Accident Guide in Washington

Precautions to Follow After an Accident

If you're involved in a car accident, there are certain procedures to follow, contingent, of course, on the extent of the collision.

• Don't flee. Gather your wits and assess. Try to move your vehicle from the road. This helps prevent another accident and allows emergency vehicles easier access.

• Stay to the side of the road. You were already involved in one accident, you don't need another.

• Turn the engine off, if it's still running.

• Avoid all urges to smoke. Spilled fuel combined with a discarded match makes for a volatile situation.

• If you collided with a telephone pole be alert to the possibility of downed electrical wires.

• Try to alert approaching traffic. Flares work best.

• If you slammed into an unoccupied vehicle, try to locate the owner. If unsuccessful, leave a note. But just don't write "sorry." Include your name and contact information. Then report it to the local authorities, so if the note blows away, you won't be charged with a hit-and-run.

• Exchange information with all involved drivers. Be sure to get name, address, phone number, license number, and insurance information.

• Get names and numbers of witnesses.

• If you're carrying a camera, snap photos of damage to all involved vehicles. This will help in the event of an insurance claims dispute.

• Regardless of how many ER episodes you watched on NBC, do not attempt to move the injured. Removing a person from a burning vehicle or other imminent danger is the lone exception.

When to File a Collision Report

If law enforcement investigates your accident, you are not required to file a collision report. Otherwise, you MUST file a report within four days of the accident. Get a blank accident report from your local police department, sheriff's office, or the Washington State Patrol.

Collision Report Information on Your Driving Record

The Division of Licensing (DOL) will add a collision report to your driving record only if the accident involved injury or topped the $700 mark in damages.

No fault or cause of accident will be listed to your record. Instead the DOL will add: date of accident, number of vehicles involved and whether they were moving or parked or had occupants, and whether any injuries or deaths resulted from the accident.

To request a glimpse at what accident information has been added to your record, mail a letter containing your name, date of birth, and collision date to:

• Accident Processing Unit

• Department of Licensing

• P.O. Box 9030

• Olympia, Washington 98507-9030

Requesting Another Driver's Insurance Information

If your accident resulted in personal injury or over $700 damages, you can request insurance information on the other driver or drivers. Send a request with the name of the other driver or vehicle owner, collision date, the birthday, if known, of the other driver, the collision report number, and a check for $10 to:

• Accident Processing Unit

• Department of Licensing

• PO Box 3907

• Olympia, Washington 98507-9048

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