Road accident in Quebec: what to do at the scene, in order
Stay at the scene, help, call the police when anyone is injured, exchange six precise items, photograph before moving: Quebec crash duties in six steps and two thresholds.
Stay at the scene, help, call the police when anyone is injured, exchange six precise items, photograph before moving: Quebec crash duties in six steps and two thresholds.
Three duties are not negotiable
Stay at the scene (or return immediately) and give the help any injured person needs — a driver cannot assume nobody needs help. Call a peace officer as soon as a person is injured, however slightly. Give your information to the injured person or the officer. One crash can breach several of these at once.
The six steps in order
Secure the scene with flashers and triangles; check on people and call 911 if anyone is hurt; call the police when the law requires it; exchange the six items (name, address, licence number, registered owner's name and address, insurance or solvency proof, plate number); photograph both vehicles, the final positions, the damage, the road and the signs before moving anything; note witnesses and conditions.
When police must be called
Any bodily injury triggers the duty to call a peace officer. Hitting unattended property, an animal over 25 kg or an unoccupied vehicle whose owner cannot be reached requires calling the nearest police station without delay — a note on the windshield is not enough. A damage report is also mandatory above the regulatory threshold when a heavy vehicle is involved or the crash happens on a road managed by the transport ministry.
Never admit fault on the spot
Neither drivers nor police decide responsibility: insurers do, using the Direct Compensation Agreement scale. "It was my fault", a promise to pay, or a text message admitting fault can all be used later and never help.