Scene checklist
Use the parts that fit your situation. Safety, medical care and official instructions take priority over completing the list.
- Check yourself and others for immediate danger
- Call emergency services for serious injury or unsafe conditions
- Move to a safer position when it is safe and lawful
- Exchange names, vehicle and insurance information
- Ask witnesses for a reliable contact method
- Photograph positions, damage, controls and road conditions
Before you leave, save
Keep original records together and use copies when you need to annotate, share or sort them.
- Exact street, cross street, freeway or landmark
- Time and weather or lighting conditions
- Agency name, officer information and incident card
- Tow destination and vehicle access instructions
- Original photos, videos and notes
Why this matters
A simple contemporaneous record can reduce later confusion about locations, people and agencies. It should never be created at the cost of physical safety.