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Sunday just gone 8.30 in evening on m1 coming from luton town to London. Driving 1 lane or second lane , no cars about then an almighty spray of rocks firing my car from roof, complete shock this went on for about 5 seconds.was only doing 60 but reduced speed to 45, this lorry was ion the other side of motorway, no lights just bombing down motorway. And you woulnt believe few miles down road happened again but not as long or bad as first. My mini is chipped all over, took to mini for report needs respray . Not been driving long, is this normal, this has stressed me out , told insurance company, hope they can claim. I will put pics of damage up tmrw.... anyone. Give me any advice please
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If your car is genuinely damaged by gritting on the opposite carriageway of the M1 then, assuming comprehensive insurance, let the insurance co deal with it.
I've been 'gritted' a few times, the first as a cyclist in Yeadon (Leeds) in 1977, but never suffered serious damage.
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Sunday just gone 8.30 in evening on m1 coming from luton town to London. Driving 1 lane or second lane , no cars about then an almighty spray of rocks firing my car from roof, complete shock this went on for about 5 seconds.was only doing 60 but reduced speed to 45, this lorry was ion the other side of motorway, no lights just bombing down motorway. And you woulnt believe few miles down road happened again but not as long or bad as first. My mini is chipped all over, took to mini for report needs respray . Not been driving long, is this normal, this has stressed me out , told insurance company, hope they can claim. I will put pics of damage up tmrw.... anyone. Give me any advice please
Unless you verifiably know which lorries you think scattered grit you have no chance of claiming from the operators.
If you were doing 60 ( which is 88 feet per second) and the lorry was on the other side going the opposite way, puzzling how it sprayed you for 5 seconds?
If you are a new driver I expect your insurance will be expensive, your excess will be high too. Probably you don't have a No Claim Discount to lose, though.
A full respray will cost a thousand or two, you have been very unfortunate, your insurers may contact Highways Agency or relevant Local Authority to see if they admit gritting at the time and place, but a compensation claim may not succeed.
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Like I said it was dark only car on the m1, slowed to 45 mph , there was a bridge above me thought it may come from that but didn’t see any lights, by the damage it was the other side of m1, the gritter had no lights on, I was in shock for split second as it was very loud the bangs , marbles firing from roof, there a lot of damage on drivers side door shuts. I looked around but nothing flashing, for miles I was only car before St Albans. I want to post social media if anyone else on the m1 same time, any idea anyone how to do this. I have to pay £400 excess
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It sounds implausible that it was a gritter lorry. No lights at all at night? They have multiple flashing beacons on them whenever they grit, to warn traffic. The grit used is a fairly fine sand/salt mix, not nice to get gritted, but even up close it rarely damages paintwork. The rotating dispenser is mounted very low down and grit is thrown evenly at very low level and its spread is finely controlled. Extremely unlikely to extend from the opposite carriageway to where you say you were.
Must have been something else, or something from the bridge you went under.
And it happenned again after a few miles? Very strange.
Contact Highways England with full details of the incident exact locations and times ,they may be able to help, it might be seen on their CCTV records.
highwaysengland.co.uk/about-us/complaints-procedur.../
Edited by brum on 11/03/2021 at 01:35
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I understand where your comming from, I know it very strange situation, people I told are a little confused, but I’m just telling you how it is.... I wish I saw the flashing beacons but nothing was on my my side of motorway ....one thing I have researched is that they have a height level and other forums people complaining gritters to high showering car roof. Found out this evening the gritters are contractors. Have you ever herd bridges over motorways getting gritted and hitting cars bellow.
Another thing that may be in my favour why the f*** gritting roads , it wasn’t cold had my jacket open and no frost in morning .... there were signs above the motorway saying roads being grit. So I was prepared if I saw the grittier if only I saw the flashing light on my side of motorway i would if held back and got of next junction , been hit before in a white van and that was to the floor like it should be. Very stressful only had car 6 months done 500 miles in it , been problem after problem, pot hole, then women in supermarket damaged bumper , 4 new tyres shop damaged alloys and now this- I hope nothing happens next, have a dash cam but not fitted it, kick myself
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It doesn't sound like you will be able to track the gritter wagon down and insurance claim will be expensive and a respray very expensive.
The cheapest solution is often the best, get a touch up pen kit. I find these work better on chips than scratches anyway as the paint falls into the crevices and finds its own level. A paint code specific one should be no more than £15-20
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I worked out where I was and the time so hopefully they will have a log off. Machines at that time . It’s disgusting the noise was so load , was in shock first, looked up bridge above then left and right took me few seconds to realise what’s happening and where comming from. Going to report it to police could of caused an Nasty accident. Why grit roads when it wasn’t cold, this maybe my point to claim
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