What information to get after a car accident

The details that actually matter

Insurers work backwards from identity. A registration number tells them which vehicle; a name and licence number tells them who was driving it. Claims stall most often because one of the two is missing.

• Full legal name — as it appears on the licence, not a nickname
• Mobile number, checked by calling it while you are both standing there
• Residential address
• Driver licence number and issuing state or territory
• Vehicle registration number and state
• Make, model, colour and rough year of the vehicle
• Insurer name and policy number if they have it to hand
• Whether they are the registered owner, and if not, who is

Only collect what is relevant

What to record about the accident itself

• Date and the time as exactly as you can
• Street name, nearest cross street or intersection, and the suburb
• Which direction each vehicle was travelling
• Which lane each vehicle was in
• The speed limit, and roughly how fast you were going
• Weather, light and road surface conditions
• Whether any traffic signal, sign or roadwork was involved
• What was said at the scene by either driver

If they will not give you their details

Do not escalate a roadside argument. Step back, photograph the registration plate and the vehicle from a safe distance, note the time, place and direction they left in, and look for witnesses or nearby cameras — service stations, shops, buses and other drivers' dashcams.

Then report it to police and tell your insurer. A driver who leaves without exchanging details is treated differently from one who simply disputes fault.