Reporting collisions

By law, all motor vehicle collisions must be reported to the police if there are any personal injuries or fatalities, and where damage to vehicles is $1,000 or more. Damage to public or private property must also be reported to the police. Motorists involved in a collision are required to provide their name, address, driver’s licence number, licence plate number, insurance information, and the name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle to police and to any person involved in the collision.

Every driver involved in a collision must remain at the scene of the collision to offer assistance when needed especially where there are injuries or fatalities. The penalty for failing to report a collision and/or failing to provide the required information is a fine of $200 to $1,000, three demerit points, a possible jail term and suspension of your driver’s licence. The penalty for leaving the scene of a collision also includes seven demerit points.

When reporting a collision to police that does not involve injuries or fatalities, you may be instructed to go to a self-reporting collision centre or a police station. Police will attend the scene of collisions involving a fatality or injury, collisions involving three or more vehicles, or where towing is required.

Remember the following steps if you are involved in or come upon a collision:

* Call police or have someone call for you.

* If there are no injuries and the vehicles are drivable, move them as far off the road as possible. If they cannot be moved, set up warning signals or flares or have someone warn approaching drivers.

* If there are injuries, fatalities, fuel leaks or serious vehicle damage, do not move the vehicle(s). Turn off all engines. Do not smoke, light a match or put flares near any vehicle that is leaking fuel. If there is a fire, get the people out and make sure everyone is well out of the way. If there is no danger of fire or explosion, leave injured people where they are until medical help arrives.

If you are trained in first aid, treat injuries in the order of urgency, within your level of training. If you do not have first aid training, use common sense and give the kind of help that you would hope to get like covering the person with a blanket or jacket to prevent or reduce the effects of shock. Stay with injured people until help arrives.