What to do if you witness a road accident




Witnessing a road accident can be a frightening and traumatic experience for anyone, but there are many things you can do to help those involved when you stop.

When you first arrive at an accident scene

Find yourself a safe place to park ideally off the road and put your hazard lights on. If there are others already at the scene you should speak to them and arrange for one individual to phone the emergency services. If several people call in to report to a single accident it is possible that they may receive conflicting information which could cause confusion and delay their arrival.

The information that should be given to the emergency services should include your name, phone number, a clear description of the location and the number of people injured. Although the situation may be quite stressful, the person making the call should try to remain calm so that the information is passed on correctly.

Things you can do to help

An accident scene can be quite a stressful and chaotic place so the more you can do to organise yourselves the better. If there are injured people at the scene try to establish if anyone has any kind of first aid training, and if so they can be delegated to look after the injured until the paramedics arrive. Even if no one has any medical training they can still help the injured by providing reassurance to them until help arrives.

It important to warn other road users about the hazard, particularly if the accident occurs on or near a bend in the road. Walk along the edge of the road and warn the traffic about the hazard ahead, but take care not to put yourself in danger.

Ensure that no one smokes at the accident scene, there may be spilt fuel from ruptured petrol tanks or fuel lines which could easily be ignited by a discarded cigarette.

Basic First Aid

If you are not confident with administering first aid it is probably best if you just try to comfort any injured individuals as best you can until the emergency services arrive.

If you feel able, there are a few key issues that need to be dealt with any injury.

  • Firstly do not move the injured person because they may have sustained a neck or spinal injury and moving them could make things much worse

  • Check that the individuals airway is clear and unobstructed, so they can breathe easily

  • If they are bleeding, pressing on or 'compressing' the wound will help restrict the blood flow. This should be done wearing gloves to avoid coming into contact with the persons blood

  • Try to keep the person warm with jackets or blankets, this will help with their circulation

  • Stay with the injured person and talk to them, don't let them move about and reassure them that help is on the way

Information you can gather to help someone with a claim

To help the victim of the accident you should make a note of all the registration numbers of the vehicles involved, contact details of other witnesses, make a note of the circumstances of the incident and take photographs of the scene. If the police ask you what happened, try to recall as much detail as you can.

If you have been involved in a car accident that was not your fault we can arrange for your car to be repaired at one of our approved repair centres, and provide you with a quality comparable replacement hire car.

Please give us a call on 02392 484 244 , and one of our experienced claims advisors will be happy to assist you.



No need to claim on your insurance

Anyone who has been involved in a road accident has the right to choose who repairs their vehicle. If you were responsible for the accident you were involved in, the company that insures your vehicle would normally deal with your accident claim.

However if you were not at-fault for the accident, you can choose to either claim on your own insurance policy or make a claim independently of your insurer. To find out more call 02392 484 244 and we will be happy to help.

We and our partners help thousands of people make independent accident claims. Our service enables motorists to get the help and assistance they need to resolve their accident related issues, with the costs being recovered directly from the at-fault driver on your behalf.

No excess to pay

Unfortunately even if an accident was not your fault, your insurer will almost certainly require you to pay your excess before any repair is started on your car.

This money should of course be recovered by an insurer at a later date, but with our service - you do not have to pay it at all.

By using our independent claims service, you are not making a claim on your insurance policy and so you will have no excess to pay.

Receive a comparable replacement hire vehicle

Not all insurance policies will include a replacement hire-car for you to use if yours is damaged and unroadworthy. In fact it is typically an 'optional extra' on your policy.

Other policies may offer a 'courtesy car' but this is often just a 'basic' saloon or hatchback which may not be suitable for your needs.

Car Call and its partners will provide a comparable replacement vehicle as part of our service. This means we will endeavour to supply a hire-vehicle that similar to your own in terms of its type, make and engine size.

So whether you drive a small hatchback or a prestige sports car, we will look to provide a similar hire-vehicle that suits your needs.

Manufacturer approved vehicle repairs

If you have been involved in a car accident, the last thing you want to have to worry about is the quality of the repairs to your car. We have a UK wide network of partner approved Accident Repair Centres available to all of our customers.

Many of our accident repair centres are have manufacturer approvals for specific brands, so if you require a manufacturer approved repair centre, simply tell your personal claim handler and they will ensure your vehicle goes to an approved repairer.

Want you vehicle repaired by a specific garage? No problem, we can alternatively use a repairer that you specify.

Legal Assistance

Our partner solicitors provide legal assistance as part of our service. They specialise in motor claims related issues, so you can be assured of the best possible advice and assistance.

They issues they can assist you with include:

  • Recovery of the cost of the replacement hire-vehicle
  • Recovery of the cost of uplifting your damaged vehicle
  • Recovery of all repair costs
  • Recovery of the cost of damaged of personal items
  • Seeking financial compensation for an injury