Of the few universal facts about car ownership that new car owners and motorists need to worry about is the mandatory nature of car insurance. With the exception of a few states, you’ll need to have car insurance – though the minimum amounts and coverage types might vary from state to state – to be able to drive on public roads. But, if you get into an accident, do insurance companies report accidents to the California DMV, or do you have to do it, instead?
If you’re wondering why the California DMV even needs to know about an accident or any insurance claims that *you* made, it’s due to the fact that they need to keep track of any traffic incidents, either for pattern assessments or data collection purposes. With that in mind, proper accident reporting to the DMV – in any state, not just California – is necessary for them to understand traffic trends, as well as maintain road safety measures in The Golden State.
So, here’s what you need to know about accident reporting, and whether you or insurance companies have to report accidents to the California DMV:
1) Why Is Reporting An Accident To The DMV That Important?
To expand a bit more on what I meant earlier on the importance of promptly reporting any traffic accidents to the DMV, and whether insurance companies report accidents to the California DMV, here’s how all this data helps them:
- They’re able to compile together countless accident reports and insurance claims to assess traffic patterns. If they notice that one area of California, for example, has an abnormally high rate of accidents (based on information from those accident reports), the DMV could intervene to enforce traffic laws more effectively.
- Similarly, the DMV might even make proactive changes and improvements to the state’s entire road system and infrastructure based on those accident reports and insurance claims, too. For instance, if they’re able to determine – based on accident reports – that a particular road in the state is in poor condition, they might fix that stretch of tarmac.
- Crucially, the DMV is also able to use accident reports and insurance claims to determine if a motorist’s driving privileges need to be revoked. In other words, if you’ve proven that you’re not a law-abiding motorist, or if you have a record of driving recklessly or frequently getting into accidents, the DMV could – rightfully – decide to suspend your license, or make you retake your driving test again.
2) Who Is Responsible For Reporting Accidents To The DMV?
This law obviously changes from one state to another, but in California, any motorist involved in an accident that results in more than $1,000 (or higher) in property damage, bodily injury, or death must report the accident/incident to the DMV within 10 days. This specific threshold is considered by the California DMV as a serious incident, so you’ll have to report it to the DMV and have it documented properly.
When you’re making that accident report to the DMV, there are some things that you need to do and prepare (I’ve listed the specifics further below), but you’ll have to:
- Provide a detailed account of the accident
- The date and time of the accident
- Where is the location where this accident took place
- A description of the events leading up to the accident
All the aforementioned information will help to establish a crystal clear record for insurance claims or legal proceedings. In summary, in California, the driver of the vehicle is responsible for reporting accidents to the DMV – so long as they pass the specific threshold noted earlier – though the insurance companies still play a vital role. The latter mainly encompass the post-accident processes, like assessing damages or determining who’s at fault in the accident.
3) How To Report Serious Accidents To The DMV?
Thankfully, making an accident report to the DMV is pretty easy, so here’s what you need to do:
- Fill out an SR-1 form – The California DMV’s SR-1 form is the official document that helps them maintain an accurate record of accidents/incidents. You can find this form online, so download it and fill out the required information. This includes details about the accident, like the time and date of the incident, location, the involved parties, and your insurance information.
- Submit the completed SR-1 form – Once you’ve completed filling out this SR-1 form, you’ll have to submit it to the California DMV within 10 days from the date of the accident. Failing to do so in time can lead to fines or a suspension of your driving license.
- Providing all the required information – This is my reminder to you to make sure that all the information that you provided is accurate. Otherwise, incomplete or incorrect information may lead to delays or additional follow-up with the DMV, which will cost you precious time.
- Keeping copies for good record-keeping – Before you send the SR-1 form to the California DMV though, it’s a good idea to keep some extra copies. This also includes any other paperwork – like those from your insurance provider – which can prove handy if there are complications.
- Confirming receipt from the DMV – Once you’ve submitted the completed SR-1 form to the California DMV, it’s also a good idea to get a confirmation that they’ve received it. This helps when issues or misunderstandings arise, and it makes it certain that you’ve fulfilled all your accident reporting obligations.
4) What Happens If You Don’t Report These Accidents?
So, you might be wondering… What happens if you don’t report accidents to the DMV, just like you’re supposed to? Well, quite simply, failing to report a serious accident to the DMV will lead to penalties like fines, suspension of your driving privileges, or even criminal charges. Here are just some of what’ll happen if you don’t report serious accidents to the California DMV:
- You’ll face legal consequences, some of which I’ve mentioned earlier… Fines, suspending your driver’s license, and criminal charges. The latter is usually the worst-case scenario, especially if the accident involves injuries or rather significant property damage. You might also face increased insurance premiums.
- From a monetary standpoint, not reporting an accident to the California DMV will also make the insurance claims process way more complicated than it already is. This will most definitely lead to delays, denials, or disputes with the insurance claim. It’s expected, given that insurance companies rely on accurate reporting to assess fault and determine coverage. Worse, with a lack of detailed reporting, an insurance provider might even accuse you of insurance fraud!
- Future insurance coverage could also be impacted, as well. If you don’t properly report an accident to the DMV, insurers will take this as a black mark against your name, particularly when they’re assessing your driving history to determine premiums and risks. As such, any unreported accidents might lead to higher insurance premiums, or you could get denied entirely.