The PCO Driver's Accident-Scene Checklist

What you do in the ten minutes after an accident decides how your claim goes for the next six months.

This is the checklist we wish every PCO driver had taped to their dashboard. Save it, screenshot it, share it with your driver groups.

Before You Get Out

• Hazard lights on ✓ Engine off if safe to do so ✓ Check yourself for injury before checking the car ✓ If injured, call 999 - don't move ✓ If your passenger is in the car (Uber/Bolt rider), check on them

The First Two Minutes

• Get to a safe spot if traffic is moving ✓ Don't argue with the other driver ✓ Don't say "sorry" - it can be used as an admission ✓ Don't agree to "settle privately" without details ✓ Stay calm, stay professional - your dash cam may be recording

Information to Get From the Other Driver

• Full name (check against ID if possible) ✓ Phone number ✓ Address ✓ Vehicle registration ✓ Vehicle make, model, colour ✓ Insurance company name and policy number ✓ Driving licence number (ask, but they don't have to give it)

If they refuse to give details, photograph their registration plate and call the police on 101.

Photos to Take

• Damage to your vehicle (every angle) ✓ Damage to their vehicle (every angle) ✓ Both registration plates clearly ✓ Wider scene - show road layout, lane markings, signs ✓ Skid marks or debris on the road ✓ Traffic signals or signs relevant to who had right of way ✓ The other driver's face (only if they consent) ✓ Weather and lighting conditions

Use your phone's video too - a 30-second walk-around video captures more than stills.

Witnesses

• Get name and phone number from anyone who saw it ✓ Ask if they'll provide a written statement later ✓ Note down vehicles that drove past - their dash cams may have recorded it

Even a single independent witness can resolve a disputed liability case in your favour.

Police: When to Call

Call 999 if:

• Anyone is injured - The road is blocked - The other driver is aggressive or impaired - The other driver leaves the scene

Call 101 (within 24 hours) if:

• Nobody is injured but property damage is significant - The other driver refuses to give details - You suspect the other driver was uninsured

Get a crime reference number - you'll need it for any MIB or insurance claim.

Your Rideshare Passenger

If you had an Uber or Bolt passenger:

• End the trip in the app at your current location ✓ Mark "accident" as the reason if the option appears ✓ Get their phone number directly - the apps anonymise it after the trip ends ✓ Photograph their seating position if they're injured ✓ Don't dismiss them or send them on their way without details

The passenger's account of the accident matters for your claim.

Before You Leave the Scene

• Confirm the other driver has your details too (you're legally required) ✓ Check the car is safe to drive - fluid leaks, tyre damage, lights working ✓ If not driveable, call us for recovery - don't drive a damaged vehicle ✓ Make a voice memo of what happened while it's fresh ✓ Don't post about it on social media

Within 24 Hours

• Call us (we open 24/7, average answer time 2 minutes) ✓ Notify your insurer ✓ Save dash cam footage - many cameras overwrite within days ✓ Write down a detailed account of what happened ✓ Update your availability on Uber/Bolt if the car is off the road

What to Avoid

• Driving away if you've hit a parked car without leaving a note (this is a criminal offence) - Accepting cash to "not claim" - once you've signed nothing, you give up your right to claim later - Posting photos of damage publicly before the claim is filed - Letting the other driver lead the conversation

Save This

Screenshot this page. Email it to yourself. Pin it in your driver WhatsApp group. The drivers who do well after an accident aren't the ones with luck - they're the ones who knew what to do in the first ten minutes.

**Need us at the scene?** Call 0208 090 8872. We'll guide you through the rest.