The Complete UK Car Accident Checklist — What to Do at the Scene

Immediately after the collision

1. Stop. Legally required under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act — no matter how minor.
2. Turn off the engine, put hazards on, and check yourself and anyone else for injury.
3. Get to safety if the road is dangerous, but move vehicles only if safe to do so.
4. Call 999 if anyone is injured, the vehicle is dangerous, the road is blocked, or the other driver leaves the scene.

Exchange of details

Legally you must give:

• Your full name and address
• Vehicle registration
• Insurance details

Get the same from the other driver, plus their date of birth and a mobile number. Insurance-only doesn't identify the driver — a name and DOB does.

If you don't exchange details for any reason, you must report to the police within 24 hours.

Document the scene

• Photograph vehicles in position before moving them
• Wide shots showing lanes, signs, road markings
• All damage close-up on both vehicles
• The other driver's number plate clearly
• Any skid marks, debris, spilled fluid
• Any injuries (with consent)
• Weather, lighting and road conditions

Witnesses

Any independent witness — a pedestrian, another driver, a shopkeeper — is gold. Get:

• Name and mobile number
• What they saw (a one-line note is enough)
• Their vantage point

Dashcam and CCTV

• Save the dashcam file immediately (see our dashcam guide).
• Note any visible CCTV cameras — nearby shops, bus stops, ATMs, doorbell cameras.

What NOT to do

• Do not admit blame — even a 'sorry' can be misinterpreted. Leave fault to the insurers.
• Do not agree not to involve insurance — you must notify your insurer regardless.
• Do not sign anything at the scene.
• Do not accept cash offers to walk away from an incident that may reveal hidden damage or injury later.

Notifying your insurer

You must notify your insurer of any incident, even if you don't intend to claim through them. If the accident wasn't your fault, you can notify 'for information only' and claim through the at-fault insurer instead — see our non-fault accident guide.

Personal injury

If you have any pain, headache or stiffness in the 24–48 hours after a collision, see a GP or A&E. A contemporaneous medical record protects both your health and any potential claim.

Vehicle recovery

If your car isn't drivable, don't accept the first tow that turns up. Insurers and accident management companies have contracts with recovery firms and storage networks that keep your options open.

The next 7 days

• Get medical checks if any symptoms appear.
• Chase your dashcam and any CCTV within a week — most systems overwrite fast.
• Report to police within 24 hours if you didn't exchange details.
• Contact an independent accident management company if the accident wasn't your fault, before your insurer routes you into their approved repairer.

Talking to VIP Claims is free and puts you under no obligation. We are an independent, UK-based accident management company — not an insurer. If your accident wasn't your fault, we can arrange a like-for-like replacement vehicle, manage repairs at an approved bodyshop, and recover all costs from the at-fault driver's insurer, protecting your no-claims bonus and keeping your excess in your pocket. Speak to a specialist or start your claim online.