Accidentally hit traffic island, looking for advice...

[SaucyWeeTart]

Hi guys,

 

Just looking for some advice. I'm a pretty vigilant driver but about 2 hours ago (midnight-ish) I accidentally drove over the side of a traffic island that wasn't visible in the slightest due to how dark it was and the lack of markings. I do realise some might blame me for cutting the corner slightly but surely it has to be better marked than that? A crumbling, unmarked mess in the centre of a badly lit junction? I'm conflicted whether to push the issue or not. Had to leave the car pretty much in situ with the risk of getting some parking fines. Oh well....

 

Think I need to just suck it up? I'm a bit stuck and don't know if I can afford the repairs this may cost. Front axle really took a battering.

 

Here are the coordinates for GMaps - 55°51'38.1"N 4°25'29.2"W

 

Also, attached a couple of images as reference.

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by SaucyWeeTart

[unclebulgaria67]

How fast were you driving to damage the car ?

 

The traffic island is actually a pedestrian crossing point, which is why there is a dropped curb either side of the road.

 

I suspect that originally there was more to the crossing point and over a period of time it has degraded due to vehicles hitting it.

 

Who is responsible for the road ? Glasgow council ?  If so, they will have a department responsible for road maintenance and any claims from road users. While you may be able to take them to court, it would be very difficult, as if a motorist was driving carefully they would not damage their vehicle.

 

It will be a claim against any comprehensive car insurance, so give them a call to register a claim. If you have legal cover on the Insurance they may look at the road problem and see whether it is worth pursuing. Will your Insurers cover costs of removing the car from the road to a garage ?  If not, any AA or RAC membership ? 

[SaucyWeeTart]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Couldn't have been driving more than 10 or 15mph but the kerb is higher and sharper than it looks, trust me. And I agree - looks like it's been hit a thousand times.

 

I assume that Glasgow City Council is responsible for the roads around that area. So, I've had to park my car almost where I made impact with the kerb and leave it there. I had to take out a policy with a popular recovery service last night and I'm probably going to give it the '24 hour minimum period' and then try and get it recovered. You're probably already aware that getting an emergency recovery costs like £170 or there about's (on top of committing to a membership) so that's the only option I really had. On top of that, I'm parked in an area that threatens an £100 fine for on road parking. Just about to give them a call and mention the situation I'm in. Should be fun...

 

Not quite sure what you mean regarding the insurance. I actually phoned my insurance last night and asked about recovery and they were only going to recover the vehicle if they were also going to be liable for repairs. Problem is, I've got a £600 excess that I stupidly put on at the start of the policy that had already bit me in the ar*e a few times this year already. I think it's going to be a £600 minimum repair if I go through my insurance so I'm in a bit of a pinch and don't really know what to do.

 

Cheers.

Edited August 6, 2019 by SaucyWeeTart

[CraigMcK]

Renfrewshire council for there. They might argue it’s inside Airport land, so I would contact them too 

[SaucyWeeTart]

12 minutes ago, CraigMcK said:

Renfrewshire council for there. They might argue it’s inside Airport land, so I would contact them too 

 

Ah, thanks for that. Problem is I don't know if it's worth the hassle or if I'm on to plums with a claim...

[ericsbrother]

you could be onto a charge of driving without due care and attention so think very carefully before you start anything. What is the car worth and how much is your annual policy? it might be cheaper to scrap the car and get another one when considering the overall costs

[king12345]

Shouldn't there be a luminous bollard on the island?

Surely the op is not the first and won't be the last to hit it, considering that it would be almost invisible at night.

[ericsbrother]

It does look like there was an illuminated bollard there once so that is somehting to explore further but I would  do a search for this at the council highways dept informally before going after anyone for money but that  gets you to a 50/50 clai at best.

 

Years ago my brother reversed into a lamppost in a driveway that wasnt there when he parked the night before and despite the council placing the lamppost in the wrong place on private land he still had to pay for the damage to their property and the fight them for the damage to his car ( and his friend Bob having to go after them for damaging his driveway!). What seems simple often isnt.