Been in a crash? Get these 5 details

By Lauren Ferrone
Published: Friday, April 20, 2018
Updated: March 15, 2019 at 1:07 pm

It’s hard not to panic when you’ve been in a car crash, but there’s some important info you should get while at the scene.

First things first, if your car can still be driven, move it to a safe spot and switch on the hazard lights.

You might think it’s a given to get these simple details, but often common sense goes out the window when you’re in situations like these.

Here’s what our insurance experts recommend you jot down after a car crash:

The name, address and phone number of both the driver and the owner of the car (they might not be the same) – it’s a good idea to take a photo of their driver’s licence if possible
The name of their insurance company
Details of the cars involved, including the rego number, colour, make and model – it might help to also take photos of the car and its number plate
The contact info of any witnesses
Also record the date, time and exact location of the incident and make note of any visible damage to the other person’s vehicle – again, pictures are a good idea here too.

What if you’re given false details?

Not everyone might be as honest as you, so if you suspect you’ve been given false details, let the police know immediately. That’s also why you should take down the other car’s rego – and if possible, take a photo of the car (including number plate) – so that you can track down the owner later on. It’s illegal to give false information after a crash or to refuse to provide your details.

Can you drive your car?

It’s actually an offence to drive a car that’s been in a crash and is no longer roadworthy. This could be as small as a broken brake light.

In this situation, the law says you need to call the police towing line on 8231 5555 if you’re in the metro area. If you’re in a regional area, call a tow-truck operator directly.

Other than the law, there’s another reason you may not want to get behind the wheel of a damaged car.

Depending on your insurance policy, you may not be covered for additional damage that occurs if you drive your car after the crash. You could still be covered though if you couldn’t have reasonably detected the damage. Check your policy to find out what’s covered.

If you’ve got an RAA Comprehensive Car Insurance policy, the cost of towing your car to the nearest repairer, or any other place approved by us will be covered in your claim.

How you can report a crash

You should report any crash regardless of whether it’s serious or not.

If someone’s injured (whether it’s minor or fatal), you must tell police in person within 90 minutes, either at the scene or the police station.

If no one’s hurt but the damage bill is likely to be more than $3000, then you legally have to report it to police as soon as possible (no later than 24 hours after the crash).

If you’re not sure how much damage has been caused, or you’re planning to make an insurance claim, then it’s best to report it.

In some cases, you can make the report online here. You can do so if:

no one was injured or killed
everyone involved exchanged details
it wasn’t a hit-run
no vehicles were towed
an estimate of the total damage is less than $3000
police didn’t attend the crash scene
the crash happened in South Australia
no government vehicles were involved.