What to do if you're involved in an accident

Written by Zego

Published on

We all hope it never happens to us, but if you do find yourself involved in a road traffic accident, it pays to be prepared.

If you’re a Zego customer and you’ve been involved in an accident, please call us as soon as you can. We’ll help to get you back on track.

We spoke to our experts to find out exactly what you should do following a collision.

If you’re involved in an accident, remain calm and make sure you’re safe. Call the emergency services to let them know what’s happened, then start taking information at the scene (photos, videos and details of other drivers).

Here's what to do when an accident happens

Let's take a look at this in more detail.

Make yourself and others safe

  • Move your vehicle to a safe place if you can (like a layby).
  • Turn the engine off and switch your hazard lights on.
  • If the accident happens on a motorway, try to move safely to the hard shoulder and stand well away from your vehicle and moving traffic.
  • Take a few deep breaths — stay as calm as you can.
  • Check yourself and your passengers for signs of injury.

Call the police

The Road Traffic Act says that you need to report any accident to the police within 24 hours.

If it’s an emergency situation, or anyone has been injured, call 999. If the accident isn’t an emergency, you should call 101.

Exchange information

As a driver, you must give your name, address and vehicle details to anyone else involved in the accident.

You should also have your insurance details handy — share your insurance information with the other driver(s), and ask for the same back.

Don’t say sorry just yet

You shouldn’t apologise or admit responsibility for the collision until it’s completely clear what happened. Doing so could make you liable, even if it wasn’t your fault.

Gather details at the scene

It’s important to record as much information as you can before leaving the scene of the accident. This will help to speed up the claims process for everyone involved.

Try to collect the following information:

  • The make, model, colour and number plate of any vehicles involved in the accident.
  • The date and time of the crash.
  • Use your phone to take pictures or videos of the scene — capture the positions of the vehicles, and any damage caused by the collision.
  • Make a note of any injuries to drivers, number of passengers or pedestrians.
  • Take the names and contact details of any witnesses who saw what happened.
  • Also capture or make a note of the road and weather conditions.

Report the accident to your insurance company

Once you’ve captured as much information as you can, contact your insurer and let them know what happened. Try to do this straight away, ideally on the same day, to avoid causing delays with your claim.

If the collision was your fault, be honest with your insurer and tell them that. You won’t get into trouble, and being honest at the start will make the claims process much easier and smoother.

If you’re a Zego Insurance customer, you can report an accident using the Zego Sense app. Or you can call us directly and let us know what happened — we’ll get your claim started for you.

We always aim to be supportive, fast and fair, so you can get back on track as soon as possible.


Find out more about how to make a claim with Zego.