Regardless of how a lot you prep and plan in your Europe highway journey, generally, accidents do occur.
If you happen to’re unfortunate sufficient to be concerned in a automotive crash/ motorhome crash/ highway visitors accident in Europe, right here’s what you must know and do.
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Automobile Accidents and Street Visitors Accidents- which regulation?
It doesn’t matter what nationality you’re or the place the automobile is registered OR the place you reside, usually the foundations are the foundations within the nation the accident occurs in. So, if the automotive accident occurs in France, you may be underneath French regulation.
Nonetheless, very sometimes and topic to a number of different situations, if two automobiles each registered within the UK crashed collectively in France, they could fall underneath UK regulation.
Planning to take your motorhome to Europe?
What to do on the scene of a automotive accident in Europe
If you’re concerned in a automotive accident in Europe or see one happening, right here’s what to do:
- Cease your automobile instantly however safely- out of the circulation of visitors if attainable. Do NOT depart the scene.
- Keep calm- now isn’t the time to panic.
- Test to ensure everybody in your automobile is okay earlier than going to verify on others.
- Earlier than leaving your automobile, put in your Hello-vis reflective jackets (obligatory in most European nations, advisable in the remainder)
- If a automobile is obstructing the highway, use hazard lights and put the purple warning triangle 30 metres from the scene to warn approaching visitors. You also needs to do that when you’ve got damaged down.
- For Spain – the alternative of the purple warning triangle to the V16 beacon from 1 JAN 2026 BUT because the begin of 2023 the usage of V-16 emergency warning beacons on automobiles in Spain has been permitted by Spain’s visitors authority.
- If by a busy highway, occupants of the automobile is likely to be safer leaving the automobile and sitting nicely behind the crash barrier. Be sure they’re all carrying a Hello-vis reflective jackets
- Alternate your particulars with the opposite concerned events and witnesses. That is typically in your inexperienced card. Remember to get:
- Title and handle of all of the individuals concerned within the accident. Getting a enterprise card is likely to be a good suggestion.
- Car registration numbers of all events
- Insurance coverage firm particulars of all events
- Take images of harm utilizing a digicam, GoPro or telephone
Then do one of many two choices under.
Minor Street Visitors Accidents
If the accident isn’t very severe and no-one is injured then observe these steps:
- Full and signal the European Accident Assertion kind (see under for extra particulars). Watch out- this manner is a authorized doc and could also be used as proof. If events disagree and the shape can’t be signed, the Police could also be concerned. Don’t signal if you’re uncertain or disagree with what the opposite events have written.
- The shape is standardised, so full it in your native language and the opposite events will do the identical.
- The names, addresses and get in touch with particulars of any witnesses needs to be recorded, in addition to the details of the accident
Then ship the whole declare kind to your insurance coverage firm; Some nations have a deadline for this; others don’t.
New to motorhome or camper journey in Europe? You may discover these posts useful:
See all our Europe motorhoming posts right here
NEED GEAR? If you happen to want any package or necessities for motorhoming in Europe, right here’s what we advocate and the place to search out it
Extreme accidents or these involving harm or demise
Within the occasion of a automotive crash or highway visitors accident the place somebody is injured or killed:
- Contact the police or ambulance: 112 for all of Europe
- The police will arrive and are then accountable for reporting the details. They may ask for statements from all events, together with witnesses. They may even take contact and registration particulars, though you need to nonetheless alternate these when you can.
- If the police don’t or can not attend the scene, you will need to get names, particulars and addresses of all related events and witnesses. The European declare kind could also be used and signed by all BUT provided that you perceive and agree. Keep in mind, the opposite events could be writing in a overseas language, which is completely superb.
- Taking images or drawing a sketch of the scene is advisable
If the social gathering answerable for the injury is uninsured or unknown, contact the Police and likewise your insurer for additional steering.
IMPORTANT: Leaving the scene of an accident with out offering your data is taken into account an offence and you may be prosecuted. This is applicable even if you’re a customer to the nation and don’t converse the language- keep on the scene till you’re informed you possibly can go by the Police or till the opposite events depart.
Street Visitors Accident- European Declare Kind/ Accident Assertion
Your insurance coverage firm ought to give you a European Declare kind/ European Accident Assertion earlier than you go. If not, ensure you ask them to ship one (and likewise ensure you are insured for travelling in Europe!)
Within the occasion of an accident, all events ought to full and signal the shape on the scene after which ship a replica to your insurer for evaluation. It’s best to be capable of get one which is bi-lingual, normally English and French.
NOTE: You can’t pressure one other social gathering to signal the shape if they’re unwilling. Additionally, you need to by no means signal it your self when you disagree or don’t perceive what has been stated. You’ll not be in bother for not signing, however when you signal after which disagree, you might be incorrectly held accountable.
If you happen to do select to signal, make sure you precisely depend the variety of containers ticked, in an effort to tally up on the finish (this prevents different events marking containers in your title after the occasion.)
Learn via the Accident Assertion fastidiously earlier than finishing the center column. That is the place you choose the containers which reveals accountability for the accident.
If you’re concerned in a automotive crash or incident involving a number of events or automobile, full an Accident assertion for every social gathering (one per automobile or pedestrian.)
I hope you by no means want the knowledge on this submit, however higher to have an concept of what to do then not!
