Fleet accidents and claims

After an accident in a fleet vehicle, the driver must stop and, where required, give their details or report the accident to the police. They should then record what happened, take photos and tell the business straight away.

The business should notify its insurer or broker promptly, following the claims procedure set out in the policy. FleetQuote does not handle claims.

If one of your vehicles has just been in an accident, contact your insurer or the broker that arranged your policy using the claims number in your documents. This guide is for preparing your drivers and your business before that call is needed.

What Must A Driver Do By Law After An Accident?

In Great Britain, a driver involved in a reportable accident must stop and, if anyone with reasonable grounds asks, give their name and address, the vehicle owner’s name and address and the registration. Where those details are not given at the scene, the accident must be reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours.

When the duty applies

Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 sets out what a driver must do after an accident on a road or other public place. The duty generally applies where someone other than the driver is injured, where another vehicle or property on or next to the road is damaged, or where certain animals not carried in the vehicle are injured.

The animals listed are horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats and dogs. In those situations, the driver must stop.

Details to give at the scene

If anyone with reasonable grounds asks, the driver must give their name and address, the name and address of the vehicle’s owner, and the vehicle’s registration. On a company vehicle the owner is usually the business, so drivers need the business name and address to hand.

Reporting to the police

If the driver does not give their name and address at the scene, for example because nobody was there to receive them, they must report the accident to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours.

Where someone is injured and the driver does not produce their certificate of insurance at the scene to a police officer or anyone with reasonable grounds to ask, they must report the accident to the police within the same time limit. They can then produce the certificate at a police station within seven days of the accident.

Penalties for failing to stop

Failing to stop or report is a criminal offence. It is punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine or both, with 5 to 10 penalty points and possible disqualification under Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Certificates on a fleet policy

For a fleet, the practical problem is certificates. On a fleet policy the certificate is often held in the office rather than in each vehicle.

Consider keeping a copy of the certificate, or clear policy details, in every vehicle or on the driver’s phone, and check with your broker what form of evidence is acceptable. The Highway Code rules on incidents are a useful plain-English reference to give drivers.

What Should Drivers Do At The Scene?

Make the scene safe and check for injuries first, then collect the other party’s details, photograph the vehicles and the road layout and save any dashcam footage. Drivers should call their manager or fleet contact before leaving the scene if they can.

Safety before paperwork

Safety comes before paperwork. After that, the driver’s job is to collect the information the insurer will ask for while it is still available.

The glovebox checklist

• Stop safely, switch on hazard lights and switch off the engine
• Check for injuries and call 999 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked
• Do not admit fault or discuss blame
• Give your name and address, the business’s name and address as owner, and the registration to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask
• Get the other driver’s name, address, phone number, registration, vehicle make and colour, and insurer if known
• Note whether the other driver owns the vehicle, and if not, who does
• Take photos of all vehicles, damage, number plates, road layout, signs and weather
• Get names and contact details from any independent witnesses
• Save dashcam footage before it is overwritten
• Call your manager or fleet contact before leaving the scene if you can
• Report to the police within the time required if details were not exchanged or insurance could not be produced

Why a printed form helps

Print this list and keep it in the glovebox with a blank accident report form. Drivers under stress forget things, and a form prompts them.

How Should Drivers Record Third-Party Details?

Photograph the other vehicle’s number plate and, with permission, the other driver’s documents rather than writing the details down. Third-party details are where claims most often go wrong, and a wrong phone number or a missing registration can turn a simple non-fault claim into a long dispute.

Photograph rather than transcribe

Ask drivers to photograph the other vehicle’s number plate and, with permission, the other driver’s licence or insurance documents rather than writing them down. They should also note whether the other driver owns the vehicle, and if not, who does.

Checking the other vehicle’s insurance

Where the other party’s insurer is not known, askMID offers a paid enquiry for people involved in an accident who need to check whether the other vehicle is insured.

Uninsured and untraced drivers

If the other driver leaves without giving details, or turns out to be uninsured, report it to the police. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau deals with eligible claims involving uninsured and untraced drivers under the government’s Uninsured Drivers’ and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements, and your insurer can tell you how that affects your claim.

Can Dashcam Footage Help Settle A Disputed Claim?

Yes. Insurers generally accept dashcam footage as evidence, and it can show speed, position, signals and the sequence of events in a way that statements can’t.

Preserving the footage

Many cameras record on a loop and overwrite older clips, so drivers should know how to lock or save a clip. Send the insurer a copy and keep the original file unchanged.

Telematics data

Include telematics data if your vehicles have it. Speed and braking data around the time of the incident can support a driver’s account.

Handling footage lawfully

Cameras and telematics record your employees, so treat the data in line with data protection law and tell staff how it is used. ICO guidance says workers must be told about vehicle monitoring and that dashcams can be intrusive.

When Should You Notify Your Insurer Or Broker?

As soon as reasonably possible after any incident that could lead to a claim, whether or not you intend to claim yourself. Most motor policies make prompt notification a condition of the cover.

The policy condition

Most motor policies include a condition requiring you to tell the insurer about any accident or incident that could lead to a claim, as soon as reasonably possible. The exact wording varies, so read the claims conditions in your own policy.

Reporting when you are not claiming

Report incidents even when you don’t plan to claim. The other party may claim against your policy weeks later, and your insurer will want to have heard about it from you first.

What to have ready when you call

Information	Where it comes from
Policy number and vehicle registration	Policy schedule or fleet list
Driver’s name, licence details and role	Driver records
Date, time and exact location	Driver’s report
Description of what happened and a sketch	Driver’s report
Third-party names, registrations and insurers	Driver’s notes and photos
Witness contact details	Driver’s notes
Photos and dashcam footage	Driver’s phone, camera
Police reference number, if reported	Police
Where your vehicle is now and whether it can be driven	Driver or recovery provider

If the vehicle is off the road

Ask the insurer or broker whether your policy includes a courtesy vehicle or hire vehicle. If a temporary vehicle joins the fleet, check how it will be covered and recorded on the Motor Insurance Database.

Our guide to the Motor Insurance Database for fleets explains why that matters.

Who Decides On Repairs And Replacement Vehicles?

Your insurer does, in most cases. Take the decisions about repairs, recovery and a replacement vehicle with the insurer rather than around it.

Authorising repairs

Don’t authorise repairs first. Many policies require the insurer to agree repairs, or to inspect the damage, before work starts, and paying a garage directly may leave you out of pocket.

Approved repairer networks

Ask about approved repairers. Some insurers use their own repair network, and using a different garage can affect how the claim is handled.

Unsolicited offers after an accident

Businesses sometimes receive calls offering replacement vehicles and repairs on a non-fault basis. Check with your insurer or broker before signing anything, because the terms and costs can be significant if liability is later disputed.

Recovery and storage

Note who recovered the vehicle and where it is held. Storage charges can build up quickly while a claim is decided.

What Are Your Duties As The Vehicle Keeper?

When the police ask, the vehicle keeper must say who was driving, and a written request usually has to be answered within 28 days. A vehicle booking log makes that answer quick to find.

Naming the driver

Accidents often lead to follow-up questions from the police, and section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is where that duty sits. A company can have a defence if it shows it was reasonable not to keep records of who drove, but relying on that is risky.

A vehicle booking log

A simple vehicle booking log, recording which driver had which vehicle and when, answers that question in seconds. It also helps your insurer, which will need to confirm the driver was covered under your driving clause.

Health and safety duties

Employers also have a duty under health and safety law to manage the risks of driving for work. HSE’s guidance for employers covers safe drivers, safe vehicles and safe journeys, and reviewing serious incidents is part of showing that you manage those risks.

How Do Claims Affect Your Fleet Renewal?

Every claim is recorded against your policy and appears on your claims experience, which underwriters read at renewal. They look at how many claims there were, what type they were, how much they cost and whether they were fault or non-fault.

What underwriters look at

When your fleet renews, or when you approach a new insurer, underwriters read that record. A single low-cost claim on an otherwise clean fleet is viewed differently from a pattern of similar incidents.

Open claims and reserves

Open claims matter too. An insurer usually sets a reserve for what it expects to pay, and that figure can count against your record until the claim settles.

Chasing non-fault recoveries and resolving open claims before renewal helps your record reflect what really happened. Our guide to claims experience letters explains how to read and check that record.

What Should You Put In Place Before The Next Incident?

Give drivers a written accident procedure and the insurer’s claims number, and name one person in the office who takes their call and reports the incident. A vehicle booking log, a way to save dashcam footage and a short review after each incident complete the set.

Kit for every vehicle

• A one-page accident procedure and report form
• Policy details and the insurer’s claims number
• A way to save and store dashcam footage

Office process

• A named person who takes the driver’s call and reports to the insurer
• A vehicle booking log showing who drove what, and when
• A short review after each incident, noting any training or process change

What to ask a broker

Insurers generally take an interest in how a fleet manages risk, and a clear accident process is part of that. When you next review your fleet insurance, ask the broker how claims are handled under each option, including whether they offer claims support and what courtesy vehicle cover is included.

Businesses running van fleets with high mileage should give this particular attention, because more time on the road means more exposure to incidents.

Sources

• Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170
• Road Traffic Act 1988, section 172
• The Highway Code: Breakdowns and incidents (rules 274 to 287)
• HSE: Driving and riding safely for work (employers)
• Motor Insurers Bureau
• askMID: check a vehicle is insured
• Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, Schedule 2 (penalties)
• MIB: Check your eligibility before making a claim
• ICO: Specific considerations for different methods of monitoring workers

Updates

• 17 September 2026 : last reviewed
• 17 September 2026 : Legal and regulatory points checked against official sources

General information about UK fleet insurance, not advice. How we write and check our content