Car accident checklist for Victoria

1. First 5 minutes

   Make it safe

   • Stop as soon as it's safe and turn on your hazard lights.
   • If the car can be moved safely, move it out of traffic. If it can't, stay well clear of moving vehicles.
   • Call 000 if anyone is hurt or trapped, there's leaking fuel, smoke or fire, the vehicles are a danger to traffic, or a driver seems affected by alcohol or drugs.
   • Check on everyone involved. Don't move an injured person unless they're in immediate danger.

2. Minutes 5 to 15

   Swap details

   • The other driver's full name and address.
   • Their phone number.
   • The registration number of every vehicle involved.
   • The owner's name, if the driver isn't the owner.
   • Their insurer, if they know it.
   • The company name, if it's a company, rideshare or hire car.
   • Names and phone numbers of any witnesses willing to help.

3. Minutes 15 to 25

   Record what happened

   • Photos of both vehicles from several angles, including number plates.
   • Close-ups of the damage on each car.
   • The position of the cars and the road, intersection or car park around them.
   • Traffic signals, signs, skid marks or debris.
   • The weather and road conditions.
   • A few notes or a voice memo: the time, exact location, which way each car was going and what you saw.
   • Save any dashcam footage before it's overwritten.

4. Minutes 25 to 30

   Decide the next step

   • Contact police if anyone is injured, a driver doesn't stop or won't swap details, or you're unsure. Note any police event number.
   • Check whether the car is safe to drive: leaks, damaged lights, a wheel at an odd angle, warning lights or steering that feels different. If in doubt, don't drive it.
   • If it needs a tow, read the authority to tow before you sign. It records where the car is going, and you can choose the destination.
   • You don't have to choose a repairer at the scene.

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