What Are Your Duties After a Driving Accident?

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Total views: 0 | Word Count: 610 | Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 | 18 comments

If the unfortunate happens and you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, certain duties or responsibilities are required by the law. In the EU and UK area, the Road Traffic Act of 1988 states the specific duties that must be completed by a driver who is involved in an accident. These rules must be followed and are considered to be duties of a responsible driver. In general, the rules or guidelines set forth by the Road Traffic Act are quite similar to those set forth by the insurer.

What Are The Responsibilities of a Driver After a Driving Accident?

Any driver who is involved in a motor vehicle accident must take certain steps. If he does not, he is committing an offense that goes on his driving record. This includes policyholders, named drivers, temporary drivers, and unnamed drivers.

The first step that should be taken when a motor vehicle accident occurs is to stop the car in which you are driving. Anyone who witnesses the accident should also stop, but this is not always what happens. You must share your name and address with anyone who has a reason to ask for it including others who are involved in the accident or any police officers who arrive on the scene. If you are not the owner of the car, but are simply a named driver on the vehicle, you must also share the name and address of the owner of the car.

In some cases, the driver might decide not to provide his name and address. This might occur if the other driver refuses to do so. If this does happen, you must then visit the police station and report the accident within the next day so that an accurate record of the event is taken. If an injury has occurred, you must report the accident to the police more quickly and within four hours.

Next, you must also provide your certificate of insurance to the other driver who is involved in the motor vehicle accident. You can also provide it to a police officer if one is present. This step provides proof that you have insurance cover on the vehicle involved in the accident. If you do not have the insurance certificate with you at the time of the accident, you must make arrangements to bring it to the police station within five days.

Why Are These Requirements in Place?

The primary reason that the law requires drivers to take certain actions in the event of an accident is twofold. These duties are in place to protect the innocent and to provide an accurate depiction of the event. The more quickly an accident is reported, the less likely it is that certain aspects of it will be forgotten or become confusing in the minds of the drivers. With an accurate picture of the accident, the victim is more likely to have his insurance claim processed quickly.

Intro: What should drivers do if they are involved in a car accident? Are they required by law to follow specific steps? Will the insurer have a list of duties and responsibilities for the driver to follow?

About the Author

Kevin Kuper is a keen writer about car insurance and home insurance products.

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