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Injury/collision advice

If you are involved in a collision, the following sources of information may help:

At the time
- If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you [everyone involved] MUST…
  - stop
  - give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the [motor] vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
  - if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours
  (Highway Code rule 286 and Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170)
- If no one was injured and both parties stopped at the scene and exchanged names and addresses there is no requirement to report the accident to the police. Road traffic law has been complied with and the police will not take a report. (see 'Ask The Police')
- However, injuries to cyclists may not be apparent at the time of a collision. You may be agitated, confused or just want to get away quickly from an unpleasant situation, and not realise you have been injured. So at the very minimum make sure you have contact details for the other party and take a note of any registration numbers, what happened etc. Also, bicycle forks are easily bent in a collision and this damage may not be immediately apparent.
- If anyone is injured, the incident must be reported to the police. For minor injuries there may be little that they will do. However, they are obliged to record the incident so that it appears in statistics, and you will need an incident number from the police if any insurance claim is involved.

Road Peace have a helpline.
- Phone 020 8964 1021
- www.roadpeace.org
If you are a member of the Cyclists' Touring Club, you are entitled to Legal Advice.
- Phone 01483 417217
- www.ctc.org.uk
See the following articles in our newsletters, which include the names of some cycle-friendly solicitors and information about no-win no-fee arrangements:
Cycle Aid provides a national free 24-hour telephone help line on
- Phone 0800 387815
- www.cycleaid.co.uk