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Road accident record and exchange of details (Great Britain)

England, Scotland and Wales · in English

€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download

30 questions · about 13 min

Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales

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For a driver in Great Britain after a collision: one place to write down the other driver's name, address, vehicle and insurer, the time and place, what happened, the damage and the witnesses, while the details are fresh. Each driver keeps their own record and sends it with the insurance claim. It is not an admission of fault. A driver who does not give their details at the scene must report the accident to the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours at most (section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988); this record does not replace that report.

  • Last updated October 28, 2026
  • Document in English

Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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When to use this document

  • You have just had a car accident in England, Wales or Scotland and want to write down the other driver's details.
  • The other driver was in a hurry and you want their name, insurer and number plate recorded properly.
  • Someone reversed into your parked car and you want a record of what happened for your insurer.
  • You want an accident report to keep in the glovebox in case of a crash in Britain.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

  • Date of the incident
  • Time it happened (for example 8:15am)
  • Location
  • Road, light and weather conditions
  • Your full name
  • Your address (flat, house number and street)
  • Town or city
  • Your postcode
  • Phone
  • Make and model
  • Vehicle registration number (number plate)
  • Owner of your vehicle, if not you (name and address)
  • Insurer
  • Policy number
  • Other driver's full name
  • Other driver's address, with postcode
  • Other driver's phone number
  • Other vehicle: make, model and colour
  • Other vehicle's registration number
  • Owner of the other vehicle, if not the driver (name and address)
  • Other driver's insurer
  • Other driver's policy number
  • What happened, step by step (direction, speed, lanes, signals)
  • Damage to your vehicle
  • Damage to the other vehicle or property
  • Injuries (who, and what)
  • Witnesses (names and phone numbers)
  • Was the accident reported to the police?
  • Police reference number
  • Date

Common questions

What must a driver do at the scene of a road accident in Great Britain?
Stop. If another person is injured, or another vehicle or property is damaged, give your name and address, the owner's name and address and the registration number to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask. If you cannot give them at the scene, report the accident to the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours at most (section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988). Call 999 if anyone is hurt or there is danger.
Should I admit fault or sign the other driver's account after an accident in Great Britain?
Keep to the facts: what happened, where and when. Insurers generally ask you not to admit liability or offer to pay at the scene, because it can affect your claim. This record says it is not an admission of fault, and the other driver's signature, if they give it, confirms only the details exchanged. You do not have to sign an account written by the other driver.
When should I tell my insurer about an accident in Great Britain?
As soon as you can, even if you do not mean to claim: policies usually require prompt notice, and your policy sets the rule. Insurers take the first notice by phone or online; send this record and your photographs afterwards. In England and Wales, most claims for a minor road traffic injury worth up to £5,000 go through the free Official Injury Claim service rather than by letter.

How you can sign this document

  • Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
  • Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.

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