What To Do if You're Involved in a Road Accident

Regular road users face the risk of injury every day - at some point most motorists will be involved in a car crash or will witness a road traffic accident. Whether you are crashed into, are at fault for the collision, or if you even just happen to witness damage or injury via a road accident, it's important that you know what to do in this situation.

Being familiar with the steps that motorists need to take after an accident will allow you to deal quickly and efficiently with the situation, reducing risk to others. In the event that you witness an accident then it will also allow you to assist those who aren't sure what they need to do.

What To Do if You Are The Driver in an Accident

If an accident occurs and you are driving, then you need to assess the situation and see if any of the following situations apply:

• Is anyone (other than yourself) injured?
• Has there been any damage caused to someone else's property, or another vehicle?
• Has an animal (other than any you were transporting in your vehicle) been killed or injured (for these purposes an animal applies to a dog, pig, goat, sheep, ass, mule, horse or cattle.

If any of the above points do apply, you are legally required to stop at the scene and remain there for a reasonable period of time that will allow any people involved directly or indirectly in the accident to come to you and request your contact details.

If you are approached by anyone who has reasonable grounds for requesting your information (someone involved with the accident, or who owns property that has been damaged) then you must supply to them your contact details (name and address) and if you are driving someone else's car, then you must supply the contact details of the registered owner too.

If you don’t leave your details at the scene, then you must report the incident to a police officer or at a police station as soon as is practically possible – and in any event, within 24 hours. You can ring to advise the station that you are coming to report a road traffic accident, but it is not acceptable to report the incident over the telephone – it must be done in person.

Producing Your Insurance Details

If there is injury caused to another person as a result of the accident, then you are legally required to produce your insurance certificate, if available, at the scene of the accident if anyone with reasonable grounds requests to see it. If you don't do this at the scene then you must report it to a police station or to a police officer (in person) with 24 hours and you must take your insurance certificate with you. If for any reason you don't have your certificate when reporting the incident at the police station, then you must return to the station with it within 7 days of the accident.

Should I Take Photographs or Make Notes?

Take photographs if possible. It's worth carrying a disposable camera in your car at all times in case you end up having an accident. However, lots of mobile phones have cameras too, so don't forget to use it if you can - but do make sure you are not breaching any laws by using it while in control of the car.

Things To Make a Note Of

• The date and time that the accident took place
• Vehicle details - registration number, make and model of car, colour, any distinguishing features, how many passengers were travelling in the vehicles involved
• It’s also worth asking if anyone involved in the accident is driving a company vehicle, or is driving on company time. If so, get their employer details too.
• Weather, light conditions and visibility, anything that may have affected driving ability.
• damage to all vehicles
• Injuries to any passengers
• Details of any police officers who attend

What if I Don’t Know Whether or Not to Report It?

It should be fairly clear for you to work out if you need to report the accident by looking at the criteria set out above. If you’re still not sure, then wait a reasonable time to see if anyone approaches you. If not, then you can leave the scene and report the incident to the police within 24 hours.

If you have damaged property, or street furniture, such as a road sign or a lamp-post, then report the incident to the police and they can supply you with details of the relevant parties, or get in touch with them for you. Remember that if you are at all unsure as to whether you need to report an incident, It’s always worth erring on the side of caution, and avoiding any possibility of being charged with an offence for leaving the scene of an accident without supplying your details.

The Importance of Having Insurance

Always inform your insurance company if you are involved in an accident, regardless of fault. Lots of insurance providers have a timeframe for you to report such incidents and if you go outside the acceptable limits laid out in your contract, then this can invalidate your policy.