J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Was vacuuming our car and heard and engine rev hard, horn went and a huge bang, looked and our neighbour was getting out of her car (passenger seat), moved the car, her 12/13 year old son was driving !

Now I can sympathise as its a pretty bad thing to wreck your car but the car was driven by a kid, my 5 year old had just been past there on his little scooter so I was very glad to see him lurking behind me, it doesnt bear thinking about what could have happened, there are 22 kids under 15 on this road (Cul de sac) and she lets he kids drive the car ?

Anyone no harm done (except to the car) but how do you explain that to the insurance, and if you dont its fraud.

I did feel sorry for her but now its turned to anger.

imlach

Did she let him drive it on the public road? Or was it ploughed into wall on their private driveway side?

Both are shocking, but if on the public highway, absolutely out of order. We've all had a fly shot of our parent's cars under supervision when young, but usually either in a deserted wide open area, or on private land out of harms way. NEVER in a semi-enclosed area where the slightest error of judgement could end up with the car hitting something, or even worse, someone.

You would hope that she'll never let it happen again now it's happened this time, and the lesson has been learnt. However, if you see the kid driving it again, I'd have a quiet word.....

imlach

I noticed in today's News Of The World (p31) that a father has recently been jailed for six months for letting his 11 year old son drive him on the M6 at 65mph in the dark & wet while the father had a nap in the passenger seat.

The 11 year old swerved at the last minute for a turn-off, lost control, and hit another vehicle before hitting the central reservation. 2 OAPs in the other car were seriously injured.

Maybe you could be cheeky and buy a copy of the paper, cut this article out, and post it through your neighbours door....

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, it was on the road, it went from their drive across the road, up onto the pavement the other side and into the wall. Must say I am not impressed and it left me a bit shaky due to it being a shock and worrying about the little lad, I tell him to keep of the road and it appears he (and the rest of the kids) arent safe on the pavement. I am not going to do anything as she must be feeling pretty bad anyway and for the sake of neighbourhood relations but I wonder what will happen ?

I let my kids have a go of our car on my in laws farm, I drive they steer and when they are old enough I will get the a banger and teach them to drive on the fields like their uncles did.

Tiggs

" there are 22 kids under 15 on this road (Cul de sac)"

good greif..you have more probs than under age schumachers! wouldnt fancy living near 22 16/17 year olds in 2 years time!

Redkop

Totally irresponsible things like this should be reported to the Police IMO.

imlach

Eeek! So it was quite a significant incident IMHO. Who does the wall belong to?

To go across the road and into the wall opposite is pretty serious. As you say though, not something you want to fall out with your neighbours with, but I personally would probably make a comment about it if I saw the neighbour in the next few days while out in the garden etc....

ie, make a general comment about "nasty one that the other day when your lad hit that wall" - and see what the response is. Hopefully you'll get a "yeah, don't know what I was thinking - won't let that happen again" type response.....

beemerboy

Agree, having got a 2 year old son in a cul-de-sac, i can see how people think they can harm no one.
I've already pulled a 16yr old kid off his moped for ***ing about outside my house, this should be reported to plod.
Just imagine if the kid had stuck it in reverse and come flying out the drive in your direction.
People like this make me sick - they have no common sense or consideration.

do you know if the kid was just having a rev on the driveway? or was he returning from an underage lesson from his loving mother??
difficult to guess i 'spose if you are upside down hoovering out under the throttle pedal.

Thats was a lucky escape for all.

ps: hope the car is wrecked...

BB

beemerboy

added to say "audi boy, i take it you dont have kids, but how would you feel if a 14/15yr old run one of them over??"

unclebuck

You're more likely to get a mouthful of abuse and get told to mind your own business with these types of irresponsible morons.

UB

BTW was it one of those cheesy 4x4s? I hope so.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

No, I wouldnt say anything and I would imagine they feel suitably embarrassed on to of all the aggro, I dont speak to them on a regular basis so I am not going to start now, the car is a Focus, about 1999, its quite a neat job he has made of it, hit the corner of a substantial brick wall at probably 15 - 20 mph, doesnt look that bad but it hit the near side quarter and hatch lid and its now wall corner shaped and goes back about 8 inches into the car so I would imagine the rear door on that side wont open or shut properly.

beemerboy

Not one to mock the afflicted but... HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

do we know who owns the wall yet? that would be interesting...

BB

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Its the neighbour over the road, they are good freinds, the wall was relatively unscathed, just one brick broken and a bit scratched, it was only built earlier this year.

I do have a certain ammount of sympathy but it could so easily have been my little lad on the receiving end as he tends to lurk around there waiting for somebody to play with.

I would hope they arent claiming on their insurance, as far as I am aware 13 year old kids cant be a named driver, if she says she was driving she is lying which is fraud, so by my reckoning they have lost the car if it is a write off which I would imagine it is, worth about four grand needing a rear quarter, hatch and probably jigging if indeed it is repairable, four grand soon mounts up. I would cut my losses and sell the car for salvage and make no attempt to claim agsinst my insurance as if push came to shove you would get done for the fraud and probably some kind of road traffic offence(s), a shame but anybody who could have potentially killed one of my kids deserves some kind of penalty. I would estimate the car is worth a grand, maybe 1500 quid for salvage so its cost 2500 for the twenty or so foot journey.