Health and Safety

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Safe Driving for Work - How To Deal With A Car Accident On The Road

Be Ready. There is one road traffic accident every 2 minutes on the UK's roads (source association of British Insurers)

Do the following:

1. Try to stay calm
2. Look for witnesses
3. Record other driver's details
4. Provide your details to other driver(s)
5. Take photographs of the accident scene
6. Take photographs of damage to vehicles
7. Sketch the accident scene

If as a driver, you are involved in a road accident and one or more of the following occurs:

• A person, other than yourself, is injured.
• Damage is caused to another vehicle or someone else's property.
• An animal has been killed or injured, expect in your own vehicle or trailer.

You Must:

• Stop and remain at the scene for a reasonable period.
• Give your vehicle registration number, name, address and that of the vehicle owner (if different) to anyone with reasonable grounds for asking for those details.

If you do not exchange these details at the scene, you must report the accident at a police station or to a police officer within 24 hours.

Where injury is caused to another person, you must produce your insurance certificate, if anyone at the scene has reasonable grounds to see it.

If you don't have your insurance details with you, you may take them to the police station you nominate when you report the incident within 7 days (5 days in Northern Ireland).

Note: Reporting the accident to the police by telephone is not sufficient.

You are obliged to do these things not only when you are directly involved in an accident, but also if your vehicle's presence was a factor. Failure to comply with these obligations can mean two offences are being committed:

• Failing to stop
• Failing to report

The penalties for each offence include a maximum fine of £5000 and 5-10 penalty points. The courts can also disqualify for each offence.

Even if there was no personal injury, if someone holds you responsible for the accident they have the right to request your insurance details. Failure to provide that information without a reasonable excuse is also an offence.

We recommend you always carry an Accident Report Card in your vehicle and complete it as soon as possible after the accident.

A copy can be found at http://www.webcars.co.uk/toolbox_6.asp.

I confirm I have read the factsheet 'How To Deal With A Car Accident On The Road'.

Signed: _______________________________ Date: _____________

Name of Driver: ________________________ Vehicle Reg: _____________

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