What to Do After a Car Accident in Alberta
If you are involved in a car accident, you must remain at the scene. It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident. You should check to see if you or any passengers have been injured.
• If you collide with another car or other objects such as a fence or traffic sign, be sure to stop and assess the damage.
• If your vehicle is drivable, move it off the road. You should only move your vehicle if it is safe to do so. Moving your vehicle out of the road will help to prevent other accidents.
• If all damage to both parties combined is less than $2,000 and no one is injured, you only need to exchange insurance and other important information (such as names and phone numbers) with the other person involved.
Remember: It doesn’t take much damage these days to add up to $2,000! For example, if an airbag deploys, that’s more than $3,000 right there.
Involving the police:
• You do not always have to call the police. If injuries are minor or the other driver has all the necessary documentation, you should drive to the nearest police station and fill out an accident report.
• Auto-body shops are prohibited by law from repairing a vehicle with more than $2,000 damage without a damage report sticker indicating the collision has been reported.
You are responsible for your car and your actions:
• If you cannot drive your car, you should arrange to have it towed from the scene even if the police attend the accident.
• If the police arrange for the tow, your car will be deemed abandoned even if you are standing right there.
• It is important to remember that if the car or other object that you hit is not attended by its owner, it is your responsibility to find the owner. If that can’t be done, you must affix a note providing all the accident details and where you can be reached.
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