About three years ago, the Police declared that their officers would not tow vehicles involved in any minor accidents or collisions. Before that announcement, they were the ones in charge of the towing needed for all car crashes. Thereafter, they will only get involved if someone is on drugs, drunk, injured, or avoids disclosing their details. This is why it would be best to know such details besides getting in touch with your motor vehicle accident lawyer in Townsville.
To Call or Not to Call the Police?
The Traffic and Highway Commander Assistant Commissioner back then said that the adjustments to reporting requirements would help the police save on resources and time. They don’t need to attend to over 20,000 minor accidents per year when their services aren’t necessarily needed that much. In addition, the majority of call-outs were mostly due to air-bags going off in minor bumps.
People involved in minor mishaps should simply move to the side of the highway, exchange information, and drive off. This way, they themselves can free up the flow of traffic and discuss the issues on their own time. They won’t be bothering other drivers on the road or the police whose services might be needed somewhere else.
From the announcement date, only cars that necessarily have to be towed needs to report the incident to the Police Assistance Line. They will not issue police event numbers for instances that don’t require towing.
But What If…?
With all these in mind, you probably still have many questions bothering you. What happens if someone collides with your vehicle while it’s parked? What if a driver who is on the phone rear ends your car while at a traffic light? What if an aggressive driver scares your kids that they start screaming?
The force explains that this change won’t excuse drivers who are to blame. If you suspect the other driver has been taking drugs, drinking or is being violent, then you can ask the police to go to the scene. It’s essential that you know the proper involvement of the authorities just in case you face such situations.
