Road traffic incidents

Have you been affected by, or do you want to know more about, road traffic incidents?

Road traffic incidents are when a collision involving a vehicle on a road or in a public area causes damage or injury to a person, animal, another vehicle or property.

Minor crashes are when at least one person is slightly injured but no one is killed or seriously injured. Slight injuries either don’t require medical attention or are considered minor, such as slight shock, bruises, cuts, sprains and whiplash.

Serious crashes are when at least one person is seriously injured but no one (other than a confirmed suicide) is killed. Serious injuries are when someone is kept in hospital or has injuries such as fractures, concussion, burns, severe cuts or severe shock. It also includes injuries where a person dies 30 days or more after the collision.

Fatal crashes are when at least one person is killed.

How you might be feeling

Being involved in any form of crash on the road can be a scary and traumatic experience for everyone involved. For more serious or fatal collisions, the impact can be devastating for both the victim and their family.

If you or someone you care about has been involved in a serious or fatal crash, you may be dealing with bereavement or coming to terms with life-changing injuries.

If you’ve lost a family member, police family liaison officers will have already been in touch with you. These specially trained officers will help you through this time of grief and support you while the investigation is carried out.

Experiencing the death of someone close to you can be overwhelming. It’s important that you look after yourself during this difficult time and find support to help you cope and recover from what’s happened.

Get the help you need

If you’d like more information or support, contact us now.

As well as receiving help from us, you can also get support from other organisations and charities. See below or search our directory.

Brake – Brake is a UK-wide provider of support services to people bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Even if the road death happened abroad, Brake provides support to friends and family living in the UK. Call 0808 8000 401 or email help@brake.org.uk.

How to report road traffic incidents

For minor incidents, contact Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Road Traffic Collision Investigation Unit by calling 0161 856 4000 or emailing collision.investigation@gmp.police.uk.

For serious or fatal incidents, contact GMP Serious Collision Investigation Unit by calling 0161 856 4741.

In an emergency, always call 999. In a non-emergency, call 101.

Minor crashes – what to do

If you’ve been involved in a crash where there’s only been damage to a vehicle or minor injuries, you may, understandably, want to contact the police. It could be your first incident and you might not know where else to turn.

However, if no one has been seriously hurt, you can just exchange details with the other person involved and inform your insurance provider. The insurance providers will do the rest.

At the scene, make a note of the following:

name, contact information and insurance information of all other drivers involved
numberplates and make/model information of all vehicles involved
date and time of the crash
weather conditions at the time of the crash
names and contact information of any witnesses
any injuries to you and to others involved

Before anyone moves any vehicles involved in the crash, take photos of the scene, including the positions of the vehicles and any damage to vehicles. Give this information to your insurance provider if requested and to the police if they become involved.

If you do make a report to the police, the Road Traffic Collision Investigation Unit will get in touch with you to give you information and advice. You can also contact them by calling 0161 856 4000 or emailing collision.investigation@gmp.police.uk.

If you’ve been injured, or you think that someone has broken the law, for example by driving without insurance or driving while drunk, you should report this to the police.

Help for those who care for people bereaved or injured in road crashes

Brake is a UK-wide provider of support services to people bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. The helpline is also available for anyone who cares for people bereaved or injured in road crashes, for example police family liaison officers, emergency service workers, counsellors and teachers.

Brake can help you to provide the best possible support to road crash victims, and also support you if you were involved in the immediate aftermath of a fatal or serious crash and feel traumatised as a result. Call 0808 8000 401 or email help@brake.org.uk.