Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

Passion, instruction, buying, care, maintenance and more, any form of vehicle discussion is welcome here
MyNameIsUrl
Lemon Slice
Posts: 474
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:56 pm
Has thanked: 1304 times
Been thanked: 107 times

Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383807

Postby MyNameIsUrl » February 5th, 2021, 9:33 am

I'd always thought that car accidents involving injury or criminality (eg drunk driving) should be reported to the police, but that there was no necessity otherwise. So if I rear-ended someone, provided we stopped and exchanged details, there was no need to inform the police.

However, I was reading on the RAC website that (1): 'The Road Traffic Act says that you must report the accident to a police constable or police station within 24 hours.'
but the Gov website doesn't seem quite so definite(2): 'You must report the accident to the police within 24 hours if you do not give your details at the time of the accident.'

So, in a real life example, where someone misjudges a bend, scrapes a barrier, and breaks their headlight, do the police have to be informed?
(obviously the insurance company needs to be informed, my question is solely about the police)


(1)
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/road ... ce%20claim.
(2)
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/if ... n-accident

GoSeigen
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4350
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 11:14 pm
Has thanked: 1590 times
Been thanked: 1579 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383811

Postby GoSeigen » February 5th, 2021, 9:54 am

MyNameIsUrl wrote:I'd always thought that car accidents involving injury or criminality (eg drunk driving) should be reported to the police, but that there was no necessity otherwise. So if I rear-ended someone, provided we stopped and exchanged details, there was no need to inform the police.

However, I was reading on the RAC website that (1): 'The Road Traffic Act says that you must report the accident to a police constable or police station within 24 hours.'
but the Gov website doesn't seem quite so definite(2): 'You must report the accident to the police within 24 hours if you do not give your details at the time of the accident.'

So, in a real life example, where someone misjudges a bend, scrapes a barrier, and breaks their headlight, do the police have to be informed?
(obviously the insurance company needs to be informed, my question is solely about the police)


(1)
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/road ... ce%20claim.
(2)
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/if ... n-accident


You don't have to report all accidents. If you read the entire RAC article you'll see that they explain various circumstances in which you should report.

GS

Stonge
Lemon Slice
Posts: 523
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:15 pm
Has thanked: 62 times
Been thanked: 116 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383836

Postby Stonge » February 5th, 2021, 11:47 am

I understood that only if someone was injured you had to call the police.

So if you're rear-ended it can be worthwhile claiming whip-lash or a bruised knee and calling the police to establish the facts, though you might be arrested for wasting their time or breaking Covid.

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383840

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 12:08 pm

Stonge wrote:I understood that only if someone was injured you had to call the police. ...


The links already provided are quite helpful in this regard and provide other examples as to when you should call the Police (and/or other Emergency Services).

Also see https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/170, assuming that is up to date as I'm unsure and haven't checked if the Road Traffic Act 1991 supersedes or amends the 1988 Act.

Lanark
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1321
Joined: March 27th, 2017, 11:41 am
Has thanked: 595 times
Been thanked: 582 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383841

Postby Lanark » February 5th, 2021, 12:10 pm

Stonge wrote:I understood that only if someone was injured you had to call the police.

Im sure they used to include dogs, but not cats, but now it seems all animals are included.

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383843

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 12:16 pm

Lanark wrote:Im sure they used to include dogs, but not cats, but now it seems all animals are included.


The RTA 1988 includes:

170 Duty of driver to stop, report accident and give information or documents. ...

(b) damage is caused—

(i)to a vehicle other than that [F1mechanically propelled vehicle] or a trailer drawn by that [F1mechanically propelled vehicle], or
(ii)to an animal other than an animal in or on that [F1mechanically propelled vehicle] or a trailer drawn by that [F1mechanically propelled vehicle],
...

Further down:

(8) In this section “animal” means horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog.

Do you know if that was amended in the 1991 Act or somewhere else?

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16629
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4343 times
Been thanked: 7534 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383853

Postby Dod101 » February 5th, 2021, 1:41 pm

I assume that wild deer or not included in the definition of an 'animal' for the purposes of the Act. Certainly no one stops near where I live, unless of course the vehicle is damaged (which is often the case). Our local Council even has a dedicated gang who go around collecting the carcases.

Dod

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383856

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 1:49 pm

Dod101 wrote:I assume that wild deer or not included in the definition of an 'animal' for the purposes of the Act. ...


Unless it is an ass!

Some random advice re wild animals etc here:

https://www.insurethebox.com/guide-what-do-if-you-hit-animal-while-driving

chas49
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1935
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:25 am
Has thanked: 216 times
Been thanked: 457 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383857

Postby chas49 » February 5th, 2021, 1:53 pm

PinkDalek wrote:
Stonge wrote:I understood that only if someone was injured you had to call the police. ...


The links already provided are quite helpful in this regard and provide other examples as to when you should call the Police (and/or other Emergency Services).

Also see https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/170, assuming that is up to date as I'm unsure and haven't checked if the Road Traffic Act 1991 supersedes or amends the 1988 Act.


The version linked states that
There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to Road Traffic Act 1988. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations
but looking at the list of outstanding changes which have not yet been made to the online version of the Act, there are no changes to s.170.

So - in terms of the OP's question:

someone misjudges a bend, scrapes a barrier, and breaks their headlight, do the police have to be informed?


The answer is - Yes, s170 says you have to report
an accident occurs by which—
....
(b)damage is caused—
...
(iii)to any other property constructed on, fixed to, growing in or otherwise forming part of the land on which the road or place in question is situated or land adjacent to such land.


Admittedly, this is reading "scrapes a barrier" as "leaving a visible mark on the barrier". If the question had been "someone misjudges a bend, nudges a barrier, and breaks their headlight but does not damage the barrier", the answer would be "No".

The answer to the question posed by the topic title is "No, not all accidents have to be reported"

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16629
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4343 times
Been thanked: 7534 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383864

Postby Dod101 » February 5th, 2021, 2:32 pm

PinkDalek wrote:
Dod101 wrote:I assume that wild deer or not included in the definition of an 'animal' for the purposes of the Act. ...


Unless it is an ass!

Some random advice re wild animals etc here:

https://www.insurethebox.com/guide-what-do-if-you-hit-animal-while-driving


Thanks for that PD. I must say that not fancying my hand at handling an injured, possibly dead, roe deer, I left it, as do the majority of drivers. I have so far only had that one accident and for some reason my car was undamaged. No culls are undertaken near me as far as I know and there are far too many roe deer around my way.

Dod

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 18681
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 628 times
Been thanked: 6564 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383883

Postby Lootman » February 5th, 2021, 4:29 pm

MyNameIsUrl wrote: in a real life example, where someone misjudges a bend, scrapes a barrier, and breaks their headlight, do the police have to be informed?

(obviously the insurance company needs to be informed, my question is solely about the police)

If you have an accident that does not involve another vehicle or person, and the only damage is to your vehicle and/or an inanimate object, then there can be some serious implications of reporting the incident, at least at the time of the accident.

A friend of one of my children was driving in a country lane in Devon. She swerved to avoid an animal in the road (a fox, she said) and ran into a stone wall. She was not hurt and the damage was not serious. She rang the police from the scene, who arrived and even though she was sober, the car was roadworthy and she was not speeding, she was taken to the local police station where she spent the night in a cell. Her father had to get her out of there the following morning.

In addition she was fined, banned from driving for one year, and had to pay compensation to the owner of the wall, which was the local council.

Now, she showed poor judgement in the excessive manoeuvre. But at the time I could not help but feel that she had been treated in a manner not warranted by the circumstances.

In a similar situation, I doubt that she would report it so promptly again, if at all. Surely the law should encourage people to do the right thing?

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383889

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 4:39 pm

Lootman wrote:... Surely the law should encourage people to do the right thing?


I think it does.

Your story shows, based on what you were told, the issue might be with the Police. Mind you, how do you know what you were told, second or third hand, was the actualité?

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 18681
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 628 times
Been thanked: 6564 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383893

Postby Lootman » February 5th, 2021, 4:44 pm

PinkDalek wrote:
Lootman wrote:... Surely the law should encourage people to do the right thing?

I think it does.

Your story shows, based on what you were told, the issue might be with the Police. Mind you, how do you know what you were told, second or third hand, was the actualité?

I did hear the account first hand from her, rather than second hand from my son. But yes of course she might have embellished the story to make herself look better, although she certainly was not sanguine about the incident at all.

Had she made her way home and reported the incident the next day, the outcome might have been better. Or I suppose it might have been the same with an extra charge of leaving the scene of an accident. But at least later she could have calmed down, had time to figure out how to handle it, taken advice, perhaps used a solicitor etc.

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8065
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2846 times
Been thanked: 3939 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383912

Postby bungeejumper » February 5th, 2021, 5:13 pm

In my youth, I fell off motorbikes frequently enough to have scraped a quarter of an inch off the asphalt on some corners of Birmingham. (Some hyperbole here, possibly. ;) ) Black ice, spilled diesel, and any number of "other people's fault" incidents. The only damage, usually, was to my ego and to the knees on my trousers; the remedy was to curse my fate and resolve to get some new brake linings. :D

My wife hit a badger one dark night, on a fast rural A road. Made a dent the size of your elbow in the double-skinned steel air dam of her Metro. She got out to check the animal's welfare, thinking she might have to ask somebody to dispatch it humanely, but it had already scarpered off into the bushes. Tough little beasties, badgers.

BJ

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383914

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 5:16 pm

Fair enough.

At a young age I would probably have been in a complete mess after such an accident. I can't say, for certain, that I've never had a reportable accident and not so done. I simply can't remember but they would have been minor scrapes and not my fault (but I would say that obviously) and may not have been my obligation (I haven't looked back at what's been written so far).

The time I was in The City of London's smallest Police Station*** for motoring matters (ahem), they were perfectly courteous but again I can't recall if I was offered a phone call, I probably was, although I do recall the copious amounts of tea I was given, gratis.

Beltless and shoeless but I was able to replicate Hilts's time in the slammer, as I had a pound coin in my pocket which I used as a baseball a couple of times in an attempt to while away the hours. I didn't fancy even sitting on what was supposed to be a mattress (heavily soiled etc).

Anyway, I digress.


*** Since sold it would appear:

https://www.whitbread.co.uk/media/press-releases/2020/15-01-2020

PinkDalek
Lemon Half
Posts: 6139
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 1589 times
Been thanked: 1801 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383917

Postby PinkDalek » February 5th, 2021, 5:18 pm

bungeejumper wrote:... My wife hit a badger one dark night, on a fast rural A road. Made a dent the size of your elbow in the double-skinned steel air dam of her Metro. ...


Tell her to try Moose or is it Elk next time. Apparently due to their height you can take their legs out with little or no damage to the car, although that may be a tall story. :)

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 18681
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 628 times
Been thanked: 6564 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#383937

Postby Lootman » February 5th, 2021, 6:16 pm

PinkDalek wrote:Fair enough. At a young age I would probably have been in a complete mess after such an accident. I can't say, for certain, that I've never had a reportable accident and not so done. I simply can't remember but they would have been minor scrapes and not my fault (but I would say that obviously) and may not have been my obligation (I haven't looked back at what's been written so far).

Yes, she was 24 at the time and was clearly flustered and stressed at the scene of the accident. I thought at the time that she probably blurted something out to the police that made her situation worse.

The point being that it can be prudent to go home, if you can, and deal with the matter when you are more composed.

PinkDalek wrote:The time I was in The City of London's smallest Police Station*** for motoring matters (ahem), they were perfectly courteous but again I can't recall if I was offered a phone call, I probably was, although I do recall the copious amounts of tea I was given, gratis.

Beltless and shoeless but I was able to replicate Hilts's time in the slammer, as I had a pound coin in my pocket which I used as a baseball a couple of times in an attempt to while away the hours. I didn't fancy even sitting on what was supposed to be a mattress (heavily soiled etc). Anyway, I digress.

Funnily enough when I spent a night at Bow Street nick (drunk and disorderly, in case you were wondering) they let me keep my belt and tie. I recall the booking officer saying something like "This one doesn't look capable of offing himself". He was probably right.

It was a 2-man cell and I spent the night worrying about who my companion would be and what his nocturnal interests might be. In the end I had the room to myself and was kicked out at 4 a.m. with no charges. Put me off ever being in prison for sure.

AF62
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3499
Joined: November 27th, 2016, 8:45 am
Has thanked: 131 times
Been thanked: 1277 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384084

Postby AF62 » February 6th, 2021, 10:47 am

Lootman wrote:A friend of one of my children was driving in a country lane in Devon. She swerved to avoid an animal in the road (a fox, she said) and ran into a stone wall. She was not hurt and the damage was not serious. She rang the police from the scene, who arrived and even though she was sober, the car was roadworthy and she was not speeding, she was taken to the local police station where she spent the night in a cell. Her father had to get her out of there the following morning.

In addition she was fined, banned from driving for one year, and had to pay compensation to the owner of the wall, which was the local council.

Now, she showed poor judgement in the excessive manoeuvre. But at the time I could not help but feel that she had been treated in a manner not warranted by the circumstances.

In a similar situation, I doubt that she would report it so promptly again, if at all. Surely the law should encourage people to do the right thing?


What on earth was she charged with which got her a one year ban? Driving without due care and attention? If she got a ban for the circumstances described then she had a lousy lawyer. Or was it a case that she had passed her driving test within the prior 2 years and 3 points took her over the new driver 6 point threshold so she had to do a retest.

But then what on earth got a sober and compliant individual a night in the cells? I am not sure your friend has been completely candid.

Lootman wrote:Yes, she was 24 at the time and was clearly flustered and stressed at the scene of the accident. I thought at the time that she probably blurted something out to the police that made her situation worse.


Very likely. NEVER say ANYTHING to the police to explain your innocence. It will never help you and is far more likely to be used against you.

swill453
Lemon Half
Posts: 7962
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:11 pm
Has thanked: 984 times
Been thanked: 3643 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384088

Postby swill453 » February 6th, 2021, 10:54 am

AF62 wrote:What on earth was she charged with which got her a one year ban? Driving without due care and attention? If she got a ban for the circumstances described then she had a lousy lawyer. Or was it a case that she had passed her driving test within the prior 2 years and 3 points took her over the new driver 6 point threshold so she had to do a retest.

But then what on earth got a sober and compliant individual a night in the cells? I am not sure your friend has been completely candid.

A one year ban is the minimum punishment for a "dangerous driving" conviction.

"classed as driving which “falls far below what would be expected of competent and careful driving, and it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous.”

It can include driving aggressively, overtaking in dangerous locations and racing other vehicles.
"

So maybe that, but like you I think there must have been more to it than has been said.

Scott.

oxmatt
Lemon Pip
Posts: 69
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 6:54 am
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 21 times

Re: Do all car accidents have to be reported to the police?

#384176

Postby oxmatt » February 6th, 2021, 1:54 pm

PinkDalek wrote:
Tell her to try Moose or is it Elk next time. Apparently due to their height you can take their legs out with little or no damage to the car, although that may be a tall story. :)


Think it is actually the opposite that is supposed to be the case. The bonnet takes out the legs without absorbing any speed and then the very heavy body comes straight through the windshield. Saab used to describe the "Moose/Elk Test" and apparently this is one of the reasons that Volvo and Saab were made to be very safe as they had to withstand this.

Some background here https://www.saabplanet.com/the-elk-test-preparing-for-the-unexpected-animal/ warning there is a slightly graphic image of a dead moose being hauled out of a car.


Return to “Cars, Driving, Motorbikes or any Transport”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests