Drove into a ladder on the freeway. Didn't see the car that dropped it. Police aren't able to help. Any ideas?

mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 11:59

Hi All,

Had a bit of an accident on the Eastern Freeway (M3) on Friday.
Was driving home after work and i drive into a ladder that was in the middle lane of the freeway.

At the time, I didn't see any cars stopped on the freeway so wasn't able to determine who dropped it. My front bumper is now cracked and one of the fog lights is gone.

I rang the police and enquired if there was any way to get camera footage, but they said all the cameras on the freeway are live feeds and don't record.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to find out the details of the vehicle that dropped the ladder?

Automotive

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 04/10/2020 - 12:03
    +26

    There's no certainty and you'll have to go through great effort.

    Just use your insurance.

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 12:12
      +1

      was trying to avoid it if i could because of the excess but looks like theres probably no other way.

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 04/10/2020 - 12:31
        +3

        Only viable option, other than paying out of your own pocket.

        • capslock janitor on 05/10/2020 - 16:25
          +4

          My front bumper is now cracked and one of the fog lights is gone.

          Was the ladder upright? Perhaps they can triangulate the owner's position.

      • SelfMade on 05/10/2020 - 09:30
        +11

        Just another trick the insurance companies do to keep their profits higher, charge excess and increase your premiums if you lodge a claim. This of course is on top of your annual insurance charges. Nice little business model they have going.

        • BanannaMan on 05/10/2020 - 14:37
          +15

          When they do increase the annual fee - make sure you call them and ask them to match a lower rate.
          I do this every year regardless - sometimes they knock off $1000 (on a bad claim year) and sometimes about $1-200 on a normal year

          Either way - stay bill savvy

          • Choc83 on 05/10/2020 - 17:45
            +8

            @BanannaMan: I just keep moving mine around. The incentives are too great. If you stay with the same insurer, you get screwed.

            • BanannaMan on 05/10/2020 - 19:27
              -1

              @Choc83: I've found youi beats most people but it does depend on the model /postcode. Who are you using now?

              I've always had exorbitant quotes elsewhere..

              • bmerigan on 05/10/2020 - 20:57
                +12

                @BanannaMan: Seriously? Their 100 question application was the biggest waste of time. Not cheap at all.
                We're middle aged, cars are garaged, tried both my wife and myself.

                • BanannaMan on 05/10/2020 - 22:20

                  @bmerigan: Yeah its weird, work mates tell me they hate them too but when I get quotes elsewhere they always come up top.. Shrug.

                  Also when I signed up a while ago, was super easy too.

                  • stanstho on 06/10/2020 - 19:55
                    +1

                    @BanannaMan: Youi was pretty cheap for me too when I was shopping around (cheap beater car, younger driver, 3rd party). The only ones that were cheaper were woolies by about $50 p/y car insurance but they had a $500 excess to claim whereas Youi was no excess, so I figured the odds of paying that excess in the next ten years is high enough as to be worth rolling the dice on Youi.

              • dizzle on 06/10/2020 - 14:23
                +3

                @BanannaMan: Youi was going to be 4 times the price of RACQ or AAMI for me (and they're not the cheapies). Nothing high risk for me and I'm rating one, but they couldn't get near anyone when I called them to ask.

                I've had family have issues with claims through ones like Coles insurance, so I stay away from the real budget companies.

          • Mitch889 on 06/10/2020 - 14:56

            @BanannaMan: What insurance are you getting that swings $1000 dependant of provider with the same claims/driving record?

            • BanannaMan on 06/10/2020 - 15:01

              @Mitch889: Oh we didnt have the same claims - wife crashed twice that year..

              After 10 years together - had no idea she couldnt reverse for nuts..

        • imurgod on 05/10/2020 - 22:27
          +2

          So you pay $600 for cover (some 40% of your premium is govt charges) and $700 excess and the insurer pays 20k for damage to both cars and managing the claim, yet its a trick? How are they suppose to turn a profit?

          Don't ever get into business or buy shares.

            • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 14:07

              @SelfMade: Whoop de doo. You must be the only person in business who was there to make losses.

              If you had a finance background (you clearly don't), you'd understand how this works.

              Business is there to make a profit and shareholders expect an ROI.

              Stats have nothing to do with anything at all. I know better than you considering I have almost 25 years in the game.

              • SelfMade on 06/10/2020 - 14:11
                -4

                @imurgod: Your knowledge is amazing!

                Enjoy your 25 years 'in the game' LoL

                You'll probably never have any idea but you will tell yourself and others that you do, good for you!

                • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 14:16

                  @SelfMade: Clearly I am the one who has the knowledge considering you don't even understand the premise!

                  It's called risk management.

                  Tell you what, you're a big business/finance guy. I have an investment proposition for you; I drive an AMG C63s worth roughly $150K at the moment.
                  I will pay you $1,500 per year and if I have an accident, I expect you to pay for my loss, those of public property and the other party.
                  I will not pay any excess nor expect any increase in premium.
                  Also, I will claim every single scratch, dent or chip considering there is no form of self insurance such as an excess.

                  Sound like a good investment to you?

                  • SelfMade on 06/10/2020 - 14:26
                    -8

                    @imurgod: I have a small business and apparently I 'clearly don't' have a background in finance…but now you think I do? And now I'm in big business as well? Good for you LoL

                    Enjoy your AMG, I thought people on this forum only drive Camry's….maybe you've saved up your life savings for it, enjoy!

                    If you love car insurance so much, start a business in it, enjoying ripping people off based on their fear of 'what if'.

                    Gee some on this forum seem like they're in high school…not that that's an issue, you're still learning!

                    Let me now get back to my business of 'making losses'…haha

                    • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 15:10
                      -1

                      @SelfMade: I have a business. I built it way past small and the way I did that is by knowing what I'm doing and having the qualifications rather than pretending to have a background in something.

                      I can afford an AMG (or most any other car) because I've earned it. It's just a car. I used it to prove that you know nothing about how this works.

                      How come you didn't respond to my investment offer? It's based on your sound knowledge of insurance and finance.

                      Face it, you have no idea how finance or insurance works at all.

                      It isn't based on fear, it's getting risk off your balance sheet. You do know what a balance sheet is, right? LOL Thought not.

                      Small business doesn't require that much knowledge of this stuff. No qualifications required to sell candles at the markets.

                      You're out of your depth here.

                      I'll eagerly await your thread entitled "Hit car and have no insurance. What are my options?".

                      What a clown.

                      • SelfMade on 06/10/2020 - 16:01
                        -3

                        @imurgod: Haha you've got a great attitude, if you have employees I feel sorry for them.

                        I bet I've got more formal qualifications than you, despite not really needing it to run business.

                        But yep keeping thinking you know it all

                        Enjoy that amazing 'business' of yours.

                        • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 17:16

                          @SelfMade: Never had an employee leave, but then, they take responsibility for themselves, unlike some people.

                          I'm sure you're super qualified, which is why you still won't address my comment proving you don't understand how business works at all (I wonder why your business doesn't grow past small).

                          I'll bet you were hoping I was as clueless as you about this stuff, huh? You've outed yourself as clueless, you can stop pretending you have any qualifications now, it simply isn't holding any water.

                          And talk about awful attitude! Wow! The irony of that comment! You have been aggressive since the get go.

                          Enjoy your lemonade stand… you self-made success story, you!

                          • SelfMade on 06/10/2020 - 17:28

                            @imurgod: Thanks mate!

                            Come by sometime, I'll give you some lemonade for free…it'll go with your attitude and add to that bitter mindset you have ;)

        • monkeyfood on 05/10/2020 - 23:24
          +4

          leaving ladders on the freeway is another insurance company trick?

          • SelfMade on 05/10/2020 - 23:29
            -3

            @monkeyfood: Yep mate…you're very clever!

            • joyfulpatrick on 06/10/2020 - 00:09
              +1

              @SelfMade: Charging excess is a trick to keep profits higher?

              Insurers can choose to not charge excess, which will result in higher claims costs (higher frequency of small claims lodged, managing and paying these claims), which leads to higher premiums for everyone. Same thing at the end of the day. It’s just a matter of pricing, not a trick.

              • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 17:28
                +2

                @joyfulpatrick: Exactly. An excess is simply a small form of self-insurance which stops everyone claiming for under excess things like road chips or small scuff marks.

        • johnno07 on 06/10/2020 - 07:28
          +4

          @SelfMade What are you talking about? Insurance is a peace of mind product. With that said, a lot of people are over/under insured. If you take a considered approach to your coverage, insurance can be a great way to reduce your risk of unforeseen (but not necessarily completely unlikely) events that could cause financial ruin.

          • imurgod on 06/10/2020 - 14:09
            +1

            @johnno07: This is correct.

            Insurance is nothing more than transferring risk from your balance sheet onto the insurers balance sheet.

            Anyone with any idea of finance and economics would understand such a basic premise.

      • Cunning Linguist on 05/10/2020 - 12:58
        -3

        Shouldn't you avoid paying excess with your insurance if you aren't at fault?

        • oleglap on 05/10/2020 - 13:35
          +3

          You have to provide details of the other driver or pay excess as if you were at fault.

      • cameldownunder on 06/10/2020 - 11:24
        +1

        So no car in sight, ladder on the road, and you could not stop in time ? you didn't see it ? You are supposed to be able to brake in time. Something different if it fell of a car in front of you.

        • 811b11e8 on 06/10/2020 - 14:11

          I don't know why you got downvoted but you are 100% correct.

          What happened if this was a motorcyclist laying down in the middle of the road or a tree branch.

          Driver should have been paying attention with a 1 ton plus vehicle doing 100km an hour, a ladder isn't exactly small.

          @mrhanky71 were you playing on your phone or something?

        • timps on 06/10/2020 - 15:05

          Yeah, this is it. If you couldn't stop in time for a ladder that you didn't see fall you are not paying attention to the road ahead. And that's 100% what an insurer will say.

  • nephilim on 04/10/2020 - 12:05
    +39

    Traded car damage for a free ladder

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 12:13
      +3

      couldnt even take it home! the ladder shattered into 3 pieces when i hit it at 100k's

      • Lurk Hartog on 05/10/2020 - 07:51
        +152

        Even better. Three ladders!

        • [Deactivated] on 05/10/2020 - 10:21
          +1

          Dear Lurk

          You just made my day

      • ireadtermsofuse on 05/10/2020 - 11:38
        -8

        Wow. You drove 100,000kph?

        • Zephyrus on 05/10/2020 - 11:59
          +8

          He drove 100,000 m/h

        • McFly on 06/10/2020 - 00:25
          +1

          Nobody needs to go faster than 142 km/h.

          • Yawhae on 06/10/2020 - 08:16

            @McFly: Hopefully when flights resume as normal the planes are travelling faster than that.

          • kolorijo on 06/10/2020 - 08:49
            +1

            @McFly: Otherwise they'll take you back to the future?

      • Besean on 05/10/2020 - 16:32
        +7

        I'll just look at this on a positive. hitting a ladder at 100km an hour. Just be glad its just your fog light and bumper.

      • cameldownunder on 06/10/2020 - 11:25

        Not even attempted to brake ? Was is a black ladder on a black road, at night, and you had no headlights on ?

    • brawndo on 05/10/2020 - 14:28
      +19

      Some might say he rung up some damages

      • Lanushi on 05/10/2020 - 15:13
        +2

        get out

    • yomama on 06/10/2020 - 02:39
      +2

      Y'know Confucius once said a man who got a free ladder got high cheap

  • oscargamer on 04/10/2020 - 12:08
    +1

    Any ID on the ladder? otherwise no hope of finding driver.

    • iforgotmysocks on 04/10/2020 - 12:39
      +103

      Yes the ladder is a 6ft male with silver highlights

      • smartazz104 on 05/10/2020 - 12:22
        +12

        Suspect is hatless, repeat, hatless!

      • striker5950 on 05/10/2020 - 12:48
        -2

        is it white or black?

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 05/10/2020 - 14:07
          +1

          From iforgotmysocks:

          silver

        • LFO on 05/10/2020 - 14:34
          -2

          is it white or black?

          That is racist. We are all equal.

          • Forfiet on 05/10/2020 - 16:02

            @LFO: Unless it's gold or platinum then we are just low tier…..

          • striker5950 on 06/10/2020 - 13:39

            @LFO: BLACK LADDERS MATTER

        • [Deactivated] on 05/10/2020 - 22:47

          Silver ladders matter

  • capslock on 04/10/2020 - 12:12
    +54

    Watch the next episode of Dash Cam Owners on Youtube. It might show up there?

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 12:15
      +7

      good idea. will suss

      • Richardc on 04/10/2020 - 20:18
        +4

        If you have footage, put it up on their Facebook, someone might turn up with theirs.

        • capslock janitor on 05/10/2020 - 16:22

          the owner wouldnt own up

        • jace88 on 05/10/2020 - 20:23

          May have better luck trying to sell the footage for entertainment value… but honestly good luck. How much is the damage anyway?

      • Hirolol on 05/10/2020 - 19:42
        +2

        Ask if anyone has lost a ladder on the freeway and put details of when you hit it. Hopefully someone will say it was theirs then deliver the bad news hehe

    • 87percent on 04/10/2020 - 12:16
      +30

      IMO, one of the greatest channels on YouTube

  • holdenmg on 04/10/2020 - 12:15
    +14

    You could have been driving a stairway to heaven…

    • luffyex2010 on 05/10/2020 - 17:32
      +1

      Don't follow the light! Keep on swimming!

  • Hellcrusher3304 on 04/10/2020 - 12:41
    +4

    Dust for prints on the ladder

    • life is suffering on 04/10/2020 - 12:51
      +10

      CSI:Australia

      • Kangal on 05/10/2020 - 09:07
        +3

        *clatter clatter *
        Enhance!

  • pjetson on 04/10/2020 - 12:42
    +27

    they said all the cameras on the freeway are live feeds

    Then how do all the TV news stories get their video of traffic incidents?

    • songsong on 04/10/2020 - 12:49
      +55

      Probably just a line they have ready to stop people chasing them for recordings

      • Boshait on 05/10/2020 - 11:47
        +5

        Police lying? How is this possible?

      • LordSydney on 05/10/2020 - 23:30

        Or they're too busy getting high on enforcing cho public "health" orders.

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 14:23
      +1

      thats what i was thinking… im pretty sure they had recordings of the black porsche incident this year

      • JungliChilli on 05/10/2020 - 09:21
        +1

        Not familiar with the m3 but why don't you approach the operator of the motorway?

      • JayEmmGee on 05/10/2020 - 09:34
        +5

        Ask VicRoads then rather than the police

        • Bart Bart on 05/10/2020 - 13:49

          I used to work for VicRoads. They don't record for privacy reasons.

          • LFO on 05/10/2020 - 14:37
            +1

            @Bart Bart: LOL!

            Videoing OK
            Shots of laps and hands OK
            Recording not OK

      • Bren20 on 05/10/2020 - 11:28
        +1

        don't bother going down this path, there aren't that many cameras, and the resolution is average
        https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/cameras/5

      • Zachary on 05/10/2020 - 22:01

        Should have challenged the cop saying if they're live feed then how the hell did you save footage for news stories of traffic accidents, hmmmm? And then wait for him to reply back…..

  • whooah1979 on 04/10/2020 - 12:51
    +2

    I didn't see any cars stopped on the freeway

    Nobody is suicidal enough to stop in the middle of a freeway to pick up fallen objects. Call the road authorities and they’ll send out a maintenance crew with proper safety gear to clean it up.

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 14:21
      +1

      that's true, but some people pull into the emergency lane once they think something may have fallen off the back of their vehicle

    • Zachary on 05/10/2020 - 22:04
      +1

      Beats paying for a new ladder though…plus the way OP worded it sounded like there was barely any traffic on the roads….so someone could have easily stopped, picked it up and drove off with it….but probably too lazy or in a hurry to some place…

  • EFC94 on 04/10/2020 - 13:02
    +5

    Curious how you didn't see it? Surely there were other cars around you that swerved around it which would have made you think you might need to do similar?

    • mrhanky71 on 04/10/2020 - 14:19
      +9

      the car in front of me swerved and avoided it pretty late and i didn't have enough time to check my side mirrors before i hit it

      • cbastien on 05/10/2020 - 09:38
        +1

        Asking for a friend, anyone knows if a Tesla with autopilot would have fare better in this same situation ?

        • Zephyrus on 05/10/2020 - 12:02
          +1

          Hard to say. Probably not. This is the exact sort of thing that are massive problems for autonomous car, weird one in a million events.

          • cbastien on 05/10/2020 - 13:25
            +5

            @Zephyrus: Yeah, it s exactly what i m thinking, a small reflective object not moving on the ground. Much harder to spot than a pedestrian. The motorway ladder test should be mandatory for all autonomous car to get certified. And then the dead kangaroo in the middle of the road

            • LordSydney on 05/10/2020 - 23:26
              +1

              @cbastien: speaking of kangaroos, I wonder how a Tesla would fare at dusk/morning with a roo strike?

            • McFly on 06/10/2020 - 00:25

              @cbastien: Kangaroo up a ladder in middle of motorway test?

              • cbastien on 06/10/2020 - 09:57

                @McFly: , @cityofsydney : sounds like we need a special Tesla for Australia. Time to start working on TSV

      • smartazz104 on 05/10/2020 - 12:23

        How close were you to this car exactly?

        • cbastien on 05/10/2020 - 13:33
          +7

          The official vicroad rule is 2 seconds. If a car do a weird change of lane just front of you, you ll first focus on the car then understand why he did that… clearly you don t have enough time to check mirrors AND blind spot and safely change lane ! OP made the safest choice by going straight ! You may kill someone by changing lane not in a safe way !

          • LordSydney on 05/10/2020 - 23:27

            @cbastien: only 2 seconds? when I did the test in NSW it was 3 seconds

            • cbastien on 05/10/2020 - 23:38
              +5

              @LordSydney: Correct, 3 seconds in NSW and 2 seconds in VIC. It s well known that VIC drivers are superior and have better reflexes.

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