When do crashed cars get removed?

[ChevronB19]

Spotted a crashed car 3 weeks ago.

It had gone off on a smallish roundabout on an A road, side airbags off, heavily damaged on one side, and also taken down a light pole. I saw it at about 06:00, and as there was no sign of police aware etc., I stopped, checked there was no one inside, and called the police to make them aware.

2 days later (I do that route every day), there was finally some police tape around it, and a couple of days later the pole had been partially removed with some electrical tape around it. The car is down a ditch about 3m off the road, but visible to all drivers, and the police tape isn’t exactly obvious.

Thing is, it’s still there 3 weeks later. I’m not complaining by making this post, I just always assumed that crashed cars were removed fairly rapidly? At the very least it’s a potential distraction? And yes, I’m bored!

[Its Just Adz]

Assuming the police has passed the job onto their recovery operator, usually they pick it up pretty quick.

[Earthdweller]

If it's not in dangerous position, causing an obstruction or not on the public highway the Police will not remove it

It is the responsibility of the owner/insurance and the local authority/landowner failing that

Edited by Earthdweller on Tuesday 17th September 09:51

[Avenicus]

There's a car sitting on a roundabout in Milton Keynes that's been there for about three weeks now. Looks like they just approached too quickly and ended up on the fairly large raised roundabout.

[nic865]

Will totally depend on the police force in question. Its usually their responsibility, but given you get put on hold in an emergency nowadays, I'd not count on it being quick.

[CraigyMc]

Avenicus said:

There's a car sitting on a roundabout in Milton Keynes that's been there for about three weeks now. Looks like they just approached too quickly and ended up on the fairly large raised roundabout.

There's always one like that somewhere in MK, it's a bit like in Glasgow where the locals keep replacing the traffic cone on the statue of Wellington.

One classic was seeing a BMW that had somehow managed to become wedged front AND BACK between two trees, like they had closed in and squashed it in a pincer motion.
Of course, it probably hit one tree head on hard enough for the back to come off the ground and in twisting round after that frontal impact, managed to come down on another tree at the back.

[Riley Blue]

When our previous car was written off in a head-on collision the accident recovery flatbed arrived while we were still waiting for the ambulance, i.e. within 20 minutes.

[Venisonpie]

My guess would be either not insured or nicked.

[Lester H]

This example involved a bumped rather than seriously crashed car. The elderly lady driver, a family friend, was shocked but rang her insurer. She was the type who had every form of optional cover for her previously mint Fiesta. So she expected it to return to the main dealer who had doubtless charged her for this. However, the car was recovered by what appeared to be a bunch of cowboys. Thus, the next day I was required to visit the yard where it had been taken, to recover personal possessions. What a seedy place, in an area she would never have visited.Whoever sanctioned this may just have needed to clear a suburban road.Having said that, it could have been pushed round the corner, it wasn’t a write off.

Edited by Lester H on Tuesday 17th September 17:34

[Earthdweller]

Lester H said:

This example involved a bumped rather than seriously crashed car. The elderly lady driver, a family friend, was shocked but rang her insurer. She was the type who had every form of optional cover for her previously mint Fiesta. So she expected it to return to the main dealer who had doubtless charged her for this. However, the car was recovered by what appeared to be a bunch of cowboys. Thus, the next day I was required to visit the yard where it had been taken, to recover personal possessions. What a seedy place, in an area she would never have visited.Whoever sanctioned this may just have needed to clear a suburban road.

If the insured party's nominated breakdown/recovery cannot attend the scene of an RTC within a particular timescale then the vehicle removal will be authorised by the Police and a recovery garage from the Police rota scheme will be tasked

The Police recovery fee and daily storage fee will have to be paid by the IP or the insurance company before the vehicle is released to the insurers for repair/disposal

They aren't cowboys but their yards are often in less salubrious areas and can appear grubby

[POIDH]

There's a large caravan on its side off the A84 in the Trossachs. It's been there nearly a year.
No number plate, how do you identify who scored remove it?