Driving comes with certain risks and no matter what your driving experience is, being involved in a crash can leave you shaken.
If you are involved in a motor collision then you must follow certain procedures to ensure the safety of all involved, minimise your potential financial loss and make a car insurance claim.
Here we look at what you should do in the event of a car incident so you can work through the panic and know what steps to take.
What should you do if you’re involved in a motor collision?
If you’re involved in a car accident, you should follow these steps:
Stay calm and stop the car as soon as possible
It is a criminal offence not to stop your car when involved in a collision.
If your car is still in motion:
- Pull over as soon as you can
- Turn off the engine
- Switch the hazard lights on
Assess any casualties and call for help
Check yourself for injuries and then check all the passengers in your vehicle. If possible assess any other drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists involved for injury too.
It’s important not to move any injured people unless they are in immediate danger from oncoming vehicles or if their vehicle may go on fire or overturn.
Call the Gardaí (telephone 999 or 112) and, if necessary, ambulance services. The Gardaí will need to get involved if there appears to be drink or drugs involved or if you suspect the other driver may have deliberately caused the accident.
Provide as much information about the car crash as you can on the phone including:
- The location of the car crash
- The number of people and vehicles involved
- The injuries sustained
Decide whether to move the cars
If the incident is serious, it’s best to not move the cars. If it’s a minor collision then you should mark the position on the road and then move the vehicle involved. This way, they’re not blocking the road or causing danger to other road users.
Remove debris from the road which may be a hazard to other traffic if it’s safe to do so.
Top tip: We’d recommend taking some pictures of the crash, the scene and damage to the vehicles before moving them. It's also a good idea to take note of who was wearing seatbelts. You may find it beneficial to keep a notepad and pen in your glovebox to jot down any important information.
Warn other drivers
Try to warn oncoming traffic of the accident. To warn other drivers of the accident, you can put your hazard lights on or place a reflective advance-warning triangle on the road if you have one. Don’t place one of these on a motorway though.
Exchange details
If you’re in a collision with another driver you should exchange information such as:
- names
- addresses
- phone numbers
Repairing your car
You can choose a Vehicle Body Repairer to undertake repairs to your car or go with a repairer your insurer recommends. Insurers - whether it's your own or the other driver’s - must meet all reasonable costs of repairs.
What should you do if you’re injured?
You should try and see a doctor as soon as possible after a car incident. Car crash injuries range from minor scratches to long-term injuries or permanent disabling conditions.
Some injuries might not be visible and symptoms may only appear after the initial shock has subsided such as whiplash.
If you go to the doctor soon after the crash, this will stand to you if you need to make an injury claim.
What happens if you were hit by an uninsured driver?
Contact the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB). To find out more read our article ‘How to deal with an uninsured driver’.
What should you do in the case of a hit-and-run?
If you were unfortunate to be involved in a hit-and-run and the other driver has fled the scene, don’t panic. The MIB also looks after claims for victims of hit-and-runs.
What should you do if you're in a single-vehicle accident?
If you have damaged an unoccupied car or someone’s property:
Take photos of the damage so that any later claims can’t be exaggerated.
Leave a note with your insurance and contact details somewhere that the other party can easily find them such as under the windscreen wiper.
What should you do if you come across the scene of an accident?
If you happen to stumble upon the scene of a collision, try to remain calm and help as much as possible.
- Stay calm: Before doing anything, do your best to assess the scene and stay calm. If there are already people assisting at the scene, you may not need to stop.
- Park safely and warn other road users: Just like if you were in a crash, find a safe place to park and switch on your hazard warning lights. If you have a reflective advance-warning triangle then you can place this on the road but not on a motorway.
- Check for injuries: Don’t move any passengers with injuries unless they are in further danger. You should aim to keep those injured warm.
- Call for help: Call 999 or 112 for emergency services and give the operator as much information as possible about the accident and the location.
- Stay at the scene until help has arrived: You can leave once emergency services have arrived. The Gardaí may want to speak with you about what you know.
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Simply head over to our car insurance page and tell us about your driving history and your vehicle.
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