Another bump

I got hit today. Just a minor bump. At a roundabout. It's the 4th time I've been rear ended and it's starting to get rather old.

It doesn't appear to have done any damage but I still have to get the car checked out as there could be deformation of the chassis that isn't visible from the outside.

It was 6 in the evening, and the roads were very busy. My pupil had struggled with roundabouts on the previous lesson. I'd intended to concentrate on roundabouts for this lesson, but he did his theory test yesterday, and passed it, so our lesson plan became Drive to my house, book test using house wifi, do whatever with remaining time.

As we got to the B and Q roundabout, a major motorway intersection roundabout on the outskirts of Wallasey, we were in the left hand lane. In the right hand lane there was a Transit van. The driver of the van found a safe gap and went.

Experienced drivers realise that in this situation, the vehicle moving away on the right makes a shield. If anyone is coming from the right, they will smack into the van, not into us. But my pupil, being a learner had not this skill. The guy behind us, meanwhile, had a clear view of what was coming from the right, since he had no van next to him. He started going, presumably while still looking right.

My pupil now had a view to the right, and as it was clear, he started getting ready to go. At that moment though, there was a now familiar bump, and it quickly became apparent that we'd been hit from behind. I got out and had a quick look, but it didn't look like there was much to see at the back of my car. I got back in, tok control, and moved the car onto the verge at the side of the road, expecting the guy in the car behind to do the same thing. He didn't. He drove alongside us, gesturing to say he was going off somewhere or other and away he went. I took his registration details as he went, and committed them to memory.

We were now parked in a difficult and potentially dangerous position. I swapped us around, and eventually found a gap in the traffic and drove on. There was no sign of the car that hit us. I drove to my house, and booked a test for my pupil, and while I was online I emailed Merseyside Police givng details of what had happened. I also checked the lights at the back of the car. They all work. There is no obvious damage, at least not by the light of a streetlamp.

All rather unfortunate of course. I had to report it to the police because it will cost me money to have the car checked for damage. The guy just wanted to get out of the way, but he shouldn't have left the scene without exchanging details.

driving lessons in Wallasey? learn to drive in Wirral? driving instructor in Birkenhead?

So what happened? Well the next morning, I had a look at the car in daylight, and there wasn't so much as a scratch on it. I had no sign of any injury. As far as I knew, neither did my pupil. I had to go see the police but I didn't really want to see things taken any further. The policeman I spoke to was also disinclined to pursue things as there was neither damage nor injury. So that's it. Nothing more to add. Move on folks, nothing to see, etc.