The In-Accident Checklist, What to Record at the Scene (and How Revn's Accident Helper Does It For You)

Most drivers will be involved in a road traffic accident at some point. The shock, the adrenaline, and the worry about the other driver, your passengers, and your car all hit at once, and that's exactly when memory fails. Insurers, police, and solicitors all rely on the details you record in those first 30 minutes. Get them right and a claim is straightforward. Miss them and a clear-cut case can drag on for months, or cost you your no-claims bonus.

Here's the in-accident checklist every UK driver should know, and how Revn's Accident Helper turns it into a guided, timestamped record on your phone.

First 60 seconds, safety

• Stop. By law (Section 170, Road Traffic Act 1988) you must stop after any accident involving injury, another vehicle, an animal, or property damage.
• Switch on your hazards and, if it's dark or poor visibility, leave sidelights on.
• Check for injuries, yourself, passengers, the other driver, pedestrians. Call 999 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked.
• Don't admit fault. Even an apology can be used against you. Stick to facts.

The information you must exchange

Under UK law you must give your name, address, and vehicle registration to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask. In practice, you also need:

• Other driver's full name, address, and phone number
• Their insurance company and policy number
• The vehicle make, model, colour, and registration
• Whether they're the registered keeper, if not, get the keeper's details too
• Names and contact details of any passengers in either car
• Names and numbers of independent witnesses, these are gold in a disputed claim

The scene, what to capture

• Date, time, and exact location (a what3words address or pinned map location is ideal)
• Weather, light, and road conditions
• Direction of travel for both vehicles
• Speed estimates, yours and theirs
• Photos: wide shots showing both cars in position, close-ups of damage, road markings, signage, skid marks, debris, and any relevant traffic lights or signals
• Dash cam footage, save it immediately; many cameras overwrite within hours
• Police reference number if officers attend

Key contacts to have ready before you need them

• Your insurer's claims line (not the sales number)
• Your policy and registration number
• Breakdown / recovery provider and membership number
• 101 for non-emergency police, 999 for emergencies
• Your GP or NHS 111 if you've been shaken or hit your head

Most insurers now require notification within 24-48 hours, even if you don't intend to claim. Failing to report can void cover for any later third-party claim.

How Revn's Accident Helper works

The Accident Helper is a guided checklist built into the Revn app for exactly these moments, when your hands are shaking and you can't remember what to ask. It does four things:

1. Walks you through the scene step-by-step. Safety first, then the information you need to exchange, then the photos to take. Nothing missed because of stress.
2. Auto-fills what it already knows. Your reg, make, model, insurer, policy number, and breakdown provider are pulled straight from your vehicle profile, no fumbling for documents at the roadside.
3. Captures everything with timestamps and GPS. Photos, the other driver's details, witness contacts, and your own notes are all recorded with the exact time and location of the incident, admissible evidence if liability is ever disputed.
4. Pulls up your key contacts in one tap. Insurer claims line, recovery provider, 101, and 999 are right there on the screen, no hunting through saved numbers.

When you get home, the whole record is saved against your vehicle alongside your service history and insurance documents. If you need to claim, you can email the entire pack to your insurer in seconds.

After you leave the scene

• Notify your insurer within 24 hours, even for a no-fault, no-claim incident.
• Don't accept a courtesy car or repair from the other party's insurer without first speaking to your own, third-party "claims management" calls are usually not in your interest.
• Keep a written record of every conversation, including dates, times, names, and reference numbers.
• Watch for delayed injury. Whiplash and soft-tissue pain can take 24-72 hours to surface. See a GP and document it.

Why this matters more than people think

The Association of British Insurers reports that disputed liability claims take an average of 4× longer to settle than uncontested ones, and the deciding factor is almost always the quality of evidence captured at the scene. A good photo of vehicle positions, an independent witness number, and a clear timeline can be the difference between a clean no-fault settlement and a 50/50 split that costs your no-claims bonus.

You won't think clearly at the scene of an accident. The whole point of a checklist, and a guided helper on your phone, is that you don't have to.

This article is general information for UK drivers and isn't legal advice. For specific claims, speak to your insurer or a solicitor.