Guides · Driving

The first minutes after a car crash

About 5 minutes to read · Last reviewed 4 October 2026

Even a minor crash is disorienting. Adrenaline makes people do odd things: jump out into traffic to look at the damage, apologise for something that wasn't their fault, or drive off without swapping details because "it's only a scratch". A rough order of what to do — read once, now, while you're calm — makes the first minutes far easier.

The details of reporting rules and insurance vary between countries and states. The order below holds almost everywhere.

1. Stop, and make the scene safe

• Stop as soon as it is safe. Leaving the scene of a crash is an offence in most places, even a minor one.
• Hazard lights on. Turn the engine off if there is any smell of fuel or sign of smoke.
• Think before you get out. On a fast or busy road, getting out on the traffic side is one of the most dangerous things you can do. If the car is drivable and the crash is minor, move it off the road or to the shoulder. If you can't move it and it isn't safe to stay inside, get everyone out on the side away from traffic and stand well behind a barrier.
• Warning devices. If you carry a warning triangle, place it well back from the car — but only if you can do so safely.

2. Check for injuries

Check yourself first, then your passengers, then the people in the other vehicles. People in shock often don't notice injuries straight away. Ask each person simply: "Are you hurt? Can you move your fingers and toes? Does your neck or back hurt?"

• Don't move an injured person unless they are in immediate danger, such as from fire or traffic. Neck and spine injuries can be made worse by moving.
• Talk to them and keep them warm and still until help arrives.
• If you have first-aid training, use it. If not, the emergency operator will talk you through what to do.

3. Call emergency services when it's more than a scrape

Call your local emergency number — 000 in Australia, 911 in the US and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK and Europe — if anyone is injured or might be, if a vehicle is blocking traffic or can't be moved, if there is fuel, fire, smoke or fallen power lines, if a driver seems affected by alcohol or drugs, or if someone is aggressive. When in doubt, call: operators would much rather take a call that turns out to be minor.

Tell them where you are as precisely as you can — road name, direction of travel, the nearest cross-street, exit or landmark. Your phone's map shows your position if you're unsure.

4. Exchange details

Most jurisdictions require drivers involved in a crash to exchange details. Collect, from every driver involved:

• Full name, address and phone number
• Vehicle registration, make, model and colour
• Their licence details, and the vehicle owner's details if they don't own it
• Their insurer, if they know it

If the other driver refuses to give details, leaves, or seems impaired, note their registration and report it to the police. Many places also require the crash to be reported to police if anyone was injured, a vehicle was towed, or details weren't exchanged — check your local road authority's rules once, now, so you know.

5. Record what happened

• Photos: all vehicles from several angles, the damage up close, number plates, the road layout, skid marks, signs, traffic lights and the weather.
• Witnesses: get names and numbers from anyone who saw it. Witnesses leave quickly.
• Notes: time, place, direction each car was travelling, and what was said. Write it within the hour, while it's fresh.
• Dashcam footage: save it straight away so it isn't overwritten.

6. Be polite, and don't argue about fault

You can be kind — "are you okay?" — without admitting liability. Saying "it was my fault" in the heat of the moment can complicate an insurance claim, and you may not know the full picture yet. Leave fault for the insurers and, where relevant, the police.

7. Afterwards

• Get checked by a doctor even if you feel fine. Whiplash, concussion and other injuries often appear hours or days later, and a record helps any later claim.
• Notify your insurer promptly, with your photos and notes.
• Be careful with tow trucks that turn up unannounced. Ask who sent them, get a written quote, and know where the car is going. Your insurer can arrange a tow.
• Look after yourself. Feeling shaky, anxious about driving or replaying the crash is common. Talk to someone, and see a GP if it doesn't fade.

A card for the glovebox

Print this list or write it on a card and keep it with your registration papers: safe → injuries → call if needed → details → photos → witnesses → don't argue fault → doctor → insurer. It is particularly useful for new drivers; see our guide to a teen driver's first year.

How Zone Tick fits

Zone Tick is a supplementary safety tool, not an emergency service. If a crash is serious, call emergency services yourself. Zone Tick's job is to make sure your family knows.

• Crash and fall checks use the phone's motion sensors to notice a hard impact. The phone asks whether you're okay, and if you don't answer within 25 seconds, your family circle is alerted with your location. It is threshold-based, not AI, and works on the free plan.
• One-tap SOS sends the same alert yourself, after a short countdown you can cancel.
• Live location shows family exactly where you are if they need to come and help.

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This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice. Reporting rules differ between countries and states; check your local road authority. Zone Tick is a supplementary safety tool, not an emergency service.