If you are driving a vehicle and you are involved in an accident in which:

• someone is hurt
• another vehicle is damaged
• an animal is injured, or
• property near or on the road is damaged

then you must stop and, if you are required by another person to provide your name and address and the name and address of the owner of the vehicle (if different) then you must do so.

Reporting an accident

If there is no one else involved and therefore you are not required to provide that information to another person then you must report the accident at a police station or to a police constable as soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours of the event or accident occurring.

Should you fail to do so, then you will be liable to a fine, endorsement with between 5 and 10 penalty points and you may even run the risk of being disqualified or being imprisoned for up to 6 months.

Note in particular that you only need to stop and give particulars if another person in the accident, or if damage has been caused to another vehicle or to property near to the road – for example a wall, lamppost or sign.

Defence to not reporting

You may have a defence to the charge if you can show that you were unaware that the accident had occurred. However, you should particularly bear in mind that if you do not report and the court takes the view that you did not do so because you wanted to avoid a breath test or if serious injury was caused, then you will stand a much greater likelihood of being imprisoned for the offence.

For further advice and assistance in relation to this please contact keepmedriving either by completing the appropriate online information form which you will find in the Getting Help section, by requesting a free call-back using the free, no-obligation call-back form to the right or by phoning us during office hours on 084 4804 4804