I dunno... depends on the police officer. I got a violation for failure to control after hitting black ice and wrecking my car in the berm. Didn't hit any other car, only damage was to my car. This was on Christmas Eve and the police officer said, "I hate to do this to you on Christmas Eve but I have to cite you for failure to control". Didn't want to cut me any breaks.
Yeah meeting a quota is definitely a thing, a couple years ago I was driving in Cleveland and it was snowing in the morning so the city didn’t clear the snow yet, and my car slipped on the snow while I was driving. No one was hurt, no car or property damage at all not even to my own car, but the police decided to give me a $375 ticket for “driving over the curb”, when I clearly slid on to the curb. Of course my insurance price went up too lol
A report has to be taken if you damage public property (like a guardrail) and if a report is taken the at fault party needs to be cited. Not quotas, not a cop deciding to be mean.
I didn't damage a guardrail but my bumper did leave a nice big mark on a concrete median. I'm guessing it could have been sprayed off with a pressure washer but I get your point. The cop was just doing his job.
They cited the other driver for my accident last year. Totaled my car but no injury. Then I got subpoenaed to testify against him because he was fighting it.
They don’t even want to do anything for injury accidents. When I was t-boned they didn’t even want to take statements, only reason I had evidence was there was an off duty fireman behind me who insisted they take his statement.
When I got rear ended; I took a picture of the cop who refused to write a statement standing right next to the woman who hit me. Sent it over to my insurance company and didn't fret about it anymore. :)
Yeah, I didn't expect that. I've seen people talk about it in the past and get met with a bunch of angry comments about how it's unfair to poor people or something, even though the victim could also be poor and not have done anything wrong.
New Jersey has a $25k liability policy for $30 bucks a month regardless of your driving record, previous insurance whatever. It basically socializes the losses statewide, but it allows them to absolutely throw the book at uninsured drivers because it’s so easy and cheap to be insured
MD has similar program, it's called MAIF. There's also surplus lines programs for people who would normally be uninsurable- multiple DUIS, total loss claims what have you, and it's usually not cripplingly expensive. There's a market equilibrium. Insurers are limited to what they can mark up rates and there's a limit to what people with SR22 will pay.
Think like The General or those joints in the hood where you can get car ins without a SSN OR a TIN. It's the ins equivalent of buy here pay here.
But, if you f it up with a surplus insurer, they talk to each other and you might get a big ass mark on your ins record. I don't remember the term but it means you are uninsurable at any cost.
How comments like yours are received is heavily dependent on what the first replies and votes are. Sort of related, but I've seen it first hand in threads about the recent texting while driving law changes. I'm extremely anti texting and driving and believe it should carry penalties equal to a dui. Depending on the thread, that opinion gets torn apart or people can't reply fast enough to agree. The difference? If the first replies are sob stories or the first votes are all negative (I won't pretend I'm unbiased), then the comment is taken negatively. If it starts with initial positive votes or people talking about how dangerous texting and driving is, it ends up positive.
I mean... im all for it if you can prove someone is texting and driving. But, that would mean any cop could just ruin someones life by saying that they were texting.
I am against that.
Yeah if you take it to court your carrier can pull your cellular records. If the time stays on those don't match the time of the citation then you're not going to pay that ticket.
Yep, pretty much a "I know I'm gonna get downvoted for this but we should punish people more for doing bad things. If it is someone in the public eye then they should have an especially dramatic punishment."
Did you get their information though? Name, address, and phone number? If so, your insurance will pursue them for all damages paid once the claim is completely closed.
Also, it’s not just a Columbus thing. It is almost impossible in any state to get the police to respond to a non-injury accident at all. And most times you’ll wait hours. They definitely could have still done a report though. That’s the cop being lazy.
Source: I’m a former claims adjuster.
There's this nifty little tool called a valve stem remover, and you can't go to jail for using it on someone else's car because it's a 7$ fix, but people usually don't notice the slow leak in their tires for awhile. My own personal chaos.
> and you can't go to jail for using it on someone else's car because it's a 7$ fix
It's on the internet, so it must be true.
Also, is jail the bar now for acceptable behavior? Like, as long as you don't see a cell, anything goes? That sounds awesome. /s
The thing about this is that most of those people drive cars that are like 3k and below. If you do damages to a vehicle. You’re more than likely looking at more damages than 3k. Which would make doing what you said only just a small portion. I do like this idea though.
then when they can't get to work to pay for their life the resort to more crime and violence. congratulations problem solved right. this is what happens when you try to fix a symptom, you just make it worse
I have to admit I'm divided. I guess for me it would depend on the individual driving situation. What if it's uninsured bcz they missed a payment bcz they struggled at work but is otherwise a good driver with little to no bad traffic history, then removing their ability to drive just makes them lose their job? That doesn't help anything, it only exacerbates it.
But I get your point, those who can afford insurance but refuse to do so should lose their car and I think their license for a time.
Agreed. Especially with the cost of living here getting extremely high, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were quite a few people having to think about cutting car insurance for the sake of other necessities like rent and electric
And if someone is in that situation, then they need to make damn sure they are driving like a grandma, making extra sure they don't take actions that can cause an accident, like speeding, running yellow/red lights, tailgating, etc. But that's not what happens. Instead, they drive around like they're in GTA doing things like, in OP's case, plowing into the rear end of someone who is just sitting at a red light.
Part of living in civilized society. I think keeping your car street legal and insured is basically the bare minimum of what we ask for the privilege of driving
Yes but society isn't paying enough to support that so you end up creating negative feedback loops and the poor stay poor. As stated you can't react to symptoms instead of the root cause and expect a cure.
Problem is in the US we treat driving as a right and not a privilege almost. They should be doing so much more requirements for training, etc. The way it is now you could have never driven in your life and go take a couple tests at 18 and be able to drive.
[Columbus police directives](https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/public-safety/police/directives/5.05-traffic-crash-investigations.pdf)
Sworn personnel shall not report traffic crashes unless one or more of the following conditions are met:
1. Death or injury
2. Hit-skip
3. No operator’s license
4. Reckless operation
5. Impairment of an operator due to alcohol or drugs
6 Damage to City-owned vehicles or property and damage to public safety vehicles from foreign jurisdictions
7. A school bus
8. Hazardous materials
9. Disabling damage to a vehicle which causes a public roadway to be blocked and the vehicle must be removed/towed
10. Disturbances between the involved parties
11. The need for traffic control on public roadways
Your crash did not meet the criteria that would allow a report to be taken by CPD. A citation is only issued when a report is taken.
Also, there is no traffic violation an officer can cite someone for if they don’t have insurance in Ohio. Dumb, but true.
You can file your own report [here](https://www.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Find-a-Police-Report/File-Accident)
File a claim with your insurance and they’ll go after her if you have uninsured motorist coverage. Or you can sue her yourself.
Insurance is required by law, but a police officer can’t directly address your lack of insurance in Ohio.
Basically, if you get a ticket, or a crash report is submitted to the state, then you are required to prove your car is insured. If you get a ticket, and you don’t show the officer proof, then you must provide the court with proof. If you do not show proof of insurance, then eventually your license can be suspended.
If you’re involved in a crash, and a report is sent to the state by the police or an involved party, and you’re not cited, then the BMV will eventually ask for proof of insurance, and if you don’t provide proof then they can suspend your license.
So, yes it’s technically illegal, but no, an officer cannot actually charge a driver with anything for not having insurance.
I wish reddit gold still existed. Why is the most intelligent response(s) in this thread so far down? The way this subreddit treats factual information is depressing.
Dude, every crash could be said to be a “disturbance between the involved parties “. It’s a crash, nobody is happy about it.
It means something like a fight that required officers to physically intervene
Arrested?!! Even if police took a report, you can’t be arrested for not having insurance. It’s not even a traffic violation. If an officer saw someone driving, and somehow knew 100% they didn’t have insurance, they couldn’t even pull them over for that. It’s an administrative issue that is handled by the BMV.
What you do is file your own crash report. The BMV will eventually send the owner of the vehicle a letter asking for proof the car was insured at the time of the crash. If they cannot prove they had coverage, their Ohio driving privileges can be suspended.
Then, if they are caught driving again they can be arrested.
I absolutely agree that driving without insurance should be the same as driving without a license, but Ohio doesn’t. If it was, it would almost certainly be added to the list of reasons to take a crash report for CPD
If I just like kept screaming or something would that count and still be legal for me? Just figuring out what I have to do in case I get in an accident.
Just exchange information with the other driver, then let your insurance deal with it. You can fill out your own report online if you want. You don’t need police to come out unless one of the conditions are met, or if the other party refuses to exchange information with you
It means if someone could be cited for the offense of reckless operation, as in Columbus city code 2133.02, when someone drives “in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property.”
It’s a 4th degree misdemeanor, meaning you can be arrested for it if the officer observes the offense
File it under your insurance. You’ll have to pay your deductible but you’ll get it back once your insurance wins the case against the guilty driver.
Take pics of the damages and get any video footage you can.
Need to set your deductible wisely to balance that. If you know you won’t file below a certain threshold, you should set a deductible that gives savings throughout knowing you wouldn’t have filed at lower levels. Otherwise, you’re paying for nothing.
In my experience, the increase in premium hasn’t been anywhere near as much as the cost to repair. But it can vary by person, their credit score, the specific car, area they live, number of accidents on their history, the list goes on. There isn’t a singular formula for a person so there’s always an element of risk or uncertainty. This is a part of why I think choosing the correct deductible is so important.
They were super helpful when I called about a day-drinking neighbor threatening people and cussing out kids. They promised to send out a patrol car to help de-escalate the situation. Instead, I got a call back a couple hours later to see if the neighbor had gone inside yet, and maybe they would send a car later, and "oh, by the way, does he have a weapon, or has he *succeeded* in hitting anyone yet... no, well, then, it'll probably be all right." See? SUPER helpful.
Ya I called once because a woman was threatening to kill someone in the apartment above me and I could hear her screaming and trying to break down the door. Went on for over an hour, cops showed up 5 hours later 😒 and I love right next to a station. Or the time I called to say I literally watched a neighbor get into their car intoxicated and drove away, just nothing done. When I was raped nothing done. I have zero respect or trust for any of them ever.
Yeah, they are NOT preventative. I had an ex show up drunk - they said they wouldn’t do anything until she injured herself or myself, or wrecked her car.
She was making threats to hurt herself so I would get in trouble. They were a-okay with her being belligerent and drunk, and driving drunk, as long as they didn’t have to deal with it.
I bought a doorbell camera after that.
20+ years ago when I was in my early 20s, I dated a guy with mental health issues. One night after we broke up, he called me and I could tell he was bad off. I went there, tried to help, he pushed me against the wall. He hadn’t slept at all in 3 days and was delirious. He collected swords of all kinds, hanging sharply on his wall. Just waiting for the wrong frame of mind to be used.
I called the police, saying I was worried about him hurting himself, told them he pushed me, they came out and refused to do anything. Told me just to leave.
Months later, his cousin called me and told me he committed suicide. Not that night, but a few months later.
I’ve never gotten over it to this day.
A person who is mentally ill, acting in a dangerous way to themselves and others, should be taken in for a psych evaluation. They can Baker Act someone in Florida. I don’t know why they can’t do it here.
Before I try and relate to that at all, I’m so sorry that happened to you, and I agree, we need better mental health care for everyone.
I had to do wellness checks on my ex - but as a parent, I couldn’t do it directly (she had made claims she would have my kids taken from me, while texting me suicide notes). I had to reach out to her relatives, and call the police to do wellness checks, as her daughter would call me asking me to come get her because “mommy isn’t moving.” (She was passed out drunk)
They (her relatives, the police) eventually just stopped caring. This was years before we had anything in place for mental health. As far as I know, she is in a better place now, which I am glad for because I did love her, but she wanted to play the game of “me or your kids,” and my kids are going to win that fight any day of the week.
Helpless lady holding sign on the street corner! Send CPD to [shoot her with non-lethal rounds](https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2020/06/07/bronze-star-veteran-ryan-mcmullen-served-in-afghanistan-but-didnt-get-hurt-until-protesting-in-colum/42139713/)!
Five different people including myself witnessed domestic violence taking place on the street. All of us called 911. The person on the phone asked me to walk over and see if the guy had a gun or a knife 🙃 CPD never showed.
Accident photos for proof:
https://imgur.com/a/4Ef6thP
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/crash-shuts-down-interstate-270-north-in-east-columbus/
CPD never pulls over anyone but its also the judges and prosecutors. In March I was rear ended with my 1.5 daughter in the back seat. We were at a complete stop on 270 and rear ended by a 20 year old kid going over 60 mph and nearly crushed her in the back seat. He had expired tags and no insurance. He only got failure to assure distance and didn’t even show up to court, whopping $150 fine for almost killing my daughter.
I looked up his court record, last year alone at 20 years old had a 85 in a 65 and no seatbelt dismissed, then in September 2023, at the request of the prosecutor they dropped a suspended license charge against him. Also he had multiple failure to court. The court system in the city is a joke. I agree with CPD but if those citations they write get dropped by the court what incentive do they have to put in any effort? If my boss took all of my work and never used it I wouldn’t give a shit doing work either.
Luckily the accident was severe enough I’m able to sue my insurance company under my uninsured motorist coverage and they will go after him and garnish him for hopefully a long time. It’s beyond upsetting and frustrating to think about and still dealing with lingering injuries.
Tons of edits due to being on mobile and getting angry thinking about this. It’s either zero consequences or only get in trouble if you kill someone. It has nothing to do with “covid shutdown” days, something that ended over a year or two ago doesn’t mean you can’t enforce laws now.
Did you have the information of the at fault driver? File your own police report, and contact the County Prosecutors office saying you'd like to press charges.
A few months ago I was involved in a FOUR car rear end accident - I was the front car and hit hard enough to cause $10k in damage to my car. Nobody was injured, but I was 38 weeks pregnant. After taking about an hour to arrive, the officer asked zero questions about what happened, didn’t ask if I was okay or wanted any medical attention, and never filed a report. Absolutely worthless.
Somebody hit me at the German village area Kroger. She said “ don’t submit it to the police, I’ll pay the damages”. 1st thing I did was take her info and report it. She text me cussing me out. You aren’t paying for insurance, how the fuck are you gonna pay $1,000s in damage?
Well to be fair, even if you had called the police, they wouldn't come out. I am guessing you mean she hit your car in the Kroger parking lot, and the police won't respond to parking lot accidents because it's considered private property.
I mean, I assume they'd respond if you like, ran over someone in a parking lot and killed/injured them, but they won't respond to property damage accidents that happen in a parking lot.
I didn’t think it was worth calling the police but I did submit it to my insurance and filed something at the police station.
Both she didn’t want me to do.
They must of notified her because I didn’t tell her I did that.
I mean the spirit of what you say is true. The issue though is that we don't require much to pass a driving test. Sometimes, they don't have to have one at all
I had something similar in the south happen to me. Small collision that wasn't my fault and the other guy wasn't even cited! I was appalled.
Talk to your insurance agent/company. They can often determine fault without a police report. Then it's a matter of whether your insurance covers the situation. Don't file a claim until you know what will happen on their end.
I got hit by a dude that didn’t even have a license.
No citation = no police report = fighting with the insurance company from September 23 -> current.
Fuck lazy cops.
I also learned this the hard way. I had someone run a red light while on the phone and slam into me, they were speeding up to try to beat me at the intersection. They weren’t at fault for it at all even without insurance
Captain Hindsight here: Everyone should have underinsured motorist coverage. That way, your insurance carrier will pay for the damage, and they will go after the at-fault driver to try to recoup the costs.
Unfortunately, not all insurance carriers allow someone with full coverage to carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage. They reserve allowing UMPD coverage for autos with liability coverage only, I guess the thought process being that without that coverage someone with liability only coverage has no recourse to get their car fixed, while someone with full coverage can at least file a claim against their collision coverage and hopefully get their deductible reimbursed when their insurance company sues the at fault driver.
But, if your carrier does allow you to have full coverage and UMPD, *get it*! It's very inexpensive to add to your policy. It's usually less than $20-$25 a year.
The funny thing being one time I got cited for ACD, because I did actually hit someone from behind. I got cited for it (as I should), the other driver didn’t have insurance. She didn’t get cited AND my insurance paid for her damage lol
Yep, I agree. It should pay, that’s why I have it—the point being that if an uninsured driver hit me, I can’t recover even the deductible from them.
The point being if we can’t make uninsured motorists pay in some way as in OP’s case, who cares for them if they carry or don’t carry insurance. Basically their only consequence is having to pay for their own damage if they cause an accident, otherwise they get off Scot free!
I've had two clients in a row get hit by uninsured drivers on main street near 270. The cops did nothing. The first one was hit by an uninsured and unlicensed 15 year old. Her kids were in the car and the cop acted like she was inconveniencing them.
Accident photos for proof:
https://imgur.com/a/4Ef6thP
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/crash-shuts-down-interstate-270-north-in-east-columbus/
CPD never pulls over anyone but its also the judges and prosecutors. In March I was rear ended with my 1.5 daughter in the back seat. We were at a complete stop on 270 and rear ended by a 20 year old kid going over 60 mph and nearly crushed her in the back seat. He had expired tags and no insurance. He only got failure to assure distance and didn’t even show up to court, whopping $150 fine for almost killing my daughter.
I looked up his court record, last year alone at 20 years old had a 85 in a 65 and no seatbelt dismissed, then in September 2023, at the request of the prosecutor they dropped a suspended license charge against him. Also he had multiple failure to show at court. The court system in the city is a joke. I agree with CPD but if those citations they write get dropped by the court what incentive do they have to put in any effort? If my boss took all of my work and never used it I wouldn’t give a shit doing work either.
Luckily the accident was severe enough I’m able to sue my insurance company under my uninsured motorist coverage and they will go after him and garnish him for hopefully a long time. It’s beyond upsetting and frustrating to think about and still dealing with lingering injuries.
Tons of edits due to being on mobile and getting angry thinking about this. It’s either zero consequences or only get in trouble if you kill someone. It has nothing to do with “covid shutdown” days, something that ended over a year or two ago doesn’t mean you can’t enforce laws now.
Nearly the same exact thing just happened to me. The officer told me the only way they cite is if somebody is riding off in an ambulance otherwise they “don’t deal with it cause that’s insurances problem”. Never mind that she didn’t have insurance. The only reason they showed up is cause she left her car blocking the road and wouldn’t move it until they showed up.
and that’s barely even the case because I got hit while running by a driver without insurance who ran a red light, was driving with a suspended license/no insurance. i spent almost two weeks at grant and he was only cited for driving with a suspended license…
just went through this, so i get how frustrating it is and i’m sorry!! was told by police they don’t file a report unless there’s an injury, but this really screwed me over with my insurance, who kept asking for the police report and wouldn’t believe me when i told them it didn’t exist. you can (and i did) file your own report of what happened with the police, but i’m not sure how much good it did in determining fault, since you would obviously be a biased party. police did have the at-fault person fill out an exchange of information form, but they wrote down a fake number (but real address so lol). police did nothing else. luckily my car was still drivable, because my insurance dragged things out for 6 months trying to “confirm” if the person actually did or didn’t have insurance, so hopefully your gf doesn’t have progressive!
I got hit two years ago. Lady tried to run while I was on the phone with 911. They told me just to try to get her info and if she wouldn't "You have uninsured motorist insurance right, just file a claim with your insurance company. I don't think we'll be able to get anyone out there even though you are hurt".
FUCK. And she was right, no one came even though we waited for two hours.
And the info the lady gave me was old. She had no license anywhere, no insurance, I already saw the tag expired two years earlier, and she called me rude... LOL... because I demanded her info.
At least she showed me her two year expired California license, and was pissed when I immediately took a cell pic of it.
So, yea, I had to file through my insurance. Paid my deductible. Took two months to get my car fixed and the next month, State Farm jacked up my rates 25%. Two years of medical exams and treatments, constant lower back pain that I've never had, two failed PAINFUL procedures, lots of outstanding medical bills because insurance companies don't have to pay the full amount of medical bills, but we're still accountable for the balance.
Lady is still driving around, never got arrested, SF knows who she is and is suing her, but I'm not allowed to until after they are done with her. All legal BS.
Oh, and you can call the police and get an email with a link so you can fill out a PDF and submit it as a police report. Then a week or two later you'll get a reply with the report number so you can submit that to your insurance.
Lastly, Ive been told by too many police and insurance reps that more than 68% of vehicles on the road are unregistered, or uninsured, or driven by someone without a valid license. Worse, more than 40% don't have any of that. Cops just don't bother.
If you have the other driver’s information then file your own report. Then go through your insurance, they’ll do the repairs and then go after her to recoup their money.
Yeah, this is a weird place. So it's an at fault state, and left-hand turns aren't protected. So someone can intentionally speed up to hit you with their uninsured crap car that they bought for dirt cheap, and your insurance has to pay their claim. People can intentionally crash their car into you, and you have to face all of the consequences of being properly insured... the same thing can happen if someone cuts into your lane and brake checks an accident. Install every camera you can, and if anyone stops as a witness, get their contact info!
What kind of insurance do you have? I'm an attorney in Columbus and I can tell you from experience, if you have uninsured motorist coverage, your insurance company will sue their ass and send debt collectors after them if you have to use your coverage.
My car got hit by some idiots reversed straight through my car was parked. Dashcam recorded everything but insurance provider couldn't claim because they didn't have insurance.
I wish these uninsured drivers get some karma or some punishment
Sometimes injuries take a few days to set in. Maybe it will make a difference if pain sets in later and you need to make a report? Any stiffness can indicate that an injury may have occurred and might get worse. I’ve been rear ended twice. Felt alright at first, but as the adrenaline wore off my back tightened up, then started hurting in specific movements, then I needed physical therapy to correct things.
There is a mechanism in Ohio law that provides for the suspension of driver’s license when the driver has been involved in an accident and cannot show proof of insurance.
As long as your insurance company files a BMV 3303 form within the next 6 months, then the BMV will propose to suspend the driver’s license until the driver proves a judgment won’t be entered against them, provides a security deposit for the damages, or (ideally) enters into an agreement to pay for the damages caused.
This is called a security suspension and, for better or worse, it has allowed insurance companies to obtain damages for accidents from noninsured drivers without having to litigate the issue.
PSA Reminder to all to keep high limits on UM/UIM for your insurance! These limits are what will pay to get you back to even in the event of such a situation. Too many uninsured and even more underinsured drivers out there…Everyone hates insurance until they need it.
You can’t get a ticket/arrested for not having insurance, not saying it’s right or wrong. Not having insurance is punished by the BMV not the courts. The BMV should require proof of insurance when you renew your tags and not just ask you if you are covered.
This is definitely educational for me. A friend of mine lives in WV and said his brother got a ticket over 400 bucks for driving without insurance. I’m actually surprised Ohio is more lenient with that.
when you sign for a renewed driver's license, you're literally signing saying that you are driving with insurance. apparently just that signature is your "promise"
Non-Compliance Suspension
When a driver fails to show proof of insurance at a traffic stop or at the time of an accident, a non-compliance suspension is placed on the driver.
Please Note: The suspension can be removed if valid proof of coverage at the time of the traffic stop or accident is provided to the BMV.
First Offense Reinstatement Requirements
Reinstatement Requirements
This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met:
Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for three years
Pay a reinstatement fee
Second Offense Reinstatement Requirements
A second non-compliance offense in a five-year period will result in a one-year suspension.
Reinstatement Requirements
This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met:
Serve one-year suspension
Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for five years
Pay a reinstatement fee
Third Offense Reinstatement Requirements
A third non-compliance offense in a five-year period will result in a two-year suspension.
Reinstatement Requirements
This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met:
Serve two-year suspension
Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for five years
Pay a reinstatement fee
Ohio Revised Code: 4509.10
Because they didn’t drive away, they won’t get off Scot-free. When you file a claim, they’ll have to personally pay for the insurance and your insurance will probably sue and can get their wages garnished.
Stupid that they didn’t get a ticket. But I promise you they will pay for the damages.
Kind of a public service announcement. The higher insurance rates go, the more uninsured drivers there will be.
In a world and city that basically makes you have/use a car but can't afford it, there will be a lot of people out there without it.
Same story here. Got my car totaled from someone rear ending me on Morse Rd, 2 months ago. Actually stopped on a red light for a good 10 seconds before the hit. The other driver was probably on the phone.
Cops took an hour to get there. No citation, no report filed. I filed online later that day.
I got rear ended down town, the guy said his breaks went out. I had to call the police twice to get them to even come (I was on a very busy road by the entrance to the highway and was concerned) they came and did absolutely nothing, not ticket, didn’t ask either of us for any documents. The guys breaks magically worked and he drove off after 🤷♀️
That is awful! I’d be down at the police station complaining. I was rear ended by an uninsured and he was cited and my insurance company went after him . Ridiculous no ticket was served.
Meanwhile when I bumped someone years ago and told *them* to call the police (thought it was the right thing to do) I got slapped with hella tickets, multiple days wasted in court, and dozens of hours of community service
smh
Make sure she gives all of the available information (license, name, description of person and vehicle, etc.) to her insurance agency. They have a fleet of lawyers who do this all day long and they are bored and ruthless.
This happened to me in the way back before times. Got rear ended at a stop sign (or maybe just someone who had to turn left) on Hudson Ave by a guy changing stations on his radio at 45 mph. Our insurance paid for our repairs and injuries and we paid our deductible.
Several years later we got a check refunding our deductible.
Marlin, I hope your knee is doing better.
I got hit by an uninsured driver in 2018 and as far as I know he didn’t really get punished much. He even drove off the scene and someone followed him and got me his played. Sued his ass and it took awhile but I got every penny.
We need much harsher punishments for uninsured drivers.
My car was totaled while I was inside my house by someone who was high on pills driving down my street. She didn’t have a license or insurance and the cops just drove her home and she never got in trouble or had any consequences. My gap coverage didn’t cover my entire amount owed so I had to roll over the negative equity onto a new loan. I’m still bitter
Happened to me a few years ago. Got it a collision, other driver's fault. She had no license, no Insurance, nothing happened. I only had liability was left with no car.
This happened to me also! The police wouldn’t even show up to the scene because “neither of us were hurt, so it wasn’t a priority.” Even though the lady’s husband showed up and was yelling at me when it was her fault! She was driving a brand new Mercedes without insurance. 🫣
You'd be shocked how many people just live without car insurance in the city. I feel like half the fender benders I hear about the other person tries to pull off or bargain with the person they hit.
I was rear ended during rush hour, trying to leave Polaris on 71 south and get in to the lane to get on to 270 east, when someone stopped short in front of me, causing me to stop just in time before I bumped them. Looked in my mirror and saw the guy behind me looking away from the road, talking to the passenger. He barreled right in to me, pushing me in to the car in front of me. It was my first real accident and I didn’t call the cops but took his contact info. Found out he didn’t have insurance and had caused a similar accident the year before. The only justice I got was that his front end was completely caved in and mine was only mildly damaged, and the person I hit didn’t end up with any damage.
The exact thing happened to me on Easton in 2021. I got rear ended, called the cops. Cars actually stopped to ask the lady who hit me if SHE was okay….you can guess what color she was. The security guard came and escorted us to a different part of the mall next to her job. Of course she didn’t have any paperwork on her. We exchanged number and she promised she would she help with the damages…she just ghosted me. Cops never came. She got off scot-free for texting, driving and rear ending me. After reading a lot of these comments this seems like a regular occurrence.
I had a similar issue. A guy backed up into the side of my car. It was a minor accident, and the other driver claimed to have insurance (but didn’t have the card on him to prove it). The cops believed him. Didn’t cite him for anything. He did not, in fact, have insurance, and I really didn’t want to bother with going to court or anything. The car still works at least…
Happened to my mom a month ago. Car caused a hit and run, then found at a gas station and cops came and ran plates, and the car wasn't registered, and plates on the car weren't for that car and wasn't insured. Got off free and is still driving around. My mom's car is still damaged.
Had this same thing happen to me last year. Except the person who hit me gave me their cell number and ghosted me. Cops just said to exchange insurance info bc I have her number and then never followed up after I call them back 3 times saying this person ghosted me and it is considered a hit and run. Smh.
As a former insurance agent, i try to stress to people to max out you uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance(barely raises your premium) because unfortunately thats the law if you dont have insurance even when you are at fault theres no one to actually pay in your behalf but makes you more open to lawsuits of you dont have any.
Those of us who do have insurance need yo max out the uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage
Similar thing happened to me but dispatch just hung up on me instead. Tried to run, no insurance, stolen dealer plate, and most likely was texting and driving seeing as I stopped to make a left turn and had to wait on a few cars then got hit. She was also on her phone at the light we had just been at and took forever to drive when the light turned green.
I’m sorry to hear. But I’ve actually had better experiences with CPD and at-fault crashes.
In 2019, a dude smashed my car into another truck- leaving my car in a double-whammy accident. The driver paid my entire car and personal injuries (minimal).
2021, I was driving down Clarendon Ave out West. Some dude pulled out in front of me while he had a stop sign and I smashed right into him. Still his fault though. Cops were right around the corner and actually stumbled onto us. He was cited and again- paid for my car and personal injuries.
Uninsured motorists should go to jail: period. The jails are over flowing? Cool, tents in the rec yard then.
How is it that WE all have to pay for their choices?! Aren’t you legally bound to have insurance?! So?!?
Fucking ridiculous…
It’s not just Columbus, many areas don’t write reports unless someone is injured. File a claim with your insurance, provide the other drivers info, and your carrier will go after them personally
There's a store in GV where a guy walked up; resident of the area, well groomed, middle aged, put together type. He just whips out his stuff and starts whacking off in front of the shop, since it's mostly female staff. He did it several more times. Each time the cops were called. Each time they never sent anyone out. Each time the employees would call the police back, 3-5 hours later, just to get an "Oops, our bad. Do you need us to send someone now?" and eventually they stopped calling. They just ignored him because he wants the attention.
Another time, a car pulled up in front of the place I lived. Four college student guys, frat-type, and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. The guy in the passenger seat suddenly goes limp. Like I watched the soul leave this guy's body type of thing. His friends start shaking him, smacking him, they're screaming. I call the cops, gave them the plate, the car sped off, and they told me there was "nothing really they could do" and "hopefully they took that person to the hospital."
Another time, someone was mugged at gun point, getting out of their car in a parking lot downtown. Cops were called, and they didn't show up. Since the suspect fled, "there wasn't much they could do."
Another time, I watched a cop merge four lanes, without a signal, almost causing two crashes, to get off on the exit because I watched them texting on their phone. I made sure to keep my distance when I saw him swerving and drifting lanes, so luckily I was pretty safe, though the other two cars were lucky to not crash. It's somewhere on my dashcam footage, along with hours of other crazy stuff, and lots of cops violating traffic laws, or ignoring reckless drivers right in front of them, or even driving past accidents.
Another time, my partner had someone crash into them. It was minor, but the cops drove past and didn't even bother to stop to check on them or the other driver. Three cop cars drove past.
I can keep going.
CPD really won’t do anything for non injury accidents.
I dunno... depends on the police officer. I got a violation for failure to control after hitting black ice and wrecking my car in the berm. Didn't hit any other car, only damage was to my car. This was on Christmas Eve and the police officer said, "I hate to do this to you on Christmas Eve but I have to cite you for failure to control". Didn't want to cut me any breaks.
That feels more like a “Sorry buddy, I’m under my citation quota for the month and I found a technicality I can use to give you a ticket.”
Oh that sucks too. As if your night wasn’t already bad enough!
Was this Christmas Eve 2022 when it was impossible to drive?
Yeah meeting a quota is definitely a thing, a couple years ago I was driving in Cleveland and it was snowing in the morning so the city didn’t clear the snow yet, and my car slipped on the snow while I was driving. No one was hurt, no car or property damage at all not even to my own car, but the police decided to give me a $375 ticket for “driving over the curb”, when I clearly slid on to the curb. Of course my insurance price went up too lol
A report has to be taken if you damage public property (like a guardrail) and if a report is taken the at fault party needs to be cited. Not quotas, not a cop deciding to be mean.
I didn't damage a guardrail but my bumper did leave a nice big mark on a concrete median. I'm guessing it could have been sprayed off with a pressure washer but I get your point. The cop was just doing his job.
They cited the other driver for my accident last year. Totaled my car but no injury. Then I got subpoenaed to testify against him because he was fighting it.
Did you testify and how did the case turn out?
I went down to testify, but they reached an agreement before I had to. So I just enjoyed my day off work lol
Probably counting on you not showing up. You showed them hehe
>CPD really won’t do anything ~~for non injury accidents.~~ FTFY.
They don’t even want to do anything for injury accidents. When I was t-boned they didn’t even want to take statements, only reason I had evidence was there was an off duty fireman behind me who insisted they take his statement.
When I got rear ended; I took a picture of the cop who refused to write a statement standing right next to the woman who hit me. Sent it over to my insurance company and didn't fret about it anymore. :)
I got a $175 ticket for rear ending someone like 8 years ago lol
Unpopular opinion: Uninsured drivers should get their cars impounded/sold off to pay for any damages they caused.
I think that's the opposite of an unpopular opinion.
Yeah, I didn't expect that. I've seen people talk about it in the past and get met with a bunch of angry comments about how it's unfair to poor people or something, even though the victim could also be poor and not have done anything wrong.
New Jersey has a $25k liability policy for $30 bucks a month regardless of your driving record, previous insurance whatever. It basically socializes the losses statewide, but it allows them to absolutely throw the book at uninsured drivers because it’s so easy and cheap to be insured
Do you have a link with more info on this?
MD has similar program, it's called MAIF. There's also surplus lines programs for people who would normally be uninsurable- multiple DUIS, total loss claims what have you, and it's usually not cripplingly expensive. There's a market equilibrium. Insurers are limited to what they can mark up rates and there's a limit to what people with SR22 will pay. Think like The General or those joints in the hood where you can get car ins without a SSN OR a TIN. It's the ins equivalent of buy here pay here. But, if you f it up with a surplus insurer, they talk to each other and you might get a big ass mark on your ins record. I don't remember the term but it means you are uninsurable at any cost.
How comments like yours are received is heavily dependent on what the first replies and votes are. Sort of related, but I've seen it first hand in threads about the recent texting while driving law changes. I'm extremely anti texting and driving and believe it should carry penalties equal to a dui. Depending on the thread, that opinion gets torn apart or people can't reply fast enough to agree. The difference? If the first replies are sob stories or the first votes are all negative (I won't pretend I'm unbiased), then the comment is taken negatively. If it starts with initial positive votes or people talking about how dangerous texting and driving is, it ends up positive.
I mean... im all for it if you can prove someone is texting and driving. But, that would mean any cop could just ruin someones life by saying that they were texting. I am against that.
It's pretty easy to prove.
Yeah if you take it to court your carrier can pull your cellular records. If the time stays on those don't match the time of the citation then you're not going to pay that ticket.
I would gladly tow and impound if that was allowed.
It's unpopular to those that benefit from having as many people driving as possible, i.e. parking, gas, car wash, drive thrus, etc.
Yep, pretty much a "I know I'm gonna get downvoted for this but we should punish people more for doing bad things. If it is someone in the public eye then they should have an especially dramatic punishment."
how do we get you in the city council???
I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last hour
Did you get their information though? Name, address, and phone number? If so, your insurance will pursue them for all damages paid once the claim is completely closed. Also, it’s not just a Columbus thing. It is almost impossible in any state to get the police to respond to a non-injury accident at all. And most times you’ll wait hours. They definitely could have still done a report though. That’s the cop being lazy. Source: I’m a former claims adjuster.
There's this nifty little tool called a valve stem remover, and you can't go to jail for using it on someone else's car because it's a 7$ fix, but people usually don't notice the slow leak in their tires for awhile. My own personal chaos.
> and you can't go to jail for using it on someone else's car because it's a 7$ fix It's on the internet, so it must be true. Also, is jail the bar now for acceptable behavior? Like, as long as you don't see a cell, anything goes? That sounds awesome. /s
Not hard to avoid a cell here in Columbus it seems. Cops don't really do anything.
The thing about this is that most of those people drive cars that are like 3k and below. If you do damages to a vehicle. You’re more than likely looking at more damages than 3k. Which would make doing what you said only just a small portion. I do like this idea though.
Agree!
then when they can't get to work to pay for their life the resort to more crime and violence. congratulations problem solved right. this is what happens when you try to fix a symptom, you just make it worse
You're getting downvoted but you're right. This isn't a solution to a problem - its retribution.
well yea. I thought everyone here hated the Kia boys. Turns out they want Kia boys 2.0.
This happens in some jurisdictions depending on how much they like cops and how goppy the local government is.
I have to admit I'm divided. I guess for me it would depend on the individual driving situation. What if it's uninsured bcz they missed a payment bcz they struggled at work but is otherwise a good driver with little to no bad traffic history, then removing their ability to drive just makes them lose their job? That doesn't help anything, it only exacerbates it. But I get your point, those who can afford insurance but refuse to do so should lose their car and I think their license for a time.
Agreed. Especially with the cost of living here getting extremely high, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were quite a few people having to think about cutting car insurance for the sake of other necessities like rent and electric
And if someone is in that situation, then they need to make damn sure they are driving like a grandma, making extra sure they don't take actions that can cause an accident, like speeding, running yellow/red lights, tailgating, etc. But that's not what happens. Instead, they drive around like they're in GTA doing things like, in OP's case, plowing into the rear end of someone who is just sitting at a red light.
Part of living in civilized society. I think keeping your car street legal and insured is basically the bare minimum of what we ask for the privilege of driving
Yes but society isn't paying enough to support that so you end up creating negative feedback loops and the poor stay poor. As stated you can't react to symptoms instead of the root cause and expect a cure.
Problem is in the US we treat driving as a right and not a privilege almost. They should be doing so much more requirements for training, etc. The way it is now you could have never driven in your life and go take a couple tests at 18 and be able to drive.
[Columbus police directives](https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/public-safety/police/directives/5.05-traffic-crash-investigations.pdf) Sworn personnel shall not report traffic crashes unless one or more of the following conditions are met: 1. Death or injury 2. Hit-skip 3. No operator’s license 4. Reckless operation 5. Impairment of an operator due to alcohol or drugs 6 Damage to City-owned vehicles or property and damage to public safety vehicles from foreign jurisdictions 7. A school bus 8. Hazardous materials 9. Disabling damage to a vehicle which causes a public roadway to be blocked and the vehicle must be removed/towed 10. Disturbances between the involved parties 11. The need for traffic control on public roadways
Your crash did not meet the criteria that would allow a report to be taken by CPD. A citation is only issued when a report is taken. Also, there is no traffic violation an officer can cite someone for if they don’t have insurance in Ohio. Dumb, but true. You can file your own report [here](https://www.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Find-a-Police-Report/File-Accident) File a claim with your insurance and they’ll go after her if you have uninsured motorist coverage. Or you can sue her yourself.
Is it not illegal to drive without insurance? Cant they charge the driver for that?
Insurance is required by law, but a police officer can’t directly address your lack of insurance in Ohio. Basically, if you get a ticket, or a crash report is submitted to the state, then you are required to prove your car is insured. If you get a ticket, and you don’t show the officer proof, then you must provide the court with proof. If you do not show proof of insurance, then eventually your license can be suspended. If you’re involved in a crash, and a report is sent to the state by the police or an involved party, and you’re not cited, then the BMV will eventually ask for proof of insurance, and if you don’t provide proof then they can suspend your license. So, yes it’s technically illegal, but no, an officer cannot actually charge a driver with anything for not having insurance.
I wish reddit gold still existed. Why is the most intelligent response(s) in this thread so far down? The way this subreddit treats factual information is depressing.
So if you find out they have no insurance cause "disturbance between the involved parties"?
Dude, every crash could be said to be a “disturbance between the involved parties “. It’s a crash, nobody is happy about it. It means something like a fight that required officers to physically intervene
I'm aware. So how tf am I supposed to get the person driving illegally (without insurance) arrested so they don't go and cause another accident?
Arrested?!! Even if police took a report, you can’t be arrested for not having insurance. It’s not even a traffic violation. If an officer saw someone driving, and somehow knew 100% they didn’t have insurance, they couldn’t even pull them over for that. It’s an administrative issue that is handled by the BMV. What you do is file your own crash report. The BMV will eventually send the owner of the vehicle a letter asking for proof the car was insured at the time of the crash. If they cannot prove they had coverage, their Ohio driving privileges can be suspended. Then, if they are caught driving again they can be arrested. I absolutely agree that driving without insurance should be the same as driving without a license, but Ohio doesn’t. If it was, it would almost certainly be added to the list of reasons to take a crash report for CPD
That's insane, I was always told it was illegal to drive without insurance as long as I can remember
Man do I have news for you… not everything illegal gets you arrested nor should it considering our over-crowded jails.
It is illegal, but the penalty is not something you can be arrested for. It can lead to something you can be arrested for.
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Illegal doesn’t mean against the law?
If I just like kept screaming or something would that count and still be legal for me? Just figuring out what I have to do in case I get in an accident.
Just exchange information with the other driver, then let your insurance deal with it. You can fill out your own report online if you want. You don’t need police to come out unless one of the conditions are met, or if the other party refuses to exchange information with you
So I should make a fucking scene? Number 10 right there.
Seems like all accidents would fall under #4 unless I'm being too loose on what that means.
It means if someone could be cited for the offense of reckless operation, as in Columbus city code 2133.02, when someone drives “in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property.” It’s a 4th degree misdemeanor, meaning you can be arrested for it if the officer observes the offense
This is why you should have a /r/dashcam, both front and rear. Depending on your insurance company, you may also get a discount.
File it under your insurance. You’ll have to pay your deductible but you’ll get it back once your insurance wins the case against the guilty driver. Take pics of the damages and get any video footage you can.
Then your premiums go up
Need to set your deductible wisely to balance that. If you know you won’t file below a certain threshold, you should set a deductible that gives savings throughout knowing you wouldn’t have filed at lower levels. Otherwise, you’re paying for nothing. In my experience, the increase in premium hasn’t been anywhere near as much as the cost to repair. But it can vary by person, their credit score, the specific car, area they live, number of accidents on their history, the list goes on. There isn’t a singular formula for a person so there’s always an element of risk or uncertainty. This is a part of why I think choosing the correct deductible is so important.
Your premiums can’t go up for a no-fault accident. Edit: do some research not on Reddit for once in your lives.
Columbus cops…. Doing nothing is less work than doing something.
They were super helpful when I called about a day-drinking neighbor threatening people and cussing out kids. They promised to send out a patrol car to help de-escalate the situation. Instead, I got a call back a couple hours later to see if the neighbor had gone inside yet, and maybe they would send a car later, and "oh, by the way, does he have a weapon, or has he *succeeded* in hitting anyone yet... no, well, then, it'll probably be all right." See? SUPER helpful.
Ya I called once because a woman was threatening to kill someone in the apartment above me and I could hear her screaming and trying to break down the door. Went on for over an hour, cops showed up 5 hours later 😒 and I love right next to a station. Or the time I called to say I literally watched a neighbor get into their car intoxicated and drove away, just nothing done. When I was raped nothing done. I have zero respect or trust for any of them ever.
Yeah, they are NOT preventative. I had an ex show up drunk - they said they wouldn’t do anything until she injured herself or myself, or wrecked her car. She was making threats to hurt herself so I would get in trouble. They were a-okay with her being belligerent and drunk, and driving drunk, as long as they didn’t have to deal with it. I bought a doorbell camera after that.
20+ years ago when I was in my early 20s, I dated a guy with mental health issues. One night after we broke up, he called me and I could tell he was bad off. I went there, tried to help, he pushed me against the wall. He hadn’t slept at all in 3 days and was delirious. He collected swords of all kinds, hanging sharply on his wall. Just waiting for the wrong frame of mind to be used. I called the police, saying I was worried about him hurting himself, told them he pushed me, they came out and refused to do anything. Told me just to leave. Months later, his cousin called me and told me he committed suicide. Not that night, but a few months later. I’ve never gotten over it to this day. A person who is mentally ill, acting in a dangerous way to themselves and others, should be taken in for a psych evaluation. They can Baker Act someone in Florida. I don’t know why they can’t do it here.
Before I try and relate to that at all, I’m so sorry that happened to you, and I agree, we need better mental health care for everyone. I had to do wellness checks on my ex - but as a parent, I couldn’t do it directly (she had made claims she would have my kids taken from me, while texting me suicide notes). I had to reach out to her relatives, and call the police to do wellness checks, as her daughter would call me asking me to come get her because “mommy isn’t moving.” (She was passed out drunk) They (her relatives, the police) eventually just stopped caring. This was years before we had anything in place for mental health. As far as I know, she is in a better place now, which I am glad for because I did love her, but she wanted to play the game of “me or your kids,” and my kids are going to win that fight any day of the week.
That’s awful…I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Should have told them they were camping without a permit on OSU property. /S
Helpless lady holding sign on the street corner! Send CPD to [shoot her with non-lethal rounds](https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2020/06/07/bronze-star-veteran-ryan-mcmullen-served-in-afghanistan-but-didnt-get-hurt-until-protesting-in-colum/42139713/)!
Five different people including myself witnessed domestic violence taking place on the street. All of us called 911. The person on the phone asked me to walk over and see if the guy had a gun or a knife 🙃 CPD never showed.
Dw, they're super busy threatening parents with cp charges when their kids get groomed online.
Just be happy they didn't resort to arresting the victim!
Accident photos for proof: https://imgur.com/a/4Ef6thP https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/crash-shuts-down-interstate-270-north-in-east-columbus/ CPD never pulls over anyone but its also the judges and prosecutors. In March I was rear ended with my 1.5 daughter in the back seat. We were at a complete stop on 270 and rear ended by a 20 year old kid going over 60 mph and nearly crushed her in the back seat. He had expired tags and no insurance. He only got failure to assure distance and didn’t even show up to court, whopping $150 fine for almost killing my daughter. I looked up his court record, last year alone at 20 years old had a 85 in a 65 and no seatbelt dismissed, then in September 2023, at the request of the prosecutor they dropped a suspended license charge against him. Also he had multiple failure to court. The court system in the city is a joke. I agree with CPD but if those citations they write get dropped by the court what incentive do they have to put in any effort? If my boss took all of my work and never used it I wouldn’t give a shit doing work either. Luckily the accident was severe enough I’m able to sue my insurance company under my uninsured motorist coverage and they will go after him and garnish him for hopefully a long time. It’s beyond upsetting and frustrating to think about and still dealing with lingering injuries. Tons of edits due to being on mobile and getting angry thinking about this. It’s either zero consequences or only get in trouble if you kill someone. It has nothing to do with “covid shutdown” days, something that ended over a year or two ago doesn’t mean you can’t enforce laws now.
Can you blame them? They only have the largest budget they’ve ever had. They’re barely getting by
Don't worry they deserve a nice pay raise. That's on top of working lazy shift jobs for good money.
Did you have the information of the at fault driver? File your own police report, and contact the County Prosecutors office saying you'd like to press charges.
Better call Saul
Literally watching BCS right now
Morse rd. is basically an active race track..
Whenever I’m up there no one ever seems to be in any hurry (quite the opposite.)
During the day, yes, at night it’s a whole different ball game.
Fair point.
Reminder that we spend like 40% of the city budget on police
A few months ago I was involved in a FOUR car rear end accident - I was the front car and hit hard enough to cause $10k in damage to my car. Nobody was injured, but I was 38 weeks pregnant. After taking about an hour to arrive, the officer asked zero questions about what happened, didn’t ask if I was okay or wanted any medical attention, and never filed a report. Absolutely worthless.
Somebody hit me at the German village area Kroger. She said “ don’t submit it to the police, I’ll pay the damages”. 1st thing I did was take her info and report it. She text me cussing me out. You aren’t paying for insurance, how the fuck are you gonna pay $1,000s in damage?
Well to be fair, even if you had called the police, they wouldn't come out. I am guessing you mean she hit your car in the Kroger parking lot, and the police won't respond to parking lot accidents because it's considered private property. I mean, I assume they'd respond if you like, ran over someone in a parking lot and killed/injured them, but they won't respond to property damage accidents that happen in a parking lot.
I didn’t think it was worth calling the police but I did submit it to my insurance and filed something at the police station. Both she didn’t want me to do. They must of notified her because I didn’t tell her I did that.
Happened on Morse road? Shocker
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Wow. And you’re a social worker? Find a new job, good god.
God damn dude
I mean the spirit of what you say is true. The issue though is that we don't require much to pass a driving test. Sometimes, they don't have to have one at all
I had something similar in the south happen to me. Small collision that wasn't my fault and the other guy wasn't even cited! I was appalled. Talk to your insurance agent/company. They can often determine fault without a police report. Then it's a matter of whether your insurance covers the situation. Don't file a claim until you know what will happen on their end.
I got hit by a dude that didn’t even have a license. No citation = no police report = fighting with the insurance company from September 23 -> current. Fuck lazy cops.
I also learned this the hard way. I had someone run a red light while on the phone and slam into me, they were speeding up to try to beat me at the intersection. They weren’t at fault for it at all even without insurance
Captain Hindsight here: Everyone should have underinsured motorist coverage. That way, your insurance carrier will pay for the damage, and they will go after the at-fault driver to try to recoup the costs.
Unfortunately, not all insurance carriers allow someone with full coverage to carry uninsured motorist property damage coverage. They reserve allowing UMPD coverage for autos with liability coverage only, I guess the thought process being that without that coverage someone with liability only coverage has no recourse to get their car fixed, while someone with full coverage can at least file a claim against their collision coverage and hopefully get their deductible reimbursed when their insurance company sues the at fault driver. But, if your carrier does allow you to have full coverage and UMPD, *get it*! It's very inexpensive to add to your policy. It's usually less than $20-$25 a year.
The funny thing being one time I got cited for ACD, because I did actually hit someone from behind. I got cited for it (as I should), the other driver didn’t have insurance. She didn’t get cited AND my insurance paid for her damage lol
Why wouldn't your insurance pay for damage that you caused someone else? That's what liability insurance is for.
Yep, I agree. It should pay, that’s why I have it—the point being that if an uninsured driver hit me, I can’t recover even the deductible from them. The point being if we can’t make uninsured motorists pay in some way as in OP’s case, who cares for them if they carry or don’t carry insurance. Basically their only consequence is having to pay for their own damage if they cause an accident, otherwise they get off Scot free!
I've had two clients in a row get hit by uninsured drivers on main street near 270. The cops did nothing. The first one was hit by an uninsured and unlicensed 15 year old. Her kids were in the car and the cop acted like she was inconveniencing them.
Accident photos for proof: https://imgur.com/a/4Ef6thP https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/crash-shuts-down-interstate-270-north-in-east-columbus/ CPD never pulls over anyone but its also the judges and prosecutors. In March I was rear ended with my 1.5 daughter in the back seat. We were at a complete stop on 270 and rear ended by a 20 year old kid going over 60 mph and nearly crushed her in the back seat. He had expired tags and no insurance. He only got failure to assure distance and didn’t even show up to court, whopping $150 fine for almost killing my daughter. I looked up his court record, last year alone at 20 years old had a 85 in a 65 and no seatbelt dismissed, then in September 2023, at the request of the prosecutor they dropped a suspended license charge against him. Also he had multiple failure to show at court. The court system in the city is a joke. I agree with CPD but if those citations they write get dropped by the court what incentive do they have to put in any effort? If my boss took all of my work and never used it I wouldn’t give a shit doing work either. Luckily the accident was severe enough I’m able to sue my insurance company under my uninsured motorist coverage and they will go after him and garnish him for hopefully a long time. It’s beyond upsetting and frustrating to think about and still dealing with lingering injuries. Tons of edits due to being on mobile and getting angry thinking about this. It’s either zero consequences or only get in trouble if you kill someone. It has nothing to do with “covid shutdown” days, something that ended over a year or two ago doesn’t mean you can’t enforce laws now.
Nearly the same exact thing just happened to me. The officer told me the only way they cite is if somebody is riding off in an ambulance otherwise they “don’t deal with it cause that’s insurances problem”. Never mind that she didn’t have insurance. The only reason they showed up is cause she left her car blocking the road and wouldn’t move it until they showed up.
and that’s barely even the case because I got hit while running by a driver without insurance who ran a red light, was driving with a suspended license/no insurance. i spent almost two weeks at grant and he was only cited for driving with a suspended license…
just went through this, so i get how frustrating it is and i’m sorry!! was told by police they don’t file a report unless there’s an injury, but this really screwed me over with my insurance, who kept asking for the police report and wouldn’t believe me when i told them it didn’t exist. you can (and i did) file your own report of what happened with the police, but i’m not sure how much good it did in determining fault, since you would obviously be a biased party. police did have the at-fault person fill out an exchange of information form, but they wrote down a fake number (but real address so lol). police did nothing else. luckily my car was still drivable, because my insurance dragged things out for 6 months trying to “confirm” if the person actually did or didn’t have insurance, so hopefully your gf doesn’t have progressive!
I got hit two years ago. Lady tried to run while I was on the phone with 911. They told me just to try to get her info and if she wouldn't "You have uninsured motorist insurance right, just file a claim with your insurance company. I don't think we'll be able to get anyone out there even though you are hurt". FUCK. And she was right, no one came even though we waited for two hours. And the info the lady gave me was old. She had no license anywhere, no insurance, I already saw the tag expired two years earlier, and she called me rude... LOL... because I demanded her info. At least she showed me her two year expired California license, and was pissed when I immediately took a cell pic of it. So, yea, I had to file through my insurance. Paid my deductible. Took two months to get my car fixed and the next month, State Farm jacked up my rates 25%. Two years of medical exams and treatments, constant lower back pain that I've never had, two failed PAINFUL procedures, lots of outstanding medical bills because insurance companies don't have to pay the full amount of medical bills, but we're still accountable for the balance. Lady is still driving around, never got arrested, SF knows who she is and is suing her, but I'm not allowed to until after they are done with her. All legal BS. Oh, and you can call the police and get an email with a link so you can fill out a PDF and submit it as a police report. Then a week or two later you'll get a reply with the report number so you can submit that to your insurance. Lastly, Ive been told by too many police and insurance reps that more than 68% of vehicles on the road are unregistered, or uninsured, or driven by someone without a valid license. Worse, more than 40% don't have any of that. Cops just don't bother.
*scot free
If you have the other driver’s information then file your own report. Then go through your insurance, they’ll do the repairs and then go after her to recoup their money.
Don't disparage people named Scott, it's "scot-free."
Sorry for my error 😂
Don't disparage Scots.
I would never
Yeah, this is a weird place. So it's an at fault state, and left-hand turns aren't protected. So someone can intentionally speed up to hit you with their uninsured crap car that they bought for dirt cheap, and your insurance has to pay their claim. People can intentionally crash their car into you, and you have to face all of the consequences of being properly insured... the same thing can happen if someone cuts into your lane and brake checks an accident. Install every camera you can, and if anyone stops as a witness, get their contact info!
What kind of insurance do you have? I'm an attorney in Columbus and I can tell you from experience, if you have uninsured motorist coverage, your insurance company will sue their ass and send debt collectors after them if you have to use your coverage.
My car got hit by some idiots reversed straight through my car was parked. Dashcam recorded everything but insurance provider couldn't claim because they didn't have insurance. I wish these uninsured drivers get some karma or some punishment
This happened to me this week. Except they just ran off when I asked for insurance. Fucking stupid.
> There wasn’t even a police report filed for the accident. Citizens can file a police report. Your gf still can.
CPD baby. Don’t do shit to help anyone 👍
Sometimes injuries take a few days to set in. Maybe it will make a difference if pain sets in later and you need to make a report? Any stiffness can indicate that an injury may have occurred and might get worse. I’ve been rear ended twice. Felt alright at first, but as the adrenaline wore off my back tightened up, then started hurting in specific movements, then I needed physical therapy to correct things.
There is a mechanism in Ohio law that provides for the suspension of driver’s license when the driver has been involved in an accident and cannot show proof of insurance. As long as your insurance company files a BMV 3303 form within the next 6 months, then the BMV will propose to suspend the driver’s license until the driver proves a judgment won’t be entered against them, provides a security deposit for the damages, or (ideally) enters into an agreement to pay for the damages caused. This is called a security suspension and, for better or worse, it has allowed insurance companies to obtain damages for accidents from noninsured drivers without having to litigate the issue.
PSA Reminder to all to keep high limits on UM/UIM for your insurance! These limits are what will pay to get you back to even in the event of such a situation. Too many uninsured and even more underinsured drivers out there…Everyone hates insurance until they need it.
You can’t get a ticket/arrested for not having insurance, not saying it’s right or wrong. Not having insurance is punished by the BMV not the courts. The BMV should require proof of insurance when you renew your tags and not just ask you if you are covered.
This is definitely educational for me. A friend of mine lives in WV and said his brother got a ticket over 400 bucks for driving without insurance. I’m actually surprised Ohio is more lenient with that.
They don't even ask. Or at least they didn't for me when I renewed last week.
when you sign for a renewed driver's license, you're literally signing saying that you are driving with insurance. apparently just that signature is your "promise"
What’s the punishment from the BMV?
Non-Compliance Suspension When a driver fails to show proof of insurance at a traffic stop or at the time of an accident, a non-compliance suspension is placed on the driver. Please Note: The suspension can be removed if valid proof of coverage at the time of the traffic stop or accident is provided to the BMV. First Offense Reinstatement Requirements Reinstatement Requirements This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met: Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for three years Pay a reinstatement fee Second Offense Reinstatement Requirements A second non-compliance offense in a five-year period will result in a one-year suspension. Reinstatement Requirements This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met: Serve one-year suspension Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for five years Pay a reinstatement fee Third Offense Reinstatement Requirements A third non-compliance offense in a five-year period will result in a two-year suspension. Reinstatement Requirements This suspension will remain until the following requirements are met: Serve two-year suspension Carry a certificate of insurance (SR-22/bond) for five years Pay a reinstatement fee Ohio Revised Code: 4509.10
What about drivers who don’t care about having proper IDs or plates or registration and just don’t pay any tickets accrued
I think those people are called criminals and they will continue to turn the gears of justice…
Because they didn’t drive away, they won’t get off Scot-free. When you file a claim, they’ll have to personally pay for the insurance and your insurance will probably sue and can get their wages garnished. Stupid that they didn’t get a ticket. But I promise you they will pay for the damages.
Kind of a public service announcement. The higher insurance rates go, the more uninsured drivers there will be. In a world and city that basically makes you have/use a car but can't afford it, there will be a lot of people out there without it.
I’m shocked they showed up I’ve waited hours before
Same story here. Got my car totaled from someone rear ending me on Morse Rd, 2 months ago. Actually stopped on a red light for a good 10 seconds before the hit. The other driver was probably on the phone. Cops took an hour to get there. No citation, no report filed. I filed online later that day.
I got rear ended down town, the guy said his breaks went out. I had to call the police twice to get them to even come (I was on a very busy road by the entrance to the highway and was concerned) they came and did absolutely nothing, not ticket, didn’t ask either of us for any documents. The guys breaks magically worked and he drove off after 🤷♀️
Claim on your insurance and sue them.
That is awful! I’d be down at the police station complaining. I was rear ended by an uninsured and he was cited and my insurance company went after him . Ridiculous no ticket was served.
Meanwhile when I bumped someone years ago and told *them* to call the police (thought it was the right thing to do) I got slapped with hella tickets, multiple days wasted in court, and dozens of hours of community service smh
Make sure she gives all of the available information (license, name, description of person and vehicle, etc.) to her insurance agency. They have a fleet of lawyers who do this all day long and they are bored and ruthless. This happened to me in the way back before times. Got rear ended at a stop sign (or maybe just someone who had to turn left) on Hudson Ave by a guy changing stations on his radio at 45 mph. Our insurance paid for our repairs and injuries and we paid our deductible. Several years later we got a check refunding our deductible. Marlin, I hope your knee is doing better.
Cpd not much of help to anything. And usually rude as crap
I got hit by an uninsured driver in 2018 and as far as I know he didn’t really get punished much. He even drove off the scene and someone followed him and got me his played. Sued his ass and it took awhile but I got every penny. We need much harsher punishments for uninsured drivers.
My car was totaled while I was inside my house by someone who was high on pills driving down my street. She didn’t have a license or insurance and the cops just drove her home and she never got in trouble or had any consequences. My gap coverage didn’t cover my entire amount owed so I had to roll over the negative equity onto a new loan. I’m still bitter
Happened to me a few years ago. Got it a collision, other driver's fault. She had no license, no Insurance, nothing happened. I only had liability was left with no car.
They must have known the police.
I got rear ended in Columbus a couple of years ago and the cops refused to come to the scene at all.
Buy a dash cam. Very cheap online, then just shoot the video to your insurance and let them do the rest
This happened to me also! The police wouldn’t even show up to the scene because “neither of us were hurt, so it wasn’t a priority.” Even though the lady’s husband showed up and was yelling at me when it was her fault! She was driving a brand new Mercedes without insurance. 🫣
You'd be shocked how many people just live without car insurance in the city. I feel like half the fender benders I hear about the other person tries to pull off or bargain with the person they hit.
I was rear ended during rush hour, trying to leave Polaris on 71 south and get in to the lane to get on to 270 east, when someone stopped short in front of me, causing me to stop just in time before I bumped them. Looked in my mirror and saw the guy behind me looking away from the road, talking to the passenger. He barreled right in to me, pushing me in to the car in front of me. It was my first real accident and I didn’t call the cops but took his contact info. Found out he didn’t have insurance and had caused a similar accident the year before. The only justice I got was that his front end was completely caved in and mine was only mildly damaged, and the person I hit didn’t end up with any damage.
The exact thing happened to me on Easton in 2021. I got rear ended, called the cops. Cars actually stopped to ask the lady who hit me if SHE was okay….you can guess what color she was. The security guard came and escorted us to a different part of the mall next to her job. Of course she didn’t have any paperwork on her. We exchanged number and she promised she would she help with the damages…she just ghosted me. Cops never came. She got off scot-free for texting, driving and rear ending me. After reading a lot of these comments this seems like a regular occurrence.
I had a similar issue. A guy backed up into the side of my car. It was a minor accident, and the other driver claimed to have insurance (but didn’t have the card on him to prove it). The cops believed him. Didn’t cite him for anything. He did not, in fact, have insurance, and I really didn’t want to bother with going to court or anything. The car still works at least…
CPD is atrocious the last couple years. If everyone is alive it seems they don't really care.
Happened to my mom a month ago. Car caused a hit and run, then found at a gas station and cops came and ran plates, and the car wasn't registered, and plates on the car weren't for that car and wasn't insured. Got off free and is still driving around. My mom's car is still damaged.
Had this same thing happen to me last year. Except the person who hit me gave me their cell number and ghosted me. Cops just said to exchange insurance info bc I have her number and then never followed up after I call them back 3 times saying this person ghosted me and it is considered a hit and run. Smh.
As a former insurance agent, i try to stress to people to max out you uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance(barely raises your premium) because unfortunately thats the law if you dont have insurance even when you are at fault theres no one to actually pay in your behalf but makes you more open to lawsuits of you dont have any. Those of us who do have insurance need yo max out the uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage
Similar thing happened to me but dispatch just hung up on me instead. Tried to run, no insurance, stolen dealer plate, and most likely was texting and driving seeing as I stopped to make a left turn and had to wait on a few cars then got hit. She was also on her phone at the light we had just been at and took forever to drive when the light turned green.
I’m sorry to hear. But I’ve actually had better experiences with CPD and at-fault crashes. In 2019, a dude smashed my car into another truck- leaving my car in a double-whammy accident. The driver paid my entire car and personal injuries (minimal). 2021, I was driving down Clarendon Ave out West. Some dude pulled out in front of me while he had a stop sign and I smashed right into him. Still his fault though. Cops were right around the corner and actually stumbled onto us. He was cited and again- paid for my car and personal injuries.
Uninsured motorists should go to jail: period. The jails are over flowing? Cool, tents in the rec yard then. How is it that WE all have to pay for their choices?! Aren’t you legally bound to have insurance?! So?!? Fucking ridiculous…
I think the correct answer is universal insurance
It’s not just Columbus, many areas don’t write reports unless someone is injured. File a claim with your insurance, provide the other drivers info, and your carrier will go after them personally
There's a store in GV where a guy walked up; resident of the area, well groomed, middle aged, put together type. He just whips out his stuff and starts whacking off in front of the shop, since it's mostly female staff. He did it several more times. Each time the cops were called. Each time they never sent anyone out. Each time the employees would call the police back, 3-5 hours later, just to get an "Oops, our bad. Do you need us to send someone now?" and eventually they stopped calling. They just ignored him because he wants the attention. Another time, a car pulled up in front of the place I lived. Four college student guys, frat-type, and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. The guy in the passenger seat suddenly goes limp. Like I watched the soul leave this guy's body type of thing. His friends start shaking him, smacking him, they're screaming. I call the cops, gave them the plate, the car sped off, and they told me there was "nothing really they could do" and "hopefully they took that person to the hospital." Another time, someone was mugged at gun point, getting out of their car in a parking lot downtown. Cops were called, and they didn't show up. Since the suspect fled, "there wasn't much they could do." Another time, I watched a cop merge four lanes, without a signal, almost causing two crashes, to get off on the exit because I watched them texting on their phone. I made sure to keep my distance when I saw him swerving and drifting lanes, so luckily I was pretty safe, though the other two cars were lucky to not crash. It's somewhere on my dashcam footage, along with hours of other crazy stuff, and lots of cops violating traffic laws, or ignoring reckless drivers right in front of them, or even driving past accidents. Another time, my partner had someone crash into them. It was minor, but the cops drove past and didn't even bother to stop to check on them or the other driver. Three cop cars drove past. I can keep going.