<strong>Eventually you'll have a small accident</strong>. Bumper scratch. Mirror knocked. Or worse. The next 30 minutes determine if it's a 100-AED issue or a 50,000-AED issue. Today: exactly what to do, in what order.
Accident just happened. Heart racing. STOP. BREATHE. Follow steps. Don't drive away. Don't argue. Don't pay anyone cash. Process the system.
🛑STOP — engine off, hazards onPull over carefully if blocking traffic. Hazard lights ON. Engine OFF. Get out (carefully, watching traffic) and check on others.
🩺Check for injuries — yourself, passengers, other carAnyone bleeding? Anyone unconscious? Call 998/997 ambulance immediately if YES. People > everything else.
📞Call police 999/112 — alwaysEven tiny scratch. GCC requires police report for ALL accidents. Insurance won't pay without it. Police arrive in 15-30 min. Wait.
📞Call employer — tell them quicklyAfter police: 'Madam, I had small accident on E11. No one hurt. Police coming. Will send photos.' They appreciate fast info, not silence.
📷Take photos NOW — before cars movePhone out. Photo: damage to your car (multiple angles). Damage to other car. Both license plates. The scene (10-foot view + close-up). The road position. Each side's view.
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Driving away from any accident = HIT AND RUN = JAILEven if 'just a scratch' and other driver shrugs — you stay. Driving off without police report = criminal hit-and-run charge. JAIL + deportation. Always stop. Always wait. Stop = legal. Drive away = jail.
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2📷 Documenting
Photos save 10x the trouble later
Insurance + court fight is decided by photos. The driver with photos wins. The driver without loses. Take 20 photos, not 5.
📸Photo: full scene from 10 meters backStand back. Take wide shot showing both cars + road. Shows position. Useful for police + insurance. Lane markings visible.
📸Photo: each car's damage close-up, 4 anglesWalk around each car. Front, back, left, right. Close-up of dent/scratch. Bumper, fender, wheel.
📸Photo: both license plates clearlyEach car's plate. Readable. Critical for insurance company to identify other vehicle.
📸Photo: other driver's license + Emirates IDPolitely: 'Sir, may I take photo of your license for police?' Most agree. If refuse, note their name + license number on paper instead.
📝Note: time, weather, lane, who was whereUse phone notes. 'Tuesday 8:14 AM. E11 km 47. Dry weather. I was middle lane going north. He came from right lane without signal.' Memory fades, notes don't.
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Photos are evidence — back them upAfter scene cleared, EMAIL photos to yourself + employer. If phone lost/damaged later, photos still exist in email/cloud. Protect the evidence. Photos = your defense.
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3📋 Don't Admit Fault
Be honest, but DON'T say 'it was my fault'
Even if you THINK it was your fault, don't say so to police or other driver. Stick to facts. Police decide fault. Insurance decides fault. Not you.
✅DO say: 'I was in the middle lane. Other car came from right.'State facts. What you saw. What direction. What lane. Times. Speeds. Just observable facts. Police writes report from facts.
🚫DON'T say: 'I'm sorry, my fault, I didn't see them.'These words = automatic fault assignment = your insurance pays everything. Even if you were partly wrong, let police investigate. Apologies in court can be used against you.
🤐Other driver yells — stay calm, say nothingIf other driver shouts, blames you, demands cash — say: 'Police are coming. We will let them decide.' Walk away. Don't engage. Don't pay anything roadside.
📜Sign police report ONLY if accuratePolice give you a 'pink' or 'green' paper showing fault. Read it before signing. If wrong (you're not at fault but they wrote you are) — don't sign. Ask supervisor. Lawyer if needed.
🤝After report — exchange contact only, not blameGet other driver's: name, phone, license number, insurance company. Give yours. Don't argue. Don't apologize. Just exchange professionally.
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Insurance has its own processAfter police, insurance company will investigate. They want photos, police report, your statement. Don't volunteer 'sorry' to insurance either. Just facts. Let evidence + report speak. Facts > feelings.
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🎯 Ready to Earn Your Home Driving Certificate?
Pass with 70% or more to earn this module's official GCC Home Driving certificate.