the other way, head down bum up. I stopped, but he considered I was in the wrong so slapped my wing mirror with his hand, breaking the glass.
I got out expecting him to be in a heap in the road., but he was bum up head down cycling away like billy o. I turned the car round, chased him down, got him stopped and remonstrated with him. I got a stream of lip back, so he ended up upside down in the road side ditch with his bike on top of him. Police were called, but nothing came of it because he foolishly showed them his head cam showing him slapping my mirror.
BMW wanted £200 for the glass, Got one off the bay for 20 quid. Heated but not auto dimming.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 10 Mar 24 at 11:39
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Early 1990's. Ford Escort Diesel - first company car. No power steering -total poverty spec.
In Surrey Quays, London. Pulled right over as far as I could in a tight road for an ambulance on blues and twos.
It was a very narrow road and he took my wing mirror off, before I realised how close it would be.
Thought oh well, ambulance in a rush has a greater need than me.
a*** of a HR director thought otherwise though (Ex RAF pilot) and made me pay for it.
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>>
>>......(Ex RAF pilot) .....
>>
...Wing Commander?...
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>> >>
>> >>......(Ex RAF pilot) .....
>> >>
>>
>> ...Wing Commander?...
>>
He said he was.
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>> I was mooching down a narrow pot holed lane in Cambridgeshire when one of those
>> suicidal speed cyclists came the other way, head down bum up. I stopped, but he
>> considered I was in the wrong so slapped my wing mirror with his hand, breaking
>> the glass.
>>
>> I got out expecting him to be in a heap in the road., but he
>> was bum up head down cycling away like billy o. I turned the car round,
>> chased him down, got him stopped and remonstrated with him. I got a stream of
>> lip back, so he ended up upside down in the road side ditch with his
>> bike on top of him. Police were called, but nothing came of it because he
>> foolishly showed them his head cam showing him slapping my mirror.
>>
Nothing like a bit of excitement to break up a car journey.
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If two cars pass so close to one another they hit wing mirrors then one of the vehicles should have pulled over to allow the other to pass safely. Driving down narrow and single track roads requires anticipation and consideration.
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Despite what has been said about the other party in Friday's incident, I had a phone call this morning (Sunday) from his Insurance company asking me if I could elaborate as to what had occurred on Friday and so clearly he had contacted his Insurance Company regarding the incident and is intent on getting some financial compensation.
Since getting new car Insurance with Saga I now realise I am liable for the first £500 of any claim. and so I'd imagine I will be paying something weighty towards his new Audi (confirmed) door mirror assembly. Not a good start with a new Insurance company.
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If there was a long line of oncoming traffic but he was the only one clipped your door mirror suggest to me that he wasn't paying attention or a crap driver. I'd point that out to your insurance company. All the others managed just fine.
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No doubt the other driver will be claiming whiplash along with the other 3 people in the car . He’ll probably be off work for 3 months also as he’s been traumatised after the event .
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>> first £500 of any claim. and so I'd imagine I will be paying something weighty
>> towards his new Audi (confirmed) door mirror assembly. Not a good start with a new
>> Insurance company.
>>
I thought the insurance Co had to pay third party claims in full. Perhaps they will claim the £500 from you if they pay out to the third party and not go knock for knock?
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>> I'd imagine I will be paying something weighty towards his new Audi (confirmed) door mirror assembly.
Doesn't your excess only apply to your own damage? The third party claim is usually paid in full.
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>> Doesn't your excess only apply to your own damage? The third party claim is usually
>> paid in full.
>>
I have just been reading my new SAGA motor Ins schedule and to be honest don't fully understand how the excesses apply.
Summarising, it reads.
"Your excesses - the amount you pay towards a claim"
Accidental Damage:
Compulsory Excess - £200, Voluntary Excess - £300 therefore Total Excess £500.
Other excesses listed refer to Fire and Theft, Broken Glass (three categories relating to replacement, repairs both by approved and non-approved repairers.
That's all I know but don't know how this affects claims made by a third party even if I was not at fault, in my own mind of course.
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I'm familiar with these roads around Cudham and Downe - to be honest I do my upmost to avoid them - too many close calls like yours with cars/vans who have little understanding of how wide their vehicles are and drive way too fast for the conditions, I guess this is only going to get worse as newer cars seem to be getting bigger.
Maybe take a leaf out of the hopper buses that run around the lanes here, my understanding is that they are told to stop the bus and let other vehicles pass even if it's tight, that way if any contact happens they are not to blame - I've seen it twice where the driver is just sat with his arms crossed refusing to move until others have found their way past.
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>> I'm familiar with these roads around Cudham and Downe - to be honest I do
>> my upmost to avoid them - too many close calls like yours with cars/vans who
>> have little understanding of how wide their vehicles are.
Well I don't use thst Lane out of choice. But to visit The Blacksmith's Arms one needs to use it. Coming from the opposite direction is even worse.
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Yep - daughter lives down in Otford so when the A25 is chocka I cut through Knockholt and then down past Fort Halstead - I'm more than happy to pull over although many drivers in larger cars seem less inclined to do so.
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There are, of course, those who don't conform to the stereotype above - driving too fast for the road, certain that whatever they hit it is the other drivers fault.
This is the large new 4x4 SUV driver. Cautious in the extreme - traffic comes to a halt even if there is clearance. Reluctant to put their left wheels into a muddy verge in case it hides the pothole from hell and damages a wheel. Anxious to avoid brambles lest they damage the paintwork.
They regard every other motorist as a threat to their £60k pristine pride and joy. Why they don't take a slightly longer route along the A roads defeats me - perhaps an arrogance that driving a 2+ ton motor should give them right of way (or they don't know how to reverse).
Last edited by: Terry on Sun 10 Mar 24 at 18:17
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Well, the third party IS making a claims for mirror damage through his insurance company and so yesterday I eventually got through the the right department of Saga Insurance and spent a tedious 40 minutes going through the minutiae of the accident and no doubt the agent was typing it all out on his screen. I now have an incident number etc and will let them sort it out.
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Volkswagen - A clash of Door/wing mirrors. - Bobby
