The first twenty minutes after a collision

Stop, and make the scene visible

You are legally required to stop. Switch the engine off, put the hazards on, and if you have a warning triangle and it is safe to place it, put it well back from the scene. On a motorway, do not attempt to place anything — get behind the barrier instead.

Check for injuries, then call 999 if needed

Anyone hurt, the road blocked, or a suspicion that the other driver is uninsured, unlicensed or has left the scene — that is a 999 or 101 call. Do not move an injured person unless leaving them puts them in more danger.

Exchange the details you are obliged to

Name, address, and the vehicle's registration, for every driver involved. If you are not the owner of the vehicle, the owner's details too. If nobody is present to give details to, report it to the police within twenty-four hours.

• Full name and address of each driver
• Registration of every vehicle involved
• Insurer and policy number if they will give it
• Names and numbers of any independent witnesses

Photograph more than you think you need

Wide shots showing both vehicles and their positions, close-ups of every area of damage, the other vehicle's plate, the road layout, any skid marks, and the road signs or signals. Photos taken before the vehicles move are worth far more than anything reconstructed afterwards.

Then sort the recovery

Once people are safe and the details are exchanged, the vehicle needs to go somewhere. Tell us whether it rolls and steers, whether the wheels are pointing the way they should, and whether it is blocking the road — that determines whether we bring a winch and skates. We will clear the debris while we are there.

• Whether the vehicle rolls and steers
• Whether it is blocking a live lane
• Where it needs to go: bodyshop, insurer's repairer, or storage
• Whether you need it held while the claim is opened