What to do if I have an accident

According to the most recent government statistics, a PCO driver’s average shift lasts for 8.9 hours. This puts you on the road for far longer than most other drivers which, in turn, put at greater risk of being involved in an incident.

Regardless of which driver is at fault, getting into an accident can be worrying for any driver, and can cause a great deal of confusion about the next steps to take. However, as a taxi driver, and especially if you acquired your vehicle through a PCO car hire scheme, it’s understandable that you may be particularly worried about taking the appropriate next steps.

To ensure that the process is completed as smoothly and quickly as possible, read on for our comprehensive guide on what to do if you get into an accident in your taxi.

1. Stay calm and assess the damage

You are likely to be in a state of shock in the wake of an accident, so give yourself time to be mindful of what’s going on around you – not to mention your own well being. Once you’re sure that you’re safe, ask your passenger how they are doing and, without leaving the vehicle, assess how the other driver is doing. If anyone involved is in need of medical help, call the emergency services and, if it is safe to do so, put your hazard lights on and leave your vehicle.

2. Don’t admit fault right away

In the interest of keeping yourself safe from any legal liability, you should avoid apologising aloud, even if the incident was your fault. The party responsible for the accident will ultimately be determined by your insurer, which is one reason having insurance as a PCO driver is essential. As such, you should aim to keep your claims history as unblemished as possible, so leave it to the professionals to assess what caused a collision.

3. Don’t touch any of the vehicles

Once everyone involved in an accident is safely out of their vehicle, you should neither touch, nor attempt to move them. Instead, take as many photos and videos as you need to give your insurers and law enforcement the most accurate picture of the scene as you possibly can. To help our customers achieve this, all vehicles rented from HireBrid are fitted with front and rear cameras, but we encourage drivers to take additional photos at the scene to support the video evidence. Consequently, you should be sure to leave your vehicle’s engine running so that the cameras continue to record.

4. Take note of all relevant information

In advance of making an insurance claim, you’re going to need to provide as much detailed information about the incident as you possibly can, so it’s best to do this on the scene. Beyond photographs and video, you should write down the time and date, the details of each car involved (including make, model, colour, and license plate), insurance details for both parties, and contact details for the other driver and any witnesses. You should also exchange your contact information with the driver of the other vehicle.

Contact your car rental company

If you have rented your PCO car from us, the final step is to get in touch with HireBrid immediately to report the incident. We will invite you to our offices so we can retrieve the footage from your in-car camera and have you fill in an accident report. We will also be able to assess the damage to the vehicle and get you into another car whilst your current one is in for repair.