Car accident in Melbourne

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.

Victoria runs its own compulsory third party scheme with its own deadlines and its own regulator, and they genuinely differ between states — what applies in Victoria is not what applies across the border. The Victoria 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 Victoria

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) administers Victoria's transport accident scheme, funded through a charge collected with vehicle registration. It covers treatment and support for people injured in transport accidents, and it operates differently from CTP schemes in other states.

Reporting the accident in Victoria

Victoria Police publish when a collision must be reported. Requirements generally turn on injury, failure to exchange details, or property damage where the owner cannot be located.

Victoria scheme and reporting detail last reviewed 10 September 2026. The full Victoria 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.