Stop. You are legally required to.
You must stop after any road accident, including minor ones. Driving away without stopping is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, even if the damage appears trivial. Stop, check that everyone involved is safe, and exchange details.
What to do at the scene
- Stop in a safe place and switch on hazard lights
- Check whether anyone is injured
- Exchange details: name, address, registration number, insurer
- Photograph both vehicles and the scene before anything is moved
- Note the time, location and road conditions
- Collect witness names and contact numbers if anyone saw what happened
Do not admit fault
Anything said at the scene can be used in evidence. Saying ‘sorry, I did not see you' is an admission of fault. You can be polite and helpful without accepting liability. Let the facts be gathered and assessed properly, this includes the positions of the vehicles, the damage, and witness accounts.
Tell your insurer
Most policies require you to report accidents to your insurer even if you do not intend to make a claim. This is a notification, not a claim, and does not by itself affect your premium. Failing to notify can be a breach of your policy terms.
Is it worth making a claim?
That depends on who was at fault, the value of the damage relative to your excess, and whether there is any possibility of personal injury, however minor it seems now. If the accident was not your fault, you can claim through the other driver’s insurer without paying your excess or affecting your no claims discount. The calculation is very different from a fault claim.
Watch for delayed symptoms
Whiplash and soft tissue injuries frequently do not present immediately. Symptoms can emerge hours or days after an impact that felt minor at the time. If there was any collision, be aware of how you feel in the following days. This is one reason why recording what happened at the scene matters even when the damage looks trivial.