Do I Have To Admit Hitting A Parked Car: Question Of The Day
The consequences to not reporting an accident could become dire if drivers are not aware of local laws.
Question: I hit a parked car in the school parking lot! Even though there wasn’t any visible damage, I left a note on their windshield. What should I do next?
Answer: So you’ve hit a parked car. No one is hurt, though you may have bruised ego. What should you do if, unlike in this stressed-out student’s example, there is some visible damage?
“Call the police,” said Officer Martin Dunn of the Orangetown Police Department in Orangetown, NY.
Whether or not you are on the street or in a parking lot, said Dunn, “call the police.”
What if there’s not a lot of damage? “Call the police.”
Officer Dunn’s point is a good one. But aside from calling the police and reporting the accident, what else should you do?
Photo by Scott Burgess
For starters, don’t panic. If you’re on the road, move your vehicle to a safe place out of the line of traffic. Turn the car off and take a deep breath. The important thing is not to leave the scene of the accident. If you are in a parking lot, go inside the building and try to locate the other car’s owner. Put the customer service desk to work. Ask if they can make an announcement. Odds are there are video cameras in the parking lot or witnesses to the accident, so you want to take responsibility immediately. Take pictures of both cars and the scene. Document as much as you can while you are still there and it is still fresh in your mind.
Just make sure you do your best to find the other owner before you drive away. In some states, like California, you could be charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run for leaving the scene of an accident, even when there are no injuries, only property damage. Don’t risk penalties that could include six months in county jail, $1000 fine, or both.
If your efforts to find the owner of the car fail and the police are not responding, then leave a note, if there is any visible damage to either car. In California, leaving a note is the law. So is notifying the local police or, in unincorporated areas, the California Highway Patrol. Stick to the basics: name, phone number, and a brief explanation of the accident. If the person contacts you, then you can discuss passing along insurance information. Like with any accident, don’t withhold necessary information, but don’t volunteer too much either.
But what about situations like the one above, where there isn’t any damage? Did the person do the right thing? Some would say that is just asking for trouble, inviting a scam artist to take advantage of their good nature. Others would say, no harm, no foul, why bother? Still others, like our student, just wouldn’t feel right about leaving without a note.
Use your best judgment. In some cases, state laws may require you leave information, and in other cases, your own moral compass may point you in the direction to do the right thing. How you act when no one is looking is the true definition of your character.
We’re scouring the Internet to uncover interesting questions that people have posted looking for advice from the unwashed masses. We will contact experts to give you well-researched, professional advice. You can also submit questions to autos_qotd@yahoo.com.
