Car accident in Cairns

The first few minutes matter more than anything that follows. Get everyone out of the traffic, check whether anybody is hurt, and call Triple Zero if there is any doubt about that — an ambulance you did not need is a much smaller problem than the reverse.

Once people are safe, the job is evidence. Photographs of where the vehicles ended up, before anything is moved, are worth more than any account written afterwards, because they cannot be argued with. The other driver’s name, registration and insurer are the details people most often leave without, and the ones that are hardest to get later.

Queensland runs its own compulsory third party scheme with its own deadlines and its own regulator, and they genuinely differ between states — what applies in Queensland is not what applies across the border. The Queensland guide sets out the scheme, the reporting rules and the time limits, with links to the primary sources rather than our summary of them.

Compulsory third party cover in Queensland

Queensland CTP insurance covers personal injury arising from a motor vehicle accident. The scheme is regulated by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), and CTP is selected from licensed insurers when you register your vehicle.

Reporting the accident in Queensland

The Queensland Police Service sets out when a traffic crash must be reported and how to do it. Reporting obligations depend on the circumstances — including injury, a driver failing to exchange details, or a vehicle needing to be towed.

Queensland scheme and reporting detail last reviewed 10 September 2026. The full Queensland guide carries the primary sources.

If your car cannot be driven, the tow is the decision with money attached. Read the authority to tow before signing it: it says where the vehicle is going and what you are being charged, and a holding yard you did not choose accrues storage daily. Where the car is repaired is a separate decision and usually yours to make.