subject: Essential Steps To Take After A Road Traffic Incident [print this page] Essential Steps To Take After A Road Traffic Incident
Driving a car is an efficient and safe means of getting from A to B. Accidents, however, can happen, no matter how good your driving skills are. Being involved in an accident is a dangerous and frightening experience. Knowing what to do in this situation however, will make you a better and more responsible driver and will also ensure that you have fulfilled your legal obligations.
If you have been involved in an accident you must first check whether someone else has been injured, whether damage has been caused to property or a vehicle other than your own, and whether any live-stock or dog has been injured or killed. If this is the case then you must stop, and remain near the vehicle long enough for anyone who is involved in the accident, or has grounds to be, to ask for details. If this happens you must provide them with your vehicle registration number, your name and address and that of the vehicle owner if it is not yours. In addition, if an injury or damage was caused then you must also produce your insurance certificate. If you do not exchange these details at the scene, or are not able to, then you must report the accident at a police station or to a police constable within 24 hours of the accident occurring, or up to 7 days after, in the case of the insurance certificate. This must be done in person. Failing to stop at an accident or failing to report one are criminal offences, with the penalties for each offence including a maximum fine of 5,000 and between five and ten penalty points on your license.
This is what is required, but a wise driver will not only provide their own information, as per legal requirement, but document as much of the event as they can. Make a note of the license plates of the cars involved and swap relevant information with those drivers involved. Information such as the weather conditions, time and the speed you were travelling all help to build an accurate picture of what happened. Use a camera or phone to take snapshots of the road, the cars involved and of any damage.
All information can prove vital in building a clear idea of what exactly happened. It is important to remember that you should not admit responsibility; not only because you may not have been responsible but also because it can be used against you later. Questions of culpability are best resolved after the event by legal experts.
In any case, it is hoped this guide will help drivers deal with the immediate reality of a traffic accident calmly, cooly and correctly, leaving you free to have things like bodywork or car window repair done with a clear head.
