What details to get at an accident

When you swap details with a driver, here are the things that you should be sure to obtain from the other driver:

You need to of course get their name, their address and a contact telephone number: either landline or mobile

You should also be sure to note down the registration number for their car, and double check that you have written it down right as this is key. Also write down the make of the car, and if you like the colour too.

You need details of their insurance, and whether the driver owns that vehicle or not, because the person driving it may not always be the actual owner of the vehicle.

Other things to make notes on vary depending on what the accident is, who it involved, and the severity of the incident.

Note down any damage that occurred to either vehicle, and of any injuries to people. In the case of damage to vehicles, many people now who all have cameras on their phone will take a photo of the scene or of any damage, and you might like to do this to have a visual record of what occurred which can also act to jog your memory in future.

Note down the prevailing conditions - was it wet, windy, dark, dry, sunny, thunder and lighting? Were there police at the scene - if so what was their ID number?

With regard to the other vehicles - how were they behaving? Was a car speeding, was it trying to jump the lights, did it have the wrong indicator on or indeed no indicator at all - was it in poor condition and perhaps not road safe?

By noting down all these details at least you will have a thorough record of the accident should it be necessary for insurance or even police enquiries or court cases.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
The Advanced Driving Test
There are advantages to continuing to study driving by means of a course like the advanced driving test, because it will help to give you the chance to develop your skills even further than you had...

Tips on driving in half light
Most drivers prefer driving in the day in good light in optimum road conditions, because these are the best conditions in which to see exactly what is going on in the road. However there are...

The different types of tyre and maintenance
You might tire of talking about tyres, but these are extremely important elements of your car, being the only part that touches the road. And they need to be in good working order to do their...

Testing your driving ability
The driving part of the test to assess if you are safe to let on the roads is called the practical test, and it lasts in the region of 40 minutes in total. The purpose is to assess if you can drive...

The day of the theory test
On the day of the theory test you may well feel nervous. As with any test or examination of any kind this is of course natural as everybody is anxious to do their best and to pass the...

Skidding: what to do if you skid
No-one wants to skid, because skidding is a hazard that can lead to potential damage for you and other road users; in other words it is a dangerous situation to be in. However sometimes it...

Reversing Exercises in the driving test
There are three reversing exercises that you could be tested on in the driving practical test. You will be asked to perform two out of these three so that the person undertaking your test (the...

The multiple choice theory test
This is the first part of the theory test, and is done at a computer rather than on paper. There are many places around the country whereby you are able to take the theory test. Your driving...

What causes accidents: junctions
An alarmingly high proportion of accidents happen in and around junctions. This is because of the combination of busy roads, traffic that can be nose to tail and people crossing all sorts of...

Penalty Points
There are different offence codes for different types of offences, and penalty points come in lumps from one single point right up to eleven, depending on the type and severity of an offence that...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions