What to do if you're involved in a collision

Cpl. Roy Kennedy, Grande Prairie RCMP

Alberta continues to experience a healthy dose of winter and unfortunately with that comes winter driving conditions and a number of collisions throughout the city and surrounding area. With that, the RCMP want to take a moment to remind motorists of their duties and legal responsibilities if you are unfortunately involved in a collision.

First and foremost, if you or someone else is injured, if you suspect the other driver has committed a Criminal Code offence; such as impaired driving or there is significant property damage or the vehicles are not drivable you should immediately call 911.


If you, your passengers and the other people involved in the collision are uninjured and your vehicle is drivable please try and move your vehicle to the side of the road when it is safe to do so. If your vehicle is not drivable turn on your hazard lights or use cones or flares to alert other drivers. Only exit your vehicle and be on the roadway if it is safe to do so.

LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

Provincial Legislation in Alberta, under Section 69 of the Traffic Safety Act, sets out your legal responsibilities if you are involved in a collision. These include:

-Remaining at, or immediately returning to the scene of the collision
-Providing all reasonable assistance and
-Produce in writing to anyone sustaining loss or injury, to any police officer and to any witnesses all of the following information as requested:

• Person's name and address
• The number of the person's operator's (driver's) licence
• The name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle
• The licence plate of the vehicle
• The financial responsibility card issued to the vehicle involved in the collision (proof of valid insurance)

If a person refuses to provide you with any of this information, immediately call police, explain the situation and ask that the police attend. Failing to obtain this information, or failing to call the police when this information is not provided could make it difficult for police to conduct a their investigation. Consequently, a person directly involved in a collision, failing to provide or exchange the above information could result in penalties that range as high as $2000 or six months in prison or both.

Furthermore, without the above information being exchanged it makes it difficult for your insurance company to process with your claim. It could result in a delay in your claim, or you having to pay a deductible for collision that might not have been your fault and in a worse case scenario an increase in your insurance rates.