It was early on a Sunday morning. I was driving through Attard. In spite of the hour and the day, ahead of me, a 40-foot container driven by a mechanical horse pulled out of a side street. The vehicle drove up to the end of the road and stopped. I pulled up behind it and indicated, as I invariably do, that I was turning left.

I observed that the container trailer had no number or trailer plate. The trailer did not indicate; however I noted that the indicators on the right-hand-side were broken and non-existent.

The vehicle turned and moved right. I turned left and drove on.

Suddenly the container manoeuvred back to the left, trapping me at the street junction. I blew my horn hard and, thanks to the driver stopping without much delay, the damage to my car was not too great.

The traffic wardens were called and they prepared their report. The name of a witness to the above was noted by me on the report. Photographs were taken of the incident and given to the insurers to confirm what had happened.

Imagine my surprise when insurers GasanMamo advised me that, although they agreed with and confirmed the above facts, the container truck was, yes, nought per cent at fault. The entire fault was mine, as it was considered a “side by side collision”.

Since I am covered on a fully comprehensive basis, and will not even lose my no claims bonus, this will not unduly affect me.

However, I now rest assured that, should I be involved in another traffic accident (this is practically my first one in over 30 years of driving), caused by my forgetting to indicate, having broken indicators, making sudden unwarranted manoeuvres, and hitting another vehicle driving in its lane on my left, the other party will be blamed by GasanMamo. Totally.

Eur.Ing Kenneth Abela

Naxxar