Wing Mirror Clipping

cormie

I was driving along a narrow road with parked cars on both sides, I was behind another car who was waiting for another car to pass, there was a gap so we both went but then another car didn't wait, they just continued on so it was a very tight squeeze. My left wing mirror clipped the back on a wing mirror (back to back so) of a car parked on my left which may have been parked illegally. At the time I thought no big deal absolutely nothing to worry about. Then when I got home I wondered should I have pulled in and made sure their mirror wasn't damaged in any way. I was travelling really slow, maybe 8kmph when they hit eachother. There also may have been somebody in the parked car. Thoughts?

seamus

Yes and No. Back-to-back, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have managed to shatter a wing mirror though by clipping it on a garden gate while reversing. I wasn't doing more than 5mph. So it's certainly possible to break a wing mirror at those kinds of speeds, but if they hit back-to-back I wouldn't let it worry you.

mike65

If you hit the back of the other cars mirror chances are it simply moved on its
hinge which most cars have (thought not mine!) so chances of damage are very low indeed esp a walking speed.

Mike.

Cucullan

"may have been parked illegally"
I love the way you put this in as if it matters Chances are the mirror is fine as it was back to back, yours was ok wasn't it?

boardy

I just came back to my legally parked car only to find that someone had just clipped my wing mirror. I hate when that happens.

_Kaiser_

I can beat this..

I was visiting my mam (she lives in a rather rough part of the nothside unfortunately ) and pulled up in front of our driveway. The woman next door (with who we've had problems in the past) was just leaving as I arrived... she gets into her car, and drives on down to the end of the cul-de-sac to turn around.

So I'm turning off the car, getting my mobile etc when yer one comes tearing up the road, leaning on the horn and so close that she clips my wing mirror on her way past and with me still in the car!

Did she stop? Nope! What's even more stupid about this that the entire incident was captured on our surveilence cameras (anyone who caught the PrimeTime special on antisocial behavior a few weeks back may have seen them) and despite my going down to the local garda station with the tape and making a statement, they don't seem to be too pushed to do anything about it!

Although (luckily) there was minimal damage, it's definitely dangerous driving (another few inches and it would have been the wing of my car) and leaving the scene of an accident, no?

Any ideas on how to handle this one?

boardy

boardy wrote:

I just came back to my legally parked car only to find that someone had just clipped my wing mirror. I hate when that happens.

errrrrrr ...... I was being funny. It didn't really happen ................ yet.

Balfa

You hit a stationary car with your moving car. You are responsible for any damages and are legally obligated to inform the owner of the other car whether or not damage occurred. Otherwise it's what we call hit-and-run, which is illegal.

It doesn't matter if he's parked sideways in the middle of the street if you're doing the hitting

edit: btw, I'm not being all prickish. There probably wasn't any damage, and it sucks because some people might claim there was damage when they just want the paint on their 12 year old mirror touched up at someone else's expense, etc. I'm just stating your duty according to the law

edit 2: On the other hand, you'd be fairly pissed off if someone had cracked your mirror while you were parked somewhere and left no note or anything. Then you're stuck either giving up your NCB or forking out up to e50-e100 to pass your next NCT.

John R

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Any ideas on how to handle this one?

If the police won't do anything then an insurance claim is about the only option.

You could always claim that you were traumatised by it and put in a claim for that too.

Balfa

Last week my wife backed into a friend's car when there were lots of cars parked at the inlaws house for our friday poker session. She only brushed her bumper against his licence plate, and she got all panicky and only called and told me (I was still at the house) while she was on the way home. I told him but he's really sound and of course he didn't care. He didn't even look at the front of his car when he went out to go home later.

cormie

I haven't even had a look at my mirror since it happened, it's a 91 fiesta, no big deal if there is a scratch. I suppose I think of it from my point of view a bit too much. If somebody mistakingly damanged my paintwork in any way I'd be fine about it, I suppose if you have an expensive car and your wing mirror was hit like that it could worry you. If I was in my estate or a quiet road and did it I'd get out, but the traffic was busy when it happened and there was virtually nowhere to stop without causing havok on the road. It would have also been illegal to just stop like that:rolleyes: So two wrongs don't make a right:o

So if the person wasn't in the car and I did get out, what do I do? Get their reg, contact the garda and get their contact information, contact them and tell them I made their wing mirror swing back just out of courtesy?

seamus

If there's no damage, I wouldn't bother leaving a note or contacting the Gardai. Being the good citizen could land you in more trouble - you leave your details, say, "Sorry, I clipped your wing mirror", and before you know it, you have a bill for a new wing and a new mirror dropping onto your doormat.

boardy

seamus wrote:

If there's no damage, I wouldn't bother leaving a note or contacting the Gardai. Being the good citizen could land you in more trouble - you leave your details, say, "Sorry, I clipped your wing mirror", and before you know it, you have a bill for a new wing and a new mirror dropping onto your doormat.

The man has a point.
But fair dues to you (OP) for being concerned about it in the first place.

Big Balls

John R wrote:

You could always claim that you were traumatised by it

By having your mirror clipped ?? :rolleyes:

Balfa

seamus wrote:

If there's no damage, I wouldn't bother leaving a note or contacting the Gardai. Being the good citizen could land you in more trouble - you leave your details, say, "Sorry, I clipped your wing mirror", and before you know it, you have a bill for a new wing and a new mirror dropping onto your doormat.

That's what I'm saying, but he still has a moral and legal obligation to inform them. Leaving a note under the wiper would do the trick.

Big Balls wrote:

By having your mirror clipped ??

No, by having someone tear the street at you, laying on the horn and hitting only the mirror at high speed, a few inches from your face :rolleyes:

blorg

Balfa wrote:

That's what I'm saying, but he still has a moral and legal obligation to inform them. Leaving a note under the wiper would do the trick.

Surely this only applies if there was damage. If there was no damage then there is no obligation to inform anyone. Mind you he probably should have checked.

FuzzyWuzzyWazza

Just thought I would post a quick note.

I have been told that if two cars clip wing mirrors while passing, regardless of who is in the wrong, each driver has to pay for the other's mirror to be fixed.

This would suck if you had a 1996 micra and hit a new mercedes or something, espiceally as Mercedes mirrors don't bend!!!

cormie

I did have a 96 Micra, and then downgraded to a 91 fiesta...
Who told you that anyway? Reliable source?

_Kaiser_

Kaiser2000 wrote:

I can beat this..

I was visiting my mam (she lives in a rather rough part of the nothside unfortunately ) and pulled up in front of our driveway. The woman next door (with who we've had problems in the past) was just leaving as I arrived... she gets into her car, and drives on down to the end of the cul-de-sac to turn around.

So I'm turning off the car, getting my mobile etc when yer one comes tearing up the road, leaning on the horn and so close that she clips my wing mirror on her way past and with me still in the car!

Did she stop? Nope! What's even more stupid about this that the entire incident was captured on our surveilence cameras (anyone who caught the PrimeTime special on antisocial behavior a few weeks back may have seen them) and despite my going down to the local garda station with the tape and making a statement, they don't seem to be too pushed to do anything about it!

Although (luckily) there was minimal damage, it's definitely dangerous driving (another few inches and it would have been the wing of my car) and leaving the scene of an accident, no?

Any ideas on how to handle this one?

Seeing as its update day for this thread...

The local garda sargeant AND inspector have since accused me of wasting their time over an incident that "didn't happen" (again despite it clearly being visable - and audiable - on the videotape they were given along with my statement).

Ironically, when this neighbour's car was stolen early in the morning about 2 months ago, not only did she get a garda response in 8 minutes (of 2 cars no less) but her car was back within an hour and the cops turned up again to make sure she was happy??!

Guess you have to be a local scumbag to get any satisfaction from this particular Northside station! :mad:

Litcagral

FuzzyWuzzyWazza wrote:

Just thought I would post a quick note.

I have been told that if two cars clip wing mirrors while passing, regardless of who is in the wrong, each driver has to pay for the other's mirror to be fixed.

This would suck if you had a 1996 micra and hit a new mercedes or something, espiceally as Mercedes mirrors don't bend!!!

If one driver stops when meeting another (on a narrow road) the driver who decides to advance is responsible for any subsequent damage to either vehicle. So if in doubt, pull up.

vector

AFAIK when two cars collide, the moving one is responsible, in the eyes of the law/insurance companies

CJhaughey

So how does my situation work?
I am driving down a narrow country road, midsummer and lo and behold there is a massive german camper coming against me, He will not pull in for me (worried about scratching his paintwork)even though being LHD he can get real close to the edge.He isn't stopping and I am not pulling in anymore (risk of blowing tyre in ditch) So our wing mirrors collide at probably 100mph closing speed.
Result: My wing mirror is completely destroyed and is only half the size it was before, his body coloured complete with blue and yellow stripes was hit too.
Behind him was a line of traffic. and behind me was 2 cars
I didn't bother stopping.

Litcagral

CJhaughey wrote:

So how does my situation work?
I am driving down a narrow country road, midsummer and lo and behold there is a massive german camper coming against me, He will not pull in for me (worried about scratching his paintwork)even though being LHD he can get real close to the edge.He isn't stopping and I am not pulling in anymore (risk of blowing tyre in ditch) So our wing mirrors collide at probably 100mph closing speed.
Result: My wing mirror is completely destroyed and is only half the size it was before, his body coloured complete with blue and yellow stripes was hit too.
Behind him was a line of traffic. and behind me was 2 cars
I didn't bother stopping.

Generally, as a matter of courtesy, the driver of the smaller and therefore more manoeuvreable vehicle should reverse to a more suitable place to allow safe passing. Some people insist that, in hilly terrain, the driver going uphill has right of way. This is the situation in the UK but I'm not sure about ROI.

FuzzyWuzzyWazza

vector wrote:

AFAIK when two cars collide, the moving one is responsible, in the eyes of the law/insurance companies

Yeah, but what if both cars are moving??