What should I do after a car accident on the motorway?

If you're involved in a motorway accident, put safety first. If you can, move to a safe place, switch on your hazard lights, check for injuries and call 999 if anyone is hurt or in danger. Once you're safe, exchange details with anyone involved and contact your insurer as soon as possible.

The police and the Highway Code provide official guidance on what to do after a motorway accident. This article brings together some of that information as a helpful guide. You should, however, always refer to the official sources for the latest advice. There are links to these sources in the further reading section at the end of this article.

What should I do after a motorway accident?

If you're involved in a motorway accident:

1. Move to a safe place if possible.
2. Switch on your hazard lights.
3. Check for injuries.
4. Call 999 if anyone is hurt or in danger.
5. Move away from traffic if it's safe to do so.
6. Exchange details with anyone involved.
7. Contact your insurer as soon as possible.

How do I get away from the accident safely?

On a UK motorway, the key question after an accident is whether the vehicle is safe and legal to move. If you can drive the car yourself, move it to a safe location. If you cannot, recovery can be arranged by a breakdown company, an insurer, the police or National Highways depending on the situation.

Where should I stop after a motorway accident?

The Highway Code says you should try to stop in a place of relative safety. This means somewhere away from moving traffic where you, your passengers, other road users and your vehicle are less likely to be at risk.

On a motorway, the safest place to stop is usually a service area. Emergency areas, lay-bys and hard shoulders can also be places of relative safety. However, hard shoulders are generally less safe because they are close to fast-moving traffic.

If your vehicle is safe to drive, leave the motorway at the next exit or pull into a service area if possible. If you cannot, move into the left-hand lane and stop as far to the left as you can in an emergency area or on the hard shoulder. Switch on your hazard lights and, if it's dark or visibility is poor, use your sidelights too.

The Highway Code also advises turning your wheels to the left. If possible also stop just beyond an emergency telephone.

How do I check for injuries after an accident?

Once you've stopped somewhere safe, check yourself and your passengers for injuries.

Make sure you check yourself first. Sit still for a moment and check your own body for pain, bleeding, dizziness, or confusion. Remember that shock and adrenaline can hide serious pain. Then if you can check your passengers, turn and look at them, ask them how they feel, and check them for visible bleeding or distress.

Police advice is to call 999 straight away if anyone is seriously injured or in immediate danger. If it's safe to do so, check whether anybody else involved in the accident needs help.

When should I call 999 after a motorway accident?

Police advice is to call 999 if:

• someone is seriously injured
• someone is in danger
• the accident is blocking the motorway
• the accident has made the road unsafe
• you believe a serious crime has been committed

The Highway Code also says you should call 999 immediately if your vehicle is stranded in a live lane and you cannot safely reach a place of relative safety. If your vehicle has an eCall SOS button, you can use this to contact the emergency services and ask for the police.

Should I leave my car after a motorway accident?

The Highway Code says you and your passengers should move well away from your vehicle and traffic where possible. This helps reduce the risk of being injured if another vehicle hits your car.

If it's safe to leave the vehicle, get out using the door furthest from the traffic and move behind the safety barrier. Make sure passengers do the same. Keep children close to you and away from the road, and stay alert to passing traffic and debris.

If you have high-visibility clothing that's easy to reach, the Highway Code advises putting it on before moving to a safer place.

What should I avoid doing after a motorway accident?

According to the Highway Code, you should not stand next to your vehicle, try to repair it at the roadside or place a warning triangle on a motorway. Once you've reached a safer place, you should not return to your vehicle, even if it's cold, dark or raining.

If you're behind a safety barrier, be aware of hazards such as uneven ground, debris or steep drops. If you're travelling with animals, keep them inside the vehicle or, in an emergency, under control on the verge.

What if I cannot leave my vehicle safely?

The Highway Code says that if you cannot move your vehicle to a safer place and it is not safe to get out, you should stay inside your vehicle with your seatbelt fastened and your hazard lights on. You should then call 999 immediately and ask for the police.

This is especially important if your vehicle is stranded in a live lane on a motorway.

What details should I exchange after an accident?

If it's safe to do so, police advice is to exchange details with the other drivers involved.

You should share your:

• name
• address
• vehicle registration number
• insurance details

You should also get the same information from the other people involved.

If someone leaves without sharing their details, or you cannot exchange details at the scene, contact the police as soon as possible. Contact them using 101 or your local force's online reporting service.

Do I need to report the accident to the police?

Usually, no.

Police guidance says you do not normally need to report an accident if everyone exchanged details, nobody was injured and there are no concerns about how anyone was driving.

However, you should report the accident if you could not exchange details, someone was injured or you believe another driver may have broken the law. This applies even if the accident was not your fault.

Many police forces also allow road traffic incidents to be reported online through their websites.

What should I do once I'm somewhere safe?

When you're safe, make a record of what happened while it's still fresh in your mind. Note down the time and location of the accident, road and weather conditions, details of any witnesses and the damage to the vehicles involved. If it's safe to do so, take photographs as well.

You also need to contact your insurer as soon as possible, even if you do not plan to make a claim. They can explain what happens next and what information they'll need from you.

What happens if I do not stop after a motorway accident?

Drivers involved in an accident have legal responsibilities.

If you fail to stop or report an accident when required, you could face:

• a fine
• penalty points on your driving licence
• a driving ban
• legal action

Key things to remember

The police and the Highway Code provide official guidance on what to do after a motorway accident. Their advice is to put safety first, move to a place of relative safety if you can, check for injuries and call 999 if anyone is hurt or in danger.

Once you're safe, exchange details with anyone involved, report the accident if needed and contact your insurer as soon as possible.

For the latest and most complete guidance, always refer to the official sources.

Further reading

• The Highway Code
• Police guidance on road traffic incidents
• Smart motorway safety guidance