The Police Role in Road Accidents

Many people in the UK aren’t sure of their legal rights when it comes to being involved in an accident. Most aren’t sure whether they’re required to contact the police or whether they should simply call their insurance company. There are a variety of roles that the police play in traffic accidents, but they differ greatly dependent on the nature of the accident. Below are some common situations that occur in traffic accidents and the extent of police involvement in these scenarios.

Traffic Accidents Where Nobody is Injured

If you have been involved in a traffic accident and nobody has been hurt in it there may be no reason to involve the police. If both parties involved stop and exchange names, addresses and registration details, this is sufficient to comply with road traffic law and there’s no need to involve the police. Only call in the police if you believe you’ve been provided with false information from the other individual or are concerned they may have been driving illegally.

If you’re involved in an accident where nobody was hurt, but your car was damaged and the other driver doesn’t stop then you should report this to the police within 24 hours. Ideally if you can get the registration plate then that is helpful, but the police may be able to find the individual by other means, especially if the car had an identifying mark on it, such as a work logo. In these cases, the police will attempt to prosecute if there’s enough evidence to secure a conviction.

Traffic Accidents Where You are Injured

Police forces throughout the country differ in their approach to dealing with people who have been injured in a car accident. If you want to report the accident to the police then you are able to do so. If you do, the police must take a report of the accident which they will then investigate at a later date.

Always seek medical attention first if you feel that your injuries are significant. The police can be contacted at a later date and will arrive on the scene if the accident is a major accident anyway. If you’re involved in hitting a stationary object such as a street sign then you should report the accident as soon as possible, again within 24 hours is best.

Emergency Call Outs to an Accident

If you’re involved in an accident that is considered a major accident, the role of the police will be greatly increased. They will attend the scene as soon as they’re informed of the accident and will direct traffic and pedestrians away from the scene. They are also likely to start questioning you on the accident, assuming you’re in a position to respond.

They will want details of what happened and will take details of any witnesses also. They will use these to form a police report and you should always try and obtain a copy of this for your own records in case you need it in the future. The police will work in conjunction with any other emergency services who arrive at the scene.

General Information About Police Involvement

You can report your accident to any police force in the country, ideally local is best as then you have a point of contact that you can visit to check on the reports progress. The time taken before the police contact you regarding the accident can vary from two weeks to six weeks. When you do report the accident, always have your licence, MOT and insurance paperwork available as well as the details of the other individual involved.

Remember, the police are happy to help at the scene of an accident, but aren’t always required. If you are involved in an accident that is straight forward and you swap details you believe to be correct with the offending individual, there’s usually no need to call the police. Seek advice from your insurance company if you’re unsure about the process.