If any of your fleet vehicles are involved in a collision on the road, it is crucial to have the correct policies for reporting and managing the incident outlined in your company’s driving-for-work policy.
Following these processes will ensure that your drivers have the necessary information to call for assistance, report the incident to you or your claims management company, provide details to any enforcement officer, and maintain legal compliance for your fleet.
Legal responsibilities in reporting an incident or collision
The law defines a reportable road traffic collision as one involving a motor vehicle on a road or other public area that causes:
• Injury or damage to anyone other than the driver of the vehicle.
• Injury or damage to an animal other than one being carried in the vehicle (this includes • horses, cattle, mules, sheep, pigs, goats, and dogs).
• Damage to a vehicle other than the one that caused the collision.
• Damage to property that is built on, attached to, growing in, or otherwise forming part of the land where the road is located.
If one of your drivers is involved in a collision that results in any of the above types of damage or injury, they are required to provide the following information to anyone with reasonable grounds to request it:
• Their name and address.
• The vehicle’s registration number.
• The owner of the vehicle if they are driving a company vehicle.
If, for any reason, your drivers cannot exchange details with the parties involved at the scene of the collision, if anyone was injured, or if they suspect the other party may have committed a driving offence, they must report the collision to the police within 24 hours. This can be done by calling 101 (the non-emergency police number), visiting a local police station, or reporting online.
When a driver should call 999
A driver should call 999 after a collision if:
• Someone involved in the collision is injured.
• Debris or vehicles are blocking the road.
• An animal has been killed or injured (such as a dog or farm animal).
• The other party involved in the collision leaves the scene without providing their details.
• The driver suspects that the other vehicle crashed into theirs deliberately, possibly to make a fraudulent insurance claim.
• The driver suspects the other party is driving without insurance.
• The other driver is believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Either the other driver or someone at the scene is being aggressive or threatening.
Information to gather about a collision
Collecting the following information at the scene of a collision will help inform an insurance company or the police about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Although not all of this information is required by law, it is useful to have it on record. Drivers should only collect this information when it is safe to do so. Photographic evidence and footage from in-vehicle cameras can also be helpful in corroborating any collected information.
Information about the vehicles involved:
• Number of vehicles involved.
• Make, model, and colour of each vehicle.
• Registration number of each vehicle.
• Information about any individuals involved:
• Number of people in each vehicle (including passengers in the front or back).
• Information about the damage resulting from the collision:
• Location of any visible damage on the vehicles along with a brief description.
• Any noticeable damage from previous collisions that has not yet been repaired on any of the vehicles.
Taking note of the location and road conditions:
• Where did the incident occur?
• What type of road was it? (e.g., country lane, single carriageway)
• What was the speed limit?
• What were the road conditions like? (e.g., busy or quiet)
• Was anything obstructing your vision, such as parked cars or pedestrians?
• What were the weather conditions like?
• What were the direction and position of the vehicles involved?
Soon after the event, it is advisable to get your driver(s) to sketch out the positioning of the vehicles after the collision. It may help to determine fault.
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