When arriving at a motor vehicle collision scene the best place to position your vehicle is *?

No one wants to get into a car crash. But being prepared and knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives, reduce injuries and make the claims process simpler and easier.

• Keep critical, relevant documents in your car, such as registration, proof of auto insurance, your leasing agent's name. It's also a good idea to carry important medical information (allergies, doctors names) for you and your family members.

• Ensure that your car is emergency ready. Flares, orange cones, emergency signage can help keep your loved ones and your vehicle from more harm after an accident. And, while we rely on technology, there's a chance it might fail when you need to record a phone number or license plate details—keep a pad and pen in your car.

• Make sure to have the right amount of auto coverage to fit your needs. While an insurance policy is not a substitute for health and safety, knowing you'll be covered in the case of an accident can reduce the stress.

• Take care. Pull the vehicle to the side of the road, if possible. If the accident was triggered by road rage, take extra cautions when engaging with the other driver. If you are bumped from behind and think you might be the intended victim of a carjacking, make sure to pull off in a safe place.

• Assess possible injuries. Tend to people first—make sure everyone is okay. Call 911 if anyone is injured.

• Assess damage to the car. Once you're assured everyone is okay, review the extent of the damage to the vehicle. If possible, take pictures.

• Don’t leave the scene of the accident. If you run into an unattended vehicle, try to find the owner. If you can’t, leave a note with your name, address and phone number. Record the details of the accident, including the make and model of the car and the address where the accident occurred.

• Collect as much information as possible. Get the names of and contact information for everyone involved in the crash, including witnesses. Ask the other driver or drivers (if you are involved in a multi-car accident) for a license, car registration and insurance ID card, and get the makes and models of the cars involved. Note of the location of the accident, time of day and the weather conditions. Smartphones are a great way to record driver and car documentation (as well as accident details).

• Alert the police or highway patrol. If you are involved in a serious accident, let law enforcement know, especially if anyone is hurt. If necessary, the police will notify the nearest medical unit. Get the names and badge numbers of the officers on the scene and ask where you can get a copy of their accident report.

• File an accident report, even if the police can't come to the scene. Head to the nearest police department (or their website) to file an incident report. Having an official report can help in case the other driver decides to sue for damages or medical injuries, or there is more damage done to your car than initially thought. And you will need to have the report when making your insurance claim.

• Get the claims process started. Notify your insurance professional about the accident as soon as possible—the longer you wait, the harder it will be to remember the details. 

Don't let a bad situation turn out worse—protect yourself against uninsured motorists.

What To Do During Vehicular Accidents
(Updated June 20, 2022)

Minor Accidents

1. Safety First

The principal concern during a car accident is the safety and well-being of everyone involved. Alight from your vehicle and take pictures of the situation whatever happens.

2. Do Not Cause Traffic

After that, the drivers should pull their vehicles out of the road immediately so that they're both clear of oncoming traffic. Use flares or cones, if you have them, to alert other drivers, and turn on your hazard lights so that you can be more visible. Call the MMDA Hotline 136, and ask for assistance. Do not leave the scene of an accident--even a minor one--until everything has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

3. Once the initial shock wears off and it's apparent that no one's been seriously hurt, tempers may flare. Refrain from losing your temper. Get the other driver's name, address, contact information and insurance details, and provide the same for him (this is why it's a good idea to carry your insurance information in your vehicle). See if an amicable settlement can be made. If not, call the MMDA hotline 1-3-6, and ask for traffic enforcers/investigators to be present on the scene immediately. Remain at the scene until the investigators arrive and tell you that you can go.

4. Insurance and Repairs

With the basics taken cared of, it's time to see about the damage to your car and how you can go about getting it fixed. If you can, call your insurance agent immediately while you're still at the scene and ask him about repairs. Keep in touch with the traffic investigators, and file a report on the accident if they ask.

Major Accidents

1. Check if anyone is hurt.

Check yourself and your passengers to see if anyone has been injured. If someone is hurt, summon medical assistance right away, or dial MMDA 1-3-6 and ask for a medical team and a traffic investigator to go to the scene.

2. Make sure to take pictures of the accident.

Once your condition and that of your passengers has been established, take pictures. This is the best arguing tool that you can have. Photos showing the vehicles and the surrounding area can help get you out of a bind if the other person denies what happened. Make sure to take pictures of both vehicles, (including license plates), and the area in which the accident occurred.

3. Move your vehicle off to the side of the road if possible.

It is unsafe to continue to sit in traffic and a two-car fender bender could turn into a multiple-car pileup very quickly. If you are unable to move your vehicle, make sure to stay in the area of the incident until the investigators arrives.

4. Let the investigator take command of the situation, and institute measures to prevent the accident from getting worse.

When the police arrive, you will want to get their names so that you can refer back them later when reviewing the accident details. Additionally, you shouldn't rely solely on the police report to tell your side of the story.

5. Exchange information with the other driver.

If involved in an accident with another driver, make sure to exchange the following information with that driver: name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver's license number and license plate number. You also should write a description of each vehicle, including the make, model, year and color.

6. Contact your insurance company and know what your policy covers.

After exchanging information with the other driver, you next move should be to contact your insurance company to let them know that you've been in an accident and to give them your version of the events. Additionally, you should be aware of what exactly your policy covers. You might find out that the actual cost to repair your car manageable enough to avoid going through your insurer and incurring a premium hike.

7. File an accident report with the police department.

Having a police report on hand can assist in speeding up the insurance claims process. You can file a report at your local police station.

If you are involved in a motor collision, the law requires you to do certain things. This applies whether the collision was with another motor vehicle, another user of the road or an object along the road. There are also things it is advisable to do for safety reasons and to help reduce your possible financial loss.

Your legal obligations, if you are involved in a motor collision, are set out in Section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended.

Stay at the scene: You must stop your car and remain at the scene of the accident for a reasonable time.

Provide information: If a Garda is present at the scene of the collision, you must give them, when requested:

• Your name and address
• The address where your car is kept
• The name and address of the car owner
• The car’s registration number
• Motor insurance details (including the expiry date of the policy)

If there is no Garda present, you must give this information on request to:

• The injured person (where someone has been hurt) – or a person asking on their behalf
• The owner whose property has been damaged, or someone asking on their behalf

If none of these people are present, give the information to an independent person who was present when the collision occurred.

Report the accident: If there is no Garda present, you must report the accident as soon as possible to a Garda who is nearby or at a Garda station. The person (if any) you gave the information to can do this. If they are not in a position to do so, you must report the accident.

Decide whether to move the cars: If the collision is serious, do not move the cars. If the collision is minor and the cars are blocking the road or are a danger to other road users, mark their position on the road then move them. Take care when moving damaged cars and be alert to the danger from leaking fuel.

Warn other drivers: Try to warn oncoming traffic of the accident. You can warn them by using your hazard lights. If you have a reflective advance-warning triangle, place it on the road far enough from the scene of the collision to give enough warning to approaching traffic. If the collision happens near a bend in the road, make sure you give warning to traffic on both sides of the bend.

If you need to ask for another road user’s help to warn traffic, do so right away.

Call for help: If someone is injured, call the Gardaí (telephone 999 or 112) and, if necessary, ambulance services.

Get information: You should get the information listed above (under ‘Provide information’) from the other drivers involved in the collision. If the collision involves damage to property, get the owner’s name, address and telephone number.

Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses, as these may be required if a question of liability arises.

Photos: Take photos of the scene of the collision if you have a camera. These should include photos of the vehicles before they are moved.

Garda details: You should get the name or number of the Garda to whom the collision is reported. You may need to ensure that a Garda report has been filed for insurance purposes.

Write down what happened: You should write down an account of all relevant facts connected to the collision as soon as possible afterwards. Sign and date your account (including the time) when it is completed.

Uninsured or unidentified cars: If you wish to claim compensation where you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or unidentified car, contact the Motor Insurer's Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). MIBI also deals with claims arising from foreign drivers in Ireland or Irish drivers abroad.

Further information: For more advice on what to do at the scene of an accident, see Rules of the Road (pdf).

Serious road traffic collisions

When a serious road traffic collision occurs, causing a serious or fatal injury, there will be an investigation by the Gardaí and possibly the coroner. It may involve an inquest and even a criminal prosecution.

PARC Road Safety Group has published Finding your way (pdf). It is a guide for victims where the driver under suspicion of having caused a fatal or serious injury collision has survived and may face a criminal prosecution.