What to Do After a Car Accident in Greater Manchester

Road accidents happen every day across Greater Manchester's road network. Whether on the M60, a suburban residential street, or in a city centre car park, the immediate aftermath is stressful and the correct sequence of actions is not always obvious. Here is a clear, prioritised checklist.

Immediate Priority: Safety First

1. 1
   Switch on your hazard lights immediately — even if the collision seems minor.
2. 2
   Check yourself and your passengers for injuries before trying to assess the vehicle damage.
3. 3
   If anyone is injured, call 999 immediately. Do not move injured persons unless they are in immediate danger.
4. 4
   If the vehicles can be moved safely and are blocking traffic, move them to the side of the road — but only if it is safe to do so.
5. 5
   Set up any warning signals — if safe to do so on non-motorway roads, a warning triangle placed at least 45 metres behind the incident.

Legal Requirements After an Accident

UK law requires you to stop at the scene, exchange insurance details with any other party involved, and report the accident to the police within 24 hours if injury has occurred or details were not exchanged at the scene. You must provide your name, address, vehicle registration, and insurance details to any other driver involved, to any injured person, and to any police officer who requests them. Failure to stop and exchange details is a criminal offence.

What to Document at the Scene

• Photograph all vehicles involved from multiple angles before they are moved.
• Photograph the road conditions, weather, any road markings, and any skid marks.
• Note the exact location — road name, junction reference, or postcode if possible.
• Record the other driver's name, address, vehicle registration, insurer, and policy number.
• Note the names and badge numbers of any police officers who attend.
• Take contact details from any independent witnesses.

Once the immediate scene is managed and any injured parties attended to, call your insurer to report the accident and request recovery if your vehicle is not drivable. Greater Tow Services can be called directly if you need a recovery and your insurer has given authorisation or you prefer to self-arrange.