If another person is injured and you do not produce your insurance certificate at the time of the crash to a police officer or to anyone having reasonable grounds to request it, you MUST
report it to the police as soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours
produce your insurance certificate for the police within seven days.
If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST
stop. If possible, stop in a place of relative safety (see Rule 275
give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours.
If an incident involves a vehicle containing dangerous goods, follow the advice in Rule 283 and, in particular
switch off engines and DO NOT SMOKE
keep well away from the vehicle and do not be tempted to try to rescue casualties as you yourself could become one
call the emergency services and give as much information as possible about the labels and markings on the vehicle. DO NOT use a mobile phone close to a vehicle carrying flammable loads.
Vehicles carrying dangerous goods in packages will be marked with plain orange reflective plates. Road tankers and vehicles carrying tank containers of dangerous goods will have hazard warning plates (see ‘Vehicle markings’).
If you are involved in an incident or collision or stop to give assistance
if possible, stop in a place of relative safety (see Rule 275)
use your hazard warning lights to warn other traffic
put on high-visibility clothing if you have it
ask drivers to switch off their engines
ask drivers and passengers to stop smoking
contact the emergency services on 999 and provide full details of the incident location and any casualties. Use an emergency telephone, a mobile telephone, or press the SOS button if your vehicle has one (see Rule 277 on how to identify your location on a motorway or other high-speed road)
move uninjured people away from the vehicles to a place of relative safety (see Rule 275)
DO NOT move injured people from their vehicles unless they are in immediate danger
DO NOT remove a motorcyclist’s helmet unless it is essential and you are trained to do so
When passing the scene of an incident, remain alert for hazards (such as debris or slow-moving vehicles) and do not slow down unnecessarily (for example, if an incident is on the other side of a dual carriageway). You should focus on the road ahead when passing an incident because a lack of attention may cause a further incident, collision or congestion (see also Rule 283, below).
Warning signs or flashing lights. If you see emergency or incident support vehicles displaying flashing lights in the distance, be aware there may be an incident ahead (see Rule 219). You should slow down and be prepared to move safely into another lane or stop.
The emergency services, traffic officers and recovery workers may be required to work in the carriageway; for example, dealing with debris, collisions or conducting rolling roadblocks. You MUST follow any directions given by police or traffic officers as to whether you can safely pass the incident or obstruction.
If anything falls from a vehicle on to a motorway or other high-speed road, DO NOT remove the obstruction yourself. Stop in a place of relative safety (see Rule 275) and call the emergency services on 999.
On other roads, you should only remove obstructions if it is safe to do so.
Disabled drivers. If you have a disability that prevents you from following the above advice in Rules 277 and 278, you should
switch on your hazard warning lights
stay in your vehicle and keep your seat belt on
call 999 immediately and ask for the police. Alternatively, press your SOS button if your vehicle has one and ask for the police.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, it is recommended that you register for the 999 text service (emergencySMS.net) before making a journey.
a hard shoulder, build up speed, indicate and watch for a safe gap in the traffic. Be aware that vehicles, obstructions or debris may be present on the hard shoulder
an emergency area, you MUST use the emergency telephone provided and follow the operator’s advice for exiting the emergency area. A lane may need to be closed so that you can rejoin the carriageway safely.
