What to do after a car accident

1. Stop and get safe. Hazards on, engine off. Get everyone out on the safe side and away from traffic.
2. Check for injuries. Call 999 if anyone is hurt, the road is blocked or a driver leaves the scene.
3. Swap details: names, addresses, phone numbers, registrations and insurers. Get witness contacts too.
4. Collect evidence: photos of the vehicles, their positions, the road, signs, and any dashcam footage. Save it straight away.
5. Get the car moved once the police are done. Call us for accident recovery.
6. Tell your insurer as soon as you can, even if you’re not claiming.

What the law says

If you’re involved in a collision on a road that injures someone or damages another vehicle or property, you must stop. You must give your name and address, the vehicle owner’s name and address and the registration to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask. If you can’t, you must report it to the police as soon as reasonably possible and within 24 hours.

What happens to the car

If the police remove the car, it goes to a storage yard that charges by the day, so arrange collection quickly. If you’re free to choose, decide where it should go: home, a dealer, your insurer’s approved repairer or storage. Don’t drive a crashed car unless you’re sure it’s safe.

Claims

If the accident wasn’t your fault, recovery and storage costs are usually part of your claim against the other driver’s insurer. Keep our invoice. This is general information, not legal advice.