After a bump: what you're actually required to do
A car accident is stressful enough without also getting the paperwork wrong. Here's what Scottish and UK law genuinely requires — not what feels like it should be the rule — with a source linked for every claim, so you can check it yourself.
None of this is legal advice — it's our own research into publicly available guidance, written up because we get asked about it often enough that it seemed worth doing properly. If you're dealing with a genuine dispute or a significant claim, a solicitor or your insurer is who should advise on your specific situation.
Stopping and exchanging details
Under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, if an accident causes injury to anyone else, damage to another vehicle, or damage to certain animals or roadside property, the driver has to stop and — if anyone with reasonable grounds asks — give their name, address and vehicle registration number. If anyone's been injured, you also need to show your insurance details.
This applies right across Great Britain, Scotland included — it isn't something that varies north or south of the border.
Reporting to the police — the 24-hour rule
If you couldn't exchange details at the scene — the other driver left, or there was nobody around when you clipped a parked car — you're required to report it to the police, in person or by phone, as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case within 24 hours.
Here's a genuinely useful thing to know: that duty isn't based on the cost of the damage. One road traffic solicitor's write-up describes a case where an insurer's call handler told a customer they only needed to report damage over £500 — which simply isn't correct. The duty to report exists because injury or damage happened, not because of what it's likely to cost to put right.
Not reporting when you're required to is a criminal offence, and it applies even if the accident genuinely wasn't your fault.
Telling your own insurer — even if you're not claiming
This one surprises a lot of people: it isn't a criminal law requirement the way reporting to the police is, but nearly every UK motor policy requires you to notify your insurer of any accident, regardless of fault and regardless of whether you intend to claim. Gov.uk is direct about it: you must report the accident to your insurance company, even if you're not planning to make a claim.
The practical way to do this is to tell them it's for information only — that way they have a record of what happened without opening a claim or trying to settle anything with the other driver on your behalf.
Skipping this step is a real risk, not a technicality. The Financial Ombudsman Service notes that even a minor, unclaimed incident typically stays on your insurer's record, and failing to report it can give them grounds to refuse cover later — sometimes for something completely unrelated.
What to collect at the scene
The legal minimum is name, address and vehicle registration — and insurance details if anyone's injured. Beyond that, it costs nothing to also get:
- Photos of both vehicles, the damage, and the wider scene
- The date, time and roughly where it happened
- Contact details for any independent witnesses
- The other driver's insurance details, even if no one was hurt
If you and the other driver are discussing settling privately rather than involving insurers, get that agreement in writing — even a short note signed by both of you stating the amount and that it's full and final settlement is worth far more than a verbal promise if anything changes later.
Accident reporting, answered plainly
Do I have to call the police for a minor bump?
Only if you can't exchange details with the other driver at the scene, or if there's injury, damage to an animal, or damage to something like a fence, sign or wall. If you've swapped names, addresses and registration numbers with the other driver and nobody's hurt, there's no legal requirement to involve the police at all.
Does the 24-hour reporting rule apply even for very minor damage?
Yes, if you weren't able to exchange details at the scene. The duty to report is based on whether injury or damage happened, not how much it's likely to cost — there's no minimum value that exempts you, whatever an insurer's call handler might tell you.
Do I have to tell my insurer if I'm not going to claim?
Yes. Nearly every UK motor policy requires you to report any accident, even a very minor one, even if you don't want to make a claim. Tell them clearly it's for information only so they don't try to settle anything without asking you first.
What actually happens if I don't report an accident to my insurer?
It can give them grounds to treat your policy as void, which usually only comes to light at the worst possible time — when you need to make a genuine claim later and they refuse to cover you, sometimes even for an unrelated incident.
Is any of this different in Scotland compared to England?
No — the driver's legal duty to stop, exchange details and report an accident comes from the Road Traffic Act 1988, which applies the same way across the whole of Great Britain. What differs is how you'd later recover money through the courts if it came to that, since Scotland uses its own Simple Procedure system rather than the small claims court used in England and Wales.
Deciding whether to claim is a separate question
Getting the reporting right is one thing — deciding whether to claim on your insurance, accept a private settlement, or pay for it yourself is a different decision, with its own set of things worth knowing first, including a real risk we see often: hidden damage that doesn't show up until a repair is already under way. Which piece is relevant depends on how the damage happened: