Highway fence collision - do I need to report?

[Bkkee]

Hi,

Apologies if this is not the right section. I was involved in a collision with one of the highway fences in Wales, do I need to report it to police and my car insurance? (Photo attached)

Also it has caused some damage to my car, do most comprehensive car insurance cover this damage?

Thanks,

[PallasAthena]

North Wales Police explain the law:

Road collisions and incidents | North Wales Police

TBH it's hard to tell from that photo that anything actually has been damaged. I imagine the wire fence belongs to whoever farms the landlord - looks like moorland in the hills? Any witnesses?

If you have a comprehensive policy it should cover both damage to your car and the cost of repairing the fence (if you can ever find out who owns it).

[HandyAndy]

If there was personal injury or damage to Third Party property and you could not provide your details at the time, the Road Traffic Act requires you to report the incident as soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours. The law actually says you must report it "....at a police station or to a constable," but most forces have an online facility for doing so.

It is probably a condition of your policy that you report any incidents to your insurers. Your policy should cover the cost of repairs to both the fence and to your own vehicle.

[Bkkee]

Hi All,

thank you for your responses. I’ve now reported it to my insurance, I explicitly asked them if I should inform anyone else and they advised No and advised if someone contacts them and makes a claim they will take it from there. Do I still need reporting responsibility to police? (Apologies if it sounds like a dumb question)

[HandyAndy]

Do I still need reporting responsibility to police? (Apologies if it sounds like a dumb question)

The law (Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act) says you must:

170Duty of driver to stop, report accident and give information or documents.


(1)This section applies in a case where, owing to the presence of a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place, an accident occurs by which—

(a)personal injury is caused to a person other than the driver of that mechanically propelled vehicle, or

(b)damage is caused—

(i)to a vehicle other than that mechanically propelled vehicle or a trailer drawn by that mechanically propelled vehicle, or

(ii)to an animal other than an animal in or on that mechanically propelled vehicle or a trailer drawn by that mechanically propelled vehicle, or

(iii)to any other property constructed on, fixed to, growing in or otherwise forming part of the land on which the road or place in question is situated or land adjacent to such land.

(2)The driver of the mechanically propelled vehicle must stop and, if required to do so by any person having reasonable grounds for so requiring, give his name and address and also the name and address of the owner and the identification marks of the vehicle.

(3)If for any reason the driver of the mechanically propelled vehicle does not give his name and address under subsection (2) above, he must report the accident.

(4)A person who fails to comply with subsection (2) or (3) above is guilty of an offence.

...
...

(6)To comply with a duty under this section to report an accident or to produce such a certificate of insurance or other evidence, as is mentioned in section 165(2)(a) of this Act, the driver—

(a)must do so at a police station or to a constable, and

(b)must do so as soon as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, within twenty-four hours of the occurrence of the accident.

Since more than 24 hours has now passed you have already committed the offence so I doubt it will make much difference whether or not you report the incident anyway.