Free Accident Form - What to do if you have an RTA

Please click here for a printable copy of an "accident form" which I have created for my personal use

Using a form such as the one above ensures that you get down all of the relevant details. This is especially useful if you are in a state of shock and where you are likely to forget something. The extent of the information you get could also assist your insurance company process your claim more swiftly and would be invaluable to the police should they become involved.

In this post I hope to provide some handy tips and advice to be taken into consideration if you are involved in a road traffic accident (RTA). I will also suggest some precautions you can take so that you are prepared if an accident occurs. Hopefully if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an RTA the advice below will help ensure that the process is as smooth as possible in what may be a very distressing situation.

Having been involved in a RTA you may be shocked and unable to think clearly. This is why I suggest that you carry certain items in your glove compartment in the form of an "accident pack" to be used should you be involved in an accident.

In your accident pack I recommend that you carry:

1. Disposable camera (preferably with a flash) - to take photographs of the accident scene and any damage to the vehicles involved

2. Your insurance/contact details - so these can be passed on to any third party involved

3. Accident forms and 2 pens/pencils - to take down the other driver's details plus any other relevant details - alternatively have a piece of paper ready for the same purpose

Other points to keep in mind

1. Keep an accident pack like the one suggested above in your car's glove compartment

2. Try to get as many details as possible including the car registration number, make , model and colour. It may also be helpful to take down a description of the third party in case identity becomes an issue

3. As mentioned above take photographs of the scene and any damage to the vehicles/property involved no matter how slight the damage – this may avoid any dispute later - A handy tip is to get the vehicle's registration number and the third party in the photographs but be careful as they may not want to be photographed

4. If you are hit by someone who then drives off without exchanging details try and get as much information about the vehicle as possible – in particular the registration number – report the matter to the police and your insurance company who can then try and trace the vehicle involved

5. If there are witnesses to any accident, no matter how minor, get their details these may prove invaluable if liability for the accident is disputed

6. Even if the third party vehicle is foreign your insurance party/solicitors should be able to trace the vehicle through the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) – just be sure to get the registration number

7. There are many CCTV cameras around towns, shops etc. If liability is disputed it may be worth asking around to see if you could get conclusive footage of the incident – do this quickly though as many places record over past tapes

8. Remember it is a criminal offence to either not exchange details following an accident or to report it to the police

CCTV - Big Brother or Big Bother?

Today "talking cameras" are operating in Salford alongside those recently installed elsewhere in the country, with the number of CCTV cameras the highest in Europe are we turning into a "Big Brother" society? Obviously the idea behind CCTV is to protect the public, preventing anti-social behaviour and keeping our streets clean, but does it invade of our right to privacy?

It was only last month that Traffic Wardens in the area became the first in the UK to be equipped with head-mounted video cameras - with statistics suggesting that people are caught on camera 300 times a day is the extent of CCTV going further than necessary in protecting the public at the expense of their privacy?

It is true that CCTV has been very positive in preventing crime and identifying perpetrators and as many of the cameras are not noticeable without careful inspection, you would hardly notice they are there. Personally I feel safer in areas where CCTV is filming and that new "talking cameras" can only assist in making society a safer place to live.

For our protection or breach of privacy?