When are you required to file an accident report?

Missouri law requires the operator of a vessel involved in a collision, accident, or other casualty to file a report with the Missouri State Highway Patrol if:

Índice Show

What to report
Police attendance at collisions
Step 1: Stop
Step 2: Assist
Step 3: Move your vehicle
Step 4: Exchange information
Step 5: Report the crash to the police
Information needed for a crash report
Report a crash online
Reporting the accident to the police
What you should do
What the police will do
If a person is injured
If the driver was drunk or drug affected
If you or the other driver have no insurance
If the accident was your fault
If the accident was not your fault
Other support

A person dies or disappears or…
An injury occurs or…
Damage to the vessel and other property exceeds $500.

If you have been involved in a collision in the ACT you must by law report it to police within 24 hours. You can do this via the online reporting form.

Completing the online form will generate a collision report number that can be used in insurance claims. Remember to keep a printed copy of the report for your records.

If you are unable to complete the online form, or require assistance please visit your local police station.

What to report

The report will take you about 15 minutes to complete and will ask you for information such as:

date and time
location
weather, road and light conditions
traffic control
vehicle information
collision information.

Police attendance at collisions

ACT Policing will attend a collision if:

it results in a fatality
it results in an injury where a person involved in a collision requires transportation by ambulance or other means to a hospital or medical centre
one or more of the vehicles involved are blocking the roadway and cannot be moved, or are causing a disruption to traffic
there is a threat of danger to any person or a suspected breach of the peace, or
there is an allegation of alcohol or drug use being a contributing factor.

If the vehicles involved in a collision require a tow, but are not blocking the roadway, the parties in the collision can arrange their own tows if they wish. ACT Policing can arrange tows from a towing roster where the owner or driver is:

unable to arrange a particular firm to tow the vehicle
not present at the scene, or
injured and unable to nominate a towing firm.

For police attendance at a collision, please contact ACT Policing on 131 444.

If you are involved in a vehicle crash you must:

Step 1: Stop

Stop at the scene of the crash. Failing to stop at the scene is against the law.

Step 2: Assist

Assist anyone who is injured.

Call 000 if there is danger or serious injury.

Call 131 444 if you require police assistance.

Step 3: Move your vehicle

Move your vehicle off the road if police are not attending.

Phone 8116 9209 for a tow truck if you need one.

Step 4: Exchange information

Exchange your information with the other drivers or their representatives and anyone else involved in the crash including the owner of any property damaged at the scene.

Include in the information exchanged:

the driver's name and address
the name and address of the vehicle's owner
the vehicle's registration number
any other information needed to identify the vehicle
any other information needed by the police about the crash.

Step 5: Report the crash to the police

Report to the police at the scene of a crash or at a police station within 90 minutes if:

you were a driver of one of the vehicles involved; and
someone was injured or killed.

Report to the police as soon as possible but, except in exceptional circumstances, within 24 hours after the crash if:

the property damage exceeds $3000; or
information with other drivers or their representatives and anyone else involved in the crash were not exchanged; or
a vehicle involved in the crash was either towed or carried away; or
the police did not attend the scene.

Information needed for a crash report

You will need to provide in the crash report:

your personal details
your driver's licence details
your vehicle registration
the exact location of the crash
the date and time of the crash
details of the other people involved
the vehicle registration details of the other vehicles involved.

You will be given a Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC) number for future reference.

Report a crash online

You can report a crash online if:

the crash occurred in South Australia
no one was injured or killed
everyone involved exchanged particulars
it was not a hit-run
no police vehicles were involved
no vehicles were towed
an estimate of the total damage is less than $3000
police did not attend
you don't want police to investigate the collision.

You must be prepared to assist the police if you want us to investigate a crash due to breaches of the road rules. You will be asked to provide a statement and you may have to go to court.

Report a crash online

If you are in an accident you must stop and assist. Even if nobody is hurt, you have to exchange details with the other driver or the owner of any property that is damaged. It is an offence to leave the scene of a vehicle accident without doing this.

If the police attend the accident scene, they will interview the people involved and any other witnesses. Police may charge the drivers with breaking the road laws.

If someone causes a crash, they are responsible for any damage they cause. A claim for the cost of repairs to a damaged car can be made through an insurance company or through the courts , if necessary.

Reporting the accident to the police

You must report the accident to the police if:

anyone’s property is damaged
the other person involved in the accident does not stop or refuses to give their details.

Police may not attend the accident scene unless someone has been injured. If police attend the scene, they will usually test drivers for alcohol or other drugs. It is a serious offence to refuse this test.

What you should do

Take time to write down carefully all of the details such as the time, date and location where the accident happened and the names and contact details of any witnesses. Note down the speed you believe you were travelling at and even the weather conditions. It will help if you draw a diagram. This information will be helpful to police and your car insurance company.

What the police will do

The police will investigate by talking to the drivers and any other witnesses. They will write a report. This report may be important if there is a dispute about who was at fault.

Do not admit that an accident was your fault. You may not be qualified to decide this and making this admission could be used as evidence against you if there is a dispute.

If you have broken any road laws the police may:

issue you with a fine
charge you with an offence.

If you are charged you will have to go to court.

Insurance

If you have insurance, let your insurer know about the accident as soon as possible after the accident. This is important, even if you decide not to make a claim against your insurance.

Most insurance policies say that you have to notify the insurer of any accident. This is called a ‘duty of disclosure’. Notifying your insurer also allows you to make a claim later if the damage is going to cost more than you thought.

There are different levels of insurance cover. You may only be insured for damage to vehicles and property that belongs to others. This is called third party insurance.

Comprehensive insurance policies cover damage to your vehicle too. In most cases you will have to pay some of the money. This is called the excess. The amount you have to pay depends on your insurance policy.

The kind of protection you have depends on what the insurance policy says. You should always read the policy carefully before you sign it and ask if there is anything that you do not understand.

The Law Handbook has more information about motor vehicles and insurance .

The Insurance Law Service has an online Motor vehicle accident problem solver and sample letters that may help you to work out what to do.

Call the National Insurance Hotline on 1300 663 464 for more help.

If a person is injured

Insurance for personal injury is included in the cost of vehicle registration and is administered by the Transport Accident Commission . This is a government organisation that pays medical costs for people who are injured in a motor vehicle accident.

Visit the Transport Accident Commission's page What to do after an accident for more information.

If the driver was drunk or drug affected

Usually an insurance policy will exclude a driver who was:

Other illegal behaviour, such as if the driver was driving without a licence or involved in a speed race, may also mean that you are not covered by the policy.

If you or the other driver have no insurance

It is not compulsory to get insurance to cover property damage.

If the accident was your fault

If you are not insured and the accident was your fault, the other driver’s insurance company will try to recover the money for the damages. If you don’t pay the debt the insurance company can take you to court.

If the other driver does not have insurance the other driver may sue you for damages.

A community legal centre may be able to help you.

If the accident was not your fault

If the accident was not your fault you will need to decide whether to sue the other driver for damages.

Get a quote to find out how much the vehicle will cost to repair.

Taking the other party to court could be expensive and if that driver has no job, assets or money it may be difficult to recover the money even if you win. The court may also decide that both parties were partly at fault.

Another way of getting the money is to try mediation. The Dispute Settlement Centre can help you to discuss this with the other party and reach an agreement.