Report a road traffic incident or collision
If you have witnessed or been involved in a road traffic incident or collision, you may need to report it to us.
Reporting a collision
You do not need to report a collision to the police where:
- no one was injured, and
- you exchanged details with the other driver or property owner, and
- no driving offence took place
In all other cases, you must report a collision.
Give us as much detail as you can when submitting your report. If you have good-quality video or an independent witness, it can help us decide:
- how the accident happened
- if any driving offences took place
You should be willing to attend court and give evidence if necessary. However, it is important to note that most offences are resolved without going to court.
We can only accept reports for offences that have taken place within Avon and Somerset’s force area.
Submitting video footage to us
Any evidence you submit to us should be footage captured whilst going about your normal day. If your evidence captures more than one offending vehicle, you should report each one separately, as each driver will be dealt with depending on the individual circumstances of their case.
To give us the best chance of taking further action any evidence you provide should:
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- show the entire incident
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- show a full vehicle registration number – we cannot enhance recorded footage, so if you are unable to read the number plate from the original clip, then we are unlikely to be able to read it when reviewing the footage
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- support the witness statement you give us – not contradict the information you give in your report
Footage should specifically:
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- show two minutes before and two minute after the incident
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- be unedited (other than trimming the video to show one minute before and after an incident)
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- be the original file, not a copy, such as a mobile phone recording of CCTV footage playing on another screen
It is important to note that if your evidence shows you committed an offence we may prosecute you as well. For example, driving while using a mobile phone. If we believe you have gone out looking to capture footage of offences, we will not process your report. Additionally:
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- you need to keep the original video or photos for 12 months. It should be stored securely, and you may wish to make a backup if needed.
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- if you have shared your evidence online or on social media, remove it immediately. This is following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), as footage being in the public domain may adversely affect any subsequent proceeding.
What happens after making a report
We will review your footage and witness statement after you have submitted them. If it discloses an offence, appropriate action will be taken. If your own driving shows an offence, you may be subject to action.
You will receive one email update with details of the outcome of your report – this may be either a ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ outcome.
No further details will be provided. Positive outcomes may include:
- educational lessons
- courses
- penalty points / fine
- court process
The offending driver will not be provided with your details. However, on the rare occasion that the offence does go to trial, at this stage the offending driver will become aware of your name, but not your address or any other personal details.
You can report road traffic incidents or collisions to us using our online form.
When not to use this process
You cannot use this process to report offending vehicles not registered in the UK, for example, foreign vehicles. You also cannot use it to report vehicle excise licence issues.
If you have concerns around speeding offences, these can be addressed via our website.
You can also use our website to report littering issues.
On street parking enforcement is carried out by the local authority, and should be reported to them. This includes parking on:
- double yellow lines
- school zig zags
You cannot submit footage for someone else, or submit footage you have found on social media.