Car insurance news
Car insurance worry for bollard-crash man
A driver from Manchester is going to have trouble finding an insurer who will give him a cheap rate, even if he tries getting an online car insurance quote.
Lee Capaldi, from Stockport, was driving through Manchester town centre in early September when he realised he had lost his way and eventually accepted he was totally lost. In an effort to get back on track, he hit upon the idea of following a bus.
What the unfortunate Mr Capaldi didn't realise, however, was that the local council of Manchester had installed pop-up bollards that prevent anything but buses from using certain bus routes.
As the bus approached, the bollards retracted to let it pass over. Once it had travelled over them, the bollards popped up - right under the front of the lost motorist's Peugeot. The accident caused serious damage to the car and it is likely that Mr Capaldi will have to make a motor insurance claim to pay for repairs.
He said of the incident, "It's ridiculous. Once you are in, you are stuck. I went through after the bus and they shot up so fast all the airbags went off. I didn't see them and I didn't have a chance."
Locals say that Mr Capaldi isn't the first to fall foul of the bollards, with two other drivers experiencing similar events in the last six months.
The council, however, are unrepentant, with an official commenting, "We have done everything we can to make it clear to motorists that there is a closure in place.
"Their actions are illegal and extremely dangerous and a number of drivers have been prosecuted by the police," he finished.
Corrine Aldous, a spokesperson for online car insurance firm duck2water, said, "This was an unfortunate thing to happen to a man who was simply trying to find his way. Maybe next time he will try asking for directions."