On Jan. 1 Alberta drivers can worry just a little bit less when they damage their vehicles.
That’s because the damage threshold for reporting vehicle accidents to the police has been raised to $5,000 worth of damage from $2,000. But there are still many circumstances in which car accidents must be reported.
Most of the necessary checks and steps post-accident remain the same, according to an RCMP press release.
Check yourself and your passengers for injuries, call 911 if someone needs medical help and call the RCMP if your vehicle is undriveable and blocking traffic.
If an ambulance is not required, take a picture of the vehicles. Then, if they are driveable, move them out of the roadway to a safe location. Ensure the other driver knows to meet you there.
Once parked in a safe location, take a picture or record the other driver’s license, registration and insurance. Ensure the other driver takes a picture of your documents as well, and exchange phone numbers. At this point, you are free to leave without reaching out to police.
Next, contact your insurance company about the collision. They can advise you on where to take your vehicle, how to get there and how to obtain damage estimates.
Here’s the change:
If the combined damage on both vehicles exceeds $5,000, then you must report the accident to the police.
If it’s under $5,000, you don’t have to call the police.
The only other circumstances in which the police must be contacted are if someone is injured, if either driver fails to exchange information or if one driver leaves the scene before exchanging information (a hit and run).
