After a collision, focus first on safety and medical help, then on the legal and insurance steps. Stop, assess injuries, secure the scene, exchange details, record evidence, report the accident and notify your insurer. A calm, methodical response can protect people and preserve important claim information.
Official SAnews road-safety data recorded 1,427 fatalities from 1,172 fatal crashes during the 2025/26 festive campaign. Knowing the correct post-accident steps is practical preparation, not pessimism.
A driver involved in a collision must stop. Switch on the hazard lights, turn off the ignition and check for immediate danger from traffic, fire or leaking fuel. Do not leave before completing the required safety, information and reporting steps, unless emergency treatment makes that impossible.
Check yourself, passengers and other road users. Call emergency services for injuries, danger or an obstructed road. South African government emergency guidance lists 112 from a cellphone, 10111 for police emergencies and 10177 for ambulance services. Do not move a seriously injured person unless leaving them creates a greater immediate danger.
Be factual and cooperative, but do not argue, speculate about the cause or accept blame at the roadside. Do not agree to an informal cash settlement before the damage, injuries and policy implications are known. Liability may depend on evidence gathered later.
Record each driver's full name, contact details and address; the vehicle owner's details; registration number; vehicle make and model; and driver's-licence information. Ask for insurer and policy details where available. Collect witness names and contact details without pressuring anyone to give a statement.
If it is safe, photograph vehicle positions, damage, number plates, the wider road layout, traffic signs, lane markings, debris, skid marks, weather and visibility. Capture several angles and note the time and location. Preserve dashcam footage before it is overwritten.
If nobody is seriously injured and a vehicle can be driven safely, move it out of danger after recording its position. If there is a serious injury, fatality, fire risk or uncertainty about scene safety, follow the instructions of emergency personnel or police and disturb the scene only when necessary to prevent further harm.
SAPS guidance on section 61 says that, if the accident was not reported to an officer at the scene, it must be reported as soon as reasonably practicable. Where someone was killed or injured, report within 24 hours; for a property-only accident, report no later than the first working day. Keep the accident-report or case reference supplied.
Report the incident within the timeframe in your policy, even if you are undecided about claiming. Provide a factual description, photos, driver and witness details, and the police reference if required. MiWay's claims guidance advises clients to upload scene and damage images and not to authorise repairs before receiving written approval.
Contact your insurer or roadside-assistance provider before accepting a tow where possible. Confirm who authorised it, the destination, storage arrangements and possible charges. Record the operator and vehicle details, read every document and keep a copy. Do not sign blank or incomplete forms.
Store photographs, video, witness details, the police reference, towing documents, medical records, repair information, claim numbers and insurer correspondence together. Write a short factual account while events are fresh, including the date, time, location, direction of travel and road conditions.
Do not chase a fleeing vehicle. Note its registration, make, colour and direction; collect images and witness details; then report it to SAPS and your insurer. If the driver is uninsured, comprehensive cover may respond to insured damage subject to the policy, while recovery is handled separately.
Avoid leaving without details, admitting liability, accepting roadside cash, relying on one close-up photo, using an unconfirmed tow, repairing the vehicle without insurer approval or missing reporting deadlines. Also avoid posting accusations or sensitive accident information on social media.
Treat the scene as a safety event first and an evidence task second. Record who was involved, vehicle positions, the road environment and authorities contacted. Accuracy matters more than assigning blame at the roadside.
After an accident, stop, protect life, document the scene, exchange details, report it and contact your insurer. Review emergency support before the next journey or request a car insurance quote. Applicable benefits and requirements are in the policy wording and coversheet.
Stop, switch on the hazard lights, check for injuries and call emergency services when needed. Then exchange details, photograph the scene, report the accident and notify your insurer.
Dial 112 from a cellphone for an emergency, 10111 for a police emergency or 10177 for ambulance services. Give the location, hazards, injuries and number of people involved.
If nobody is seriously injured and the vehicle can be moved safely, photograph its position first and move it out of danger. Follow emergency or police instructions in a serious collision
If no officer took the report at the scene, SAPS says report as soon as reasonably practicable: within 24 hours for injury or death, and by the first working day for property-only damage.
Collect the driver and vehicle owner's names, contact details and addresses, registration number, vehicle details, driver's-licence information and insurer details where available.
Capture vehicle positions and damage, number plates, the wider road layout, signs, markings, debris, weather and visibility from several angles. Save dashcam footage as soon as possible.
No. Be factual and cooperative, but do not speculate, argue or accept liability. The cause and legal responsibility may depend on evidence assessed later.
Do not chase the vehicle. Record its registration, make, colour and direction, collect witness details and images, and report the incident promptly to SAPS and your insurer.
Confirm towing with your insurer or assistance provider where possible. Check the authorisation, destination, storage and charges, and never sign a blank or incomplete form.
Notify the insurer as soon as possible and within the policy deadline. Provide accurate details and do not authorise repairs until the insurer confirms the next steps.
