Leaving the scene of a road traffic accident

Widye

Hi all

Minor road traffic accident occurred. Insurance involved. Guards want to conduct a caution interview with the person who caused the accident.

What would be the likely penalty for leaving the scene does anyone know?

Appreciate any help. Thanks

RandomViewer

Widye wrote: »

Hi all

Minor road traffic accident occurred. Insurance involved. Guards want to conduct a caution interview with the person who caused the accident.

What would be the likely penalty for leaving the scene does anyone know?

Appreciate any help. Thanks

Driving ban anyway

RandomViewer

RandomViewer wrote: »

Driving ban anyway

Doubt it. The gardai don't want to be called out to minor accidents. But, looks like the other person insisted they attend and the OP had left. As long as details were exchanged it should just be a caution, which are standard.

RandomViewer

Deleted User wrote: »

Doubt it. The gardai don't want to be called out to minor accidents. But, looks like the other person insisted they attend and the OP had left. As long as details were exchanged it should just be a caution, which are standard.

Think the OP is wondering should they take the blame for someone else, which would make me suspect points already

Widye

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Doubt it. The gardai don't want to be called out to minor accidents. But, looks like the other person insisted they attend and the OP had left. As long as details were exchanged it should just be a caution, which are standard.

So no charges usually? Just points perhaps?

Widye

Widye wrote: »

So no charges usually? Just points perhaps?

Why points?

Any driver at the scene on an accident gets cautioned by the gardai, even if the other driver admits fault. If you drove away without acknowledging the other driver and they found you by IDing your number plate that's a different story unless you can reasonably explain why you didn't think there was damage, slight touching of wing mirrors as an example.

elperello

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_accidents.html

This link might help to clarify if the person's actions actually constituted "leaving the scene" of an RTA.

Donald Trump

If the guards come out, just explain to them that you didn't think that you needed to hang around because the damage didn't seem too bad, and that you didn't mean any harm - you always tend to make these errors of judgement after a few cans.

coylemj

Widye wrote: »

Minor road traffic accident occurred. Insurance involved. Guards want to conduct a caution interview with the person who caused the accident.

In the context of ‘leaving the scene’, I t doesn’t matter who caused the accident. Did you give the other driver your details and then leave? Was there any personal injury?

cj maxx

I had a relatively minor accident in Feb and while it was 100% the other person's fault the guards will do a follow up interview with both parties ,, I think

coylemj

cj maxx wrote: »

I had a relatively minor accident in Feb and while it was 100% the other person's fault the guards will do a follow up interview with both parties ,, I think

Considering they usually couldn’t be bothered attending at the scene and typically tell the caller to exchange details with the other guy.... why would they do a ‘follow-up interview’ with both parties? For what purpose?

punisher5112

I done it twice, not at fault, wasn't hanging around, went to local Garda station to report at time.....

One took a long time to sort the other got paid in 3 weeks...


Solicitor was well worth it.

punisher5112

cj maxx wrote: »

I had a relatively minor accident in Feb and while it was 100% the other person's fault the guards will do a follow up interview with both parties ,, I think

Not unless they really do their job right.,.. yet to see it myself and unfortunately I've been in quite a number of smashes, more so at work but still. Nobody was ever prosecuted

coylemj

punisher5112 wrote: »

I done it twice, not at fault, wasn't hanging around, went to local Garda station to report at time.....

There’s no implied criticism here but if you exchange details at the scene and there is no personal injury, there is no obligation to either wait for the Gardai to arrive at the scene, or to later report it at a Garda Station.

If someone was injured and the Gardai don’t show up at the scene, you are obliged to go to a Garda Station to report it.

punisher5112

coylemj wrote: »

There’s no implied criticism here but if you exchange details at the scene and there is no personal injury, there is no obligation to either wait for the Gardai to arrive at the scene, or to later report it at a Garda Station.

If someone was injured and the Gardai don’t show up at the scene, you are obliged to go to a Garda Station to report it.

I was injured in one but wasn't comfortable hanging around an aggressive individual....

I had dash cam even obliged and showed him how he had crossed over and creamed me out of it, he still believed I hit him and stated this to the Gardai...
The video showed different.

He arrived at the station 1½hours after me screaming and shouting and the Gaurd told me he told him to leave and come back when he was calm..... He sided with me especially after seeing the clip....

And the attitude didn't help the other lad..


Hilarious that before 6 am on a deserted road that a taxi could come up from behind on a 4 lane road and take me out of it.... Nothing about only us....

KeithTS

Widye wrote: »

Hi all

Minor road traffic accident occurred. Insurance involved. Guards want to conduct a caution interview with the person who caused the accident.

What would be the likely penalty for leaving the scene does anyone know?

Appreciate any help. Thanks

What do you mean by leaving the scene?

Did you stop, share details with the other party, take a quick look for damage and then go on your way a couple of minutes later?
Or did you clip somebody and keep driving?

Rules of the road state you must stay for a reasonable amount of time. That could imply that as long as you share details etc. you're grand. There's no point in hanging about if both parties are happy enough. However, if you didn't acknowledge the incident at all and kept driving or didn't offer up your details to the other person and went on your way that's a little different.

KeithTS

KeithTS wrote: »

What do you mean by leaving the scene?

Did you stop, share details with the other party, take a quick look for damage and then go on your way a couple of minutes later?
Or did you clip somebody and keep driving?

Rules of the road state you must stay for a reasonable amount of time. That could imply that as long as you share details etc. you're grand. There's no point in hanging about if both parties are happy enough. However, if you didn't acknowledge the incident at all and kept driving or didn't offer up your details to the other person and went on your way that's a little different.

We'll possibly not get anymore detail, but the latter makes more sense.

Widye

KeithTS wrote: »

What do you mean by leaving the scene?

Did you stop, share details with the other party, take a quick look for damage and then go on your way a couple of minutes later?
Or did you clip somebody and keep driving?

Rules of the road state you must stay for a reasonable amount of time. That could imply that as long as you share details etc. you're grand. There's no point in hanging about if both parties are happy enough. However, if you didn't acknowledge the incident at all and kept driving or didn't offer up your details to the other person and went on your way that's a little different.

Clipped someone and kept driving

coylemj

Widye wrote: »

Clipped someone and kept driving

That's called 'hit and run'. Legally, you will probably be prosecuted for a breach of S.106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. Wouldn't be surprised if they also throw in careless driving (S.52).

It could have serious implications for your insurance. Talk to a solicitor and unless you were driving a woman in labour to a maternity hospital, I'd consider declining to answer any questions put to you by the Gardai i.e. do not give them a statement.

KeithTS

Widye wrote: »

Clipped someone and kept driving

Can't imagine it's going to go down too well depending on the severity of the incident.

Did you report the incident later (in person) or have you or whoever did it just get found out? That matters, if you went to the Gardai and reported it afterwards you could probably argue the failing to stop. If it's very minor damage you may get away with saying you didn't think there was any damage and offer to pay/admit liability to insurer as a gesture of good will.

It's tough to see the exact penalties when googling this but there seems to be a maximum €20,000 and/or 10 years in prison. One would assume that's if you killed somebody but it's obviously taken seriously. Perhaps call your local Garda station and have a casual chat to see what they say about it.

OwlsZat

Widye wrote: »

Clipped someone and kept driving

Someone's car or someone? If you honestly hit someone and didn't stop thats exceptionally poor and deserve the book thrown at you.

Widye

OwlsZat wrote: »

Someone's car or someone? If you honestly hit someone and didn't stop thats exceptionally poor and deserve the book thrown at you.

Sorry, to clarify - hit someones car.