If You're in a Crash: Move It ... It's the Law

If you have a non-injury crash, it’s not necessary to wait for law enforcement before moving the vehicles involved.

If the vehicles can be driven, move them to a safe location and then exchange the necessary information or contact law enforcement. It’s not just a good thing to do, it’s Virginia law!

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Leaving cars on the road contributes to traffic back-ups, which can cause other crashes.

After a crash:

• Check for injuries. Make sure everyone is okay. If anyone is injured, contact law enforcement immediately. If no one is injured and traffic is blocked, move the car out of the way first.
  
• Notify law enforcement if :
  
• There are injuries
• When the cars cannot be moved
• When one of the drivers appears to be intoxicated
• When damage exceeds $1,000
• When one of the drivers has no insurance
• When one of the drivers leaves the scene of the crash
  
• Warn oncoming traffic to prevent other crashes. Some common warning practices include raising your hood and using flares. Common ways of letting motorists know you need assistance are:
  
  
  • Tieing a white handkerchief to your door
  • Waving a red flag
  • Using a flashlight at night
    
  If you’re waiting for assistance, be patient. Crossing a road or attempting to stop traffic can be dangerous, especially at night.
  
• Exchange Information. Give your name, address, phone number, vehicle license plate number, vehicle description, insurance information and driver license number to anyone else involved in the crash. Get the same information from the others involved and names, addresses and phone numbers of any witness.

Article II, Code of Virginia, Section 46.2-894. Duty of driver to stop, etc., in event of a crash involving injury or death or damage to attended property. - The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident in which a person is killed or injured or in which an attended vehicle or other attended property is damaged shall immediately stop as close to the scene of the crash as possible without obstructing traffic and report his name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration number forthwith to the state police or local law-enforcement agency, to the person struck and injured if such person appears to be capable of understanding and retaining the information, or to the driver or some other occupant of the vehicle collided with or to the custodian of other damaged property.

'Move It' card (3.5MB)