Car Accident Evidence Checklist: Details to Collect Safely

Driver, owner and insurance details

• Driver’s full name and address.
• Vehicle registration, make, model and colour.
• Owner’s name and address if different.
• Insurer and policy details, especially if anyone is injured.
• A contact number or email where voluntarily provided.

Photograph a document only with permission and avoid collecting information you do not need.

Photographs that show context

Start wide: vehicle positions, junction, lanes, road markings, signs, signals and sight lines. Then capture each vehicle and close-ups of damage. Photograph debris or fluid only from a safe location. Retain original files and metadata.

Witnesses and your own account

Ask independent witnesses for contact details and let them describe what they saw in their own words. Record where they were positioned. Write your own factual account separately, noting what you directly observed and what someone else told you.

Digital, police and recovery records

• Save dashcam and vehicle-camera files before overwrite.
• Export relevant telematics without altering originals.
• Keep police incident or crime references.
• Record recovery company, job number and destination.
• Log insurer, repairer and claims-handler references.

Store and share evidence safely

Keep an unedited master copy and a backup. Share through the secure channel identified by the insurer, police or provider. Accident evidence can contain personal data; do not post number plates, faces, medical details or accusations on social media.

Printable short checklist