What to Do After a Car Accident in Victoria: Step-by-Step Guide

Even a small bump leaves your heart racing. In the minutes after a crash it’s hard to think straight, which is exactly when you need to do a few things in the right order: keep everyone safe, swap the right details, and collect what your insurer will ask for later.

This guide walks through what to do after a car accident in Victoria, from the first minute at the scene to the decision about whether your damaged car is worth repairing. Save it on your phone. You’ll be glad you did.

Step 1: Stop and make the scene safe

If you are involved in a crash, you must stop. Put your hazard lights on and take a breath.

If the cars can be moved safely and nobody is hurt, move them off the road and out of the traffic. Switch off the engine and keep the hazards on. When you get out, keep your car between you and passing traffic.

Call Triple Zero (000) straight away if:

• anyone is injured or trapped
• a car is blocking the road and can’t be moved, or the crash is on a busy freeway
• there’s leaking fuel, smoke or another hazard
• another driver seems affected by alcohol or drugs

Step 2: Check for injuries

Check yourself, your passengers and the people in the other car. Some injuries, especially to the neck and back, don’t show up until hours later. If anyone feels unwell, get them checked by a doctor even if they say they’re fine.

Step 3: Exchange details

By law, everyone involved in a crash must give their details to the other people involved, to the police if they attend, and to the owner of any property that was damaged. Refusing to give your details is an offence.

Collect these from the other driver:

• Full name and address
• Phone number
• Car registration number
• Insurance company and policy details
• Driver’s licence number
• Make, model and colour of the car
• The owner’s details, if the driver doesn’t own the car

Stay calm and don’t argue about who caused it. That’s for the insurers to sort out. If a driver drives off without giving their details, note their rego and call the police.

Step 4: Record what happened

Do this while it is fresh. Take photos of:

• damage to every car involved, close up and from a distance
• the position of the cars on the road
• the other car’s number plate
• skid marks, debris, traffic signals and road signs
• any damage to fences, poles or other property

Then write down the date, time and exact location, the weather, your speed, and anything that contributed, such as a faulty traffic light or a driver on their phone. A quick sketch of how the crash happened helps. Ask any witnesses for their name and phone number.

Step 5: Report the crash to police if required

In Victoria you need to report the crash to the nearest police station if someone was injured and police didn’t attend. You also need to report it if property was damaged and the owner, or police, weren’t there to receive your details.

If nobody was injured and everyone exchanged names and addresses, Victoria Police says it will not normally make a formal report. You may still want a police event number for your insurance claim, so ask your insurer what they need.

Later on, anyone injured or whose property was damaged can apply to Victoria Police for a copy of a traffic accident report, if the crash was reported to police.

Step 6: Call your insurer

Contact your insurer as soon as you can, even if you’re not sure you’ll claim. They will want the other driver’s details, your photos and your notes.

What to do after a car accident that wasn’t your fault

Give your insurer the other driver’s details and tell them you believe the other driver was at fault. Depending on your policy and the circumstances, your insurer may recover costs from the other party, and you may not have to pay your excess. You can also claim directly against the other driver’s insurer. Either way, keep every receipt, including towing and car hire.

Injuries and CTP

In Victoria, Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance is included in your registration. It covers the owner of a registered vehicle for injury or death caused by that vehicle to another person. Injury claims in Victoria are handled by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), so if someone was hurt, contact the TAC to find out what support is available.

Step 7: Decide what happens to the car

Don’t drive the car if the steering, brakes or lights aren’t working properly, if fluid is leaking, or if damaged panels are rubbing a wheel. Get it towed. Your insurer may organise this for you. Take your valuables out before it goes.

Once the assessor has looked at it, you’ll be in one of three positions:

• Repairable and worth fixing. Your insurer arranges the repair, or you get quotes and decide.
• Written off by your insurer. If the repair would cost more than the car is worth, the insurer may write it off and pay you out. The car is then recorded on the register. Our guide to the Written-Off Vehicles Register explains what repairable and statutory write-offs mean.
• Not insured, or not worth claiming. If you don’t have comprehensive cover, or the excess is close to the repair cost, you’ll be weighing up the repair bill against the car’s value. Our guide to working out how much your car is worth helps with that decision.

Selling a car after an accident

A crashed car can sit in a driveway or a panel shop for months while you decide. If the repair doesn’t add up, selling it as-is is often the simplest way out.

Cash For Autos buys accident-damaged cars across Melbourne, including front, rear and side damage, rollovers, and cars written off by insurers. Running or not, registered or unregistered, we’ll give you a quote, pick the car up for free from your home or the repair shop, and pay you on the spot. See cash for accident cars or call 0424 633 535.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to report a minor car accident to police in Victoria?

If no-one was injured and all drivers exchanged names and addresses, Victoria Police won’t normally make a formal report. You must report it if someone was injured and police didn’t attend, or if property was damaged and the owner wasn’t there.

What details should I get after a car accident?

The other driver’s name, address, phone number, rego, insurer and licence number, plus the owner’s details if they’re different. Take photos and get witness contacts too.

What should I do after a car accident that wasn’t my fault?

Collect the other driver’s details and evidence at the scene, then contact your insurer. Depending on your policy, they may recover costs from the at-fault driver, or you can claim through the other driver’s insurer.

Should I drive my car after an accident?

Only if the steering, brakes and lights all work, nothing is leaking and no damaged panels touch the wheels. If in doubt, get it towed.

Can I sell my car after an accident?

Yes. If it has been written off, you must tell any buyer. Car buyers like Cash For Autos buy accident cars as they are and remove them for free.

This guide is general information based on RACV and Victoria Police advice. It isn’t legal advice. In an emergency, always call 000.

Featured image: Image by Gray StudioPro on Freepik