What causes road accidents?
Road accidents are very common and can have devastating impacts on those involved. According to the latest report from the Department for Transport, in 2021/22 there were 137,013 reported road accident casualties in the UK.
But road traffic accidents don't just affect car drivers. Pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists are some of the most vulnerable road users due to the lack of protection from other vehicles.
Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, but being aware of the main causes can help you take care when driving to reduce the risk of one happening. Below, we've listed some common causes:
- Speeding and reckless driving
- Using a mobile phone while driving
- Drunk or drug driving
- Poor weather conditions
- Poorly maintained road surfaces
- Driving while tired
- Distractions such as eating, smoking, and listening to loud music
What to do following a road accident
If you're ever unlucky enough to be caught up in such an incident, you can rely on our road traffic accident advice. Here is what you should do following a collision.
Always stop
If you've been involved in a road accident, under the Road Traffic Act 1988, it's illegal not to stop if people are injured, an animal has been hit, or someone else's property has been damaged.
It's a criminal offence if you don't stop, even if the accident wasn't your fault. If you don't stop, you could face criminal charges. These range from a fine to penalty points or even a prison sentence.
If the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident doesn't stop or tries to leave the scene, then you should call the police to report this.
Straight after being involved in a road accident, it's very important to check whether everyone involved is okay. If anybody is injured and needs immediate medical attention, call an ambulance.
Unless you're completely sure you're okay, you should see a doctor or visit a hospital to check your injuries and get treatment.
It's also common to suffer from shock after a car accident. This can make you think you're okay when you may be injured. Shock can also take a while to settle in, so it may be that you experience it once you've got home or even while driving.
We recommend taking extra care if you've been involved in even a minor accident. If you can, get somebody to pick you and your car up to avoid delayed shock affecting your journey home.
It's a completely natural reaction to feel the need to apologise after being involved in a car accident, but doing so could affect your insurance and compensation claims so it's best not to admit fault at this stage.
Exchange details
We realise that it may not always be possible for you to exchange details at the scene of an accident, especially if you've been injured or your accident was serious. Your priority should always be making sure you're okay.
We also know that it can be difficult to remember what details to note down. If you're able to, you should try to make a note of the following information about the other driver:
- Name, address, telephone number
- Name of their insurance company and policy number
- Their car registration number
If there were any witnesses, it's a good idea to ask for their contact details so that you can get their account of what happened later on. This will help with your car accident claim.
For the same reason, you should take the name, address and telephone number of anyone else involved in the accident, including passengers.
If you weren't able to give your details to anybody at the scene of the accident, or you can't get in contact with the owner of the damaged property, you should report your accident to the police within 24 hours.
It's also important to tell your motor insurance company that you've had an accident as soon as possible.
Gather information to help with your car accident claim
Fussing around gathering information when you've just been involved in an accident is probably the last thing you feel like doing. But if you're able to get as much information as possible, this can make things easier later on.
The shock of a road accident can mean it's very easy to forget the details of a road accident after it's happened, so it's important that you make some notes while the memory is still fresh in your mind -- this could help when it comes to making a claim.
If you can, once you've taken the details of everyone involved in the car crash, our advice is to gather the following information:
- Weather conditions - had rain caused the road to become slippery and wet?
- Details of the other vehicle involved - make, model, colour, condition, number of passengers
- Photographs - of the damage, the vehicles involved and the site of the crash in general
- Time and date of the accident
- What direction the vehicles were travelling in - it can be useful to draw a quick sketch of what happened
How to help someone after a car accident
If a loved one has recently been involved in a car accident, you might be wondering how you can support them throughout the process.
Even if they aren't seriously injured, a little support and compassion goes a long way. Ways you can help someone after a car crash include:
- Listen - If someone you love has been in a road traffic accident, they might be feeling alone and upset. By inviting them to talk openly about their accident, you can give your loved one the space and time to express their emotions.
- Help them with daily activities - If someone is suffering from whiplash, broken bones or psychological trauma, daily chores can be difficult. If tasks like cooking, walking the dog, putting a wash on or cleaning become burdensome, you can help your loved one recover by offering to take on some of these.
- Act as the designated driver - Following a collision, many people feel apprehensive about driving again. In some cases, they won't have a vehicle following the accident. Where you can, offer to take them out to run errands or get a change of scenery.
- Help them access car accident claims advice - If someone you know has been in an accident that wasn't their fault, you should encourage them to get car crash advice. Although making a claim is normally one of the last things they want to do, it can go a long way towards compensating them for their suffering.
If a loved one has been in a serious car accident and is unable to make a car accident claim themselves, you can help them by bringing a claim on their behalf.
Whoever you speak to on our car accident advice helpline has been specially trained to discuss claims with those who want to support a loved one following an accident. If you think a loved one might have grounds for a claim or you'd like impartial car accident help and advice, call us for free on to find out whether you might be able to bring a case on their behalf.
When to seek legal advice after a road traffic accident
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, it's important to seek car crash legal advice as soon as possible. Whether you're seriously injured or not, road traffic accident advice will give your claim the best chance of success, should you go ahead. This is because there are strict time limits regarding when you can bring a claim.
If you've been involved in a car accident, speak to our claims advice helpline as soon as possible. Call us for free on [medtel] to speak with one of our advisors. They'll listen to what happened to you and put you in touch with a car accident claim solicitor.
Should I make a road accident claim?
If you or a loved one was injured in the accident, we know how much of an impact this can have on your life. Recovering after a road accident can be emotionally and physically painful.
Your injury may also have had an impact on your finances, as you may have lost earnings due to taking time off work, or you might have had to pay for expensive private medical treatment such as physiotherapy.
We're here to help you. We have years_since years' experience in helping people make personal injury claims.We've seen how compensation can help to take away the financial pressure so that youand allow you to can focus on your recovery.
Generally speaking, you may be able to make a claim if:
- Your accident happened within the last three years
- You or a loved one was injured in the accident
- The accident was someone else's fault
The easiest way to find out whether you can make a claim is to get in touch with our personal injury advisors on for free. Alternatively, you can fill in our short form below to arrange a call back.
You can also try our claim checker. It will ask some simple questions and let you know whether you might have a claim, without the need to get in contact with us before you're ready.
Read more about making a road accident claim.
How to tell who's at fault for a road accident
We know it can be very difficult to tell who's at fault for your road accident. The insurance companies will make the final decision as to who caused the accident, but there are a few ways you can tell earlier on.
If the other driver has broken the law in any way, they'll likely be found to be at fault - for example, if they drove through red lights or broke the speed limit.
On the other hand, if you hit another driver from behind, the accident is more likely to be your fault. This is because Rule 126 of the Highway Code states that you should leave enough space between you and the car in front (a two-second gap) so you can stop safely in an emergency.
To avoid problems further down the line, it's best to avoid making an apology after an accident. Although this isn't always the same as accepting blame, it might be used against you by the other party's insurance company.
If you're not sure whether you could make a claim, call our car accident advice helpline. Our team will listen to what's happened and put you in touch with an experienced road traffic accident solicitor for advice.