Road Rage Attack

[Davi]

A friend of my wife and I was the victim of quite an alarming Road Rage incident yesterday, and has been left severely shaken.

She was filtering in turn at a point where 2 lanes reduce to one (not roadworks, just the way the road is designed). She had more than a car lengths clear space to her left, so started to flow in - moving below 10mph due to traffic. The woman behind decided to take exception to her filtering in and tried to barge past. Although missing the friend, the woman badly scraped her car along the kirb before jamming it, realising there never had been enough room to get past, so started screaming and hurling abuse.

Said friend pulls off next turning to head to her office, only to be followed and stopped by the mutant freak, who then became extremely agressive and threatening before repeatedly kicking the back of our friends car full on, causing some damage, then screached off.

Unfortunately my friend was by this point sobbing and scared witless and only managed to get the first letter of the numberplate, the colour of car and a "possible" make and model. Due to the time and place this happened though, I think it is extremely likely that the psycho was a commuter on their way to work - its about the only reason you'd want to be on that road at that time!

Question is - if my friend now sits at that point at the same time (it's only 50 yards from her work), and does see the driver again, this time taking down reg and vehicle details, is it to late, and would the police do anything anyway, given that the details were not taken actually at the time of the event?

Cheers

[RossC]

Who's to say the details weren't taken at the time of the event ?

[Davi]

RossC said:

Who's to say the details weren't taken at the time of the event ?

Her inability to be less than truthful (ever seen the Red Dwarf episode where they try and get Cryton to lie? )

[jasandjules]

Doesn't matter if it is the next day if she recognises the driver. Police ID parades work on that basis all the time unless I am mistaken.

Also, does her work car park not have CCTV anywhere which could have recorded the plate of the other driver.

[Davi]

good point, Ok I'll get her to sit with one of the blokes at work, see if they can spot her.

Unfortunately no CCTV to get the plate off of - though thinking about it there is a building opposite that has it, might be worth asking in there if it was captured.

[jasandjules]

Davi said:

Unfortunately no CCTV to get the plate off of - though thinking about it there is a building opposite that has it, might be worth asking in there if it was captured.

It is certainly worth asking....

[ATG]

I'd suggest she reports the incident to the Police now giving them what info she currently has so there is a concrete starting point fo rany information she gives them in the future.

[targarama]

Definitely report it. This person might do the same thing to someone else again. You can add more info later I'm sure. The Police might not turn up for a day or so anyway, giving you an opportunity to spot the offender.

[Davi]

I've advised her of the same - she said the woman was totally out of control so god knows what she would do if you actually did do something to offend her on the road.

I'm slightly concerned about reporting it though, she's an attractive young lass, and there is a chance it would be Mungo that reports to the scene

[ATG]

[vonhosen]

Davi said:

I've advised her of the same - she said the woman was totally out of control so god knows what she would do if you actually did do something to offend her on the road.

I'm slightly concerned about reporting it though, she's an attractive young lass, and there is a chance it would be Mungo that reports to the scene

Report ASAP, if you don't you are leaving yourself wide open & should anything come of it later your not reporting it could be misconstrued.

There is an allegation of criminal damage & a road traffic collision.

[Scraggles]

or sit onit and procastinate and let the psycho do the same to some old granny who then has a heart attack and dies, probably be in all the papers and you would be left wondering what if u had called the police and not ina few weeks....

[7db]

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

[turbobloke]

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

[vonhosen]

turbobloke said:

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

The law requires that reportable collisions be reported as soon as reasonably practicable & in any case within 24hrs.

[Davi]

well, it's out of my hands now, I've passed on all the advice, hopefully she'll listen to it and be popping around the nearest station later to let them know.

Cheers all!

[turbobloke]

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

The law requires that reportable collisions be reported as soon as reasonably practicable & in any case within 24hrs.

The particular element of interest was the road rage bit, my post wasn't clear enough. Let's say we had all the gesticulation and verbal aggression but no contact with anyone or anything?

[vonhosen]

turbobloke said:

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

The law requires that reportable collisions be reported as soon as reasonably practicable & in any case within 24hrs.

The particular element of interest was the road rage bit, my post wasn't clear enough. Let's say we had all the gesticulation and verbal aggression but no contact with anyone or anything?

Criminal damage doesn't by law have to be reported within a timeframe, but inevitably unnecessary delay prompts questions as to why.

[turbobloke]

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

The law requires that reportable collisions be reported as soon as reasonably practicable & in any case within 24hrs.

The particular element of interest was the road rage bit, my post wasn't clear enough. Let's say we had all the gesticulation and verbal aggression but no contact with anyone or anything?

Criminal damage doesn't by law have to be reported within a timeframe, but inevitably unnecessary delay prompts questions as to why.

Thanks VH! maybe I'm (still) not being clear - I wondered if - after a road rage incident where there is no damage to persons or vehicles - the 'victim' must generally report particulars within 24 hours for there to be any realistic chance of action. I appreciate the seriousness of road rage varues a lot and that details providesd to BiB may vary in quantity and quality so was looking for the existence of a policy, even an unofficial one?

[vonhosen]

turbobloke said:

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

vonhosen said:

turbobloke said:

7db said:

Echo that. Met requires traffic incidents to be reported within 24hrs if they are to take any follow-up action. In person at a station.

Interesting, is that likely to be a widely adopted policy?

The law requires that reportable collisions be reported as soon as reasonably practicable & in any case within 24hrs.

The particular element of interest was the road rage bit, my post wasn't clear enough. Let's say we had all the gesticulation and verbal aggression but no contact with anyone or anything?

Criminal damage doesn't by law have to be reported within a timeframe, but inevitably unnecessary delay prompts questions as to why.

Thanks VH! maybe I'm (still) not being clear - I wondered if - after a road rage incident where there is no damage to persons or vehicles - the 'victim' must generally report particulars within 24 hours for there to be any realistic chance of action. I appreciate the seriousness of road rage varues a lot and that details providesd to BiB may vary in quantity and quality so was looking for the existence of a policy, even an unofficial one?

If there is no collision then there is no time frame set to report (statute limitations etc of course apply). There isn't an offence of road rage, you are going to be looking at driving/public order/assault offences, depending on what's happened. Just be aware that unnecessary delay in reporting is more likely to damage your case than not.