Thread: Have I done the right thing?

Yesterday I had my first accident in over 30 years of proffesional driving.......I have driven trucks nearly all my working life.

I was making a left hand turn onto a duel carriageway, there was a Ford Falcon ute in front of me doing the same thing. As I made the turn I was checking to my right, just to make sure no cars were coming through the intersection, I looked up and saw the Ute swerve to the right, and end up on the centre median strip after almost collecting a lamp post. It was then I saw a Toyota driving straight at me on the wrong side of the dual carriageway.

I swerved right and hit the brakes, yet the car kept coming, not once did he try to stop, we collided at about 40kmph, (I was travelling 20kmph, and I guess the Toyota was doing the same).

The most scary thing was, that the elderly gentleman driving looked at me like I was in the wrong.
I yelled at him that it was "my side of the road", it took him a good 5 seconds before he looked around at the traffic passing us, and the traffic at the lights on the other side, before it dawned on him.


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The Toyota definatley came off second best, my ARB bar took most of the impact on the passenger side, as I had turned to the right to try to avoid the collision. My front quarter panel is dented, just in front of the indicator. The bar is bent slightly underneath.

Now this is the question I have. When the daughter of the elderly gentleman turned up,( both myself and the other car were only 5 mins from home), she said that he had just recentley been daignosed with a brain issue, and at this stage the doctors thought it might be the early onset of Alzheimers.
She asked that I not call the police as she was fearful that he may be charged. So we exchanged details, I cleaned up the debri and headed for home with my hazards still on, as I couldn't turn them off!

After the adrenaline wore off, and I calmed down, my wife pointed out that I should report it to the police, because what if he had done it on a freeway at 100kmph? I didnt want that on my conscience........and the more I think about it, he did seem really confused.

So this morning I reported it..... the police officer said that they would call him, and let him know that Vic Roads have been informed. They would ask for a doctors review of his health, and if deemed unfit to drive his license would be suspended.

I know the daughter asked me not too report him, and I understand that without his license then he would lose his independence, which would probably affect his quality of life. But on the other hand, if he did do this again, and injured someone, then I would have to live with that.

So have I done the right thing? initially I felt sorry for him, his car is a wreck, his wife was pretty shaken, and he
was so ashamed.

On a lighter note, when informing my insurance company last night, they asked if my airbags had deployed...... I had to educate him in regards to defender technology.

My cars booked in next Friday for assesment. Initially when I got home, my hazards wouldn't turn off, and my central locking wouldn't work. I disconnected the battery, then reconected after a couple of minutes and all seems good.

Originally Posted by ozy013

Thanks guy's, I guess at the time I just wasn't sure, it's not my place to judge if he's fit to drive.

It was my wife, and my mother, who reminded me of the what ifs. In fact my mum reminded me of the time many moons ago, when I was about 9 and my brother would've been 5. She was driving our Hillman Avenger, and we were in the back seat, we ran into a car that was also on the wrong side of the road. Everyone was ok, but my mother had nightmares about it for ages afterwards, mainly about losing us in the crash. My brother lost all of his hair through shock.

I never thought about his insurance pulling the pin, if they get a "whiff" of his condition.

I beg to differ... it IS your place to judge considering you were one if his victims. Throw the book at him.