When you take driver’s training, you learn many things about how to navigate the roadways. This information keeps you and others safe as you drive on Massachusetts roads and elsewhere.
Driving, though, requires a lot of knowledge and some information falls by the wayside as the years pass by. If you have not experienced a vehicle crash recently, a review of the filing requirements could prove useful.
When you must file a report
The Mass.gov website states that a person operating a motor vehicle must file a Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report form in certain circumstances. Three circumstances trigger the need for the form:
- The death of a person in a crash
- The injury of a person in a crash
- The damage above $1,000 to any vehicle
Other provisions of reporting require that a person complete the report within five days after the accident. When completed, you should mail the report to the police department where the crash occurred, to your insurance company and to the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.
What information goes on the form
The crash report form runs for five pages, with the first page offering detailed instructions. If you are the operator of the vehicle, you must include information on the locality of the crash. The form requests a high degree of detail. You must also include information on your vehicle and your insurance company. Additional information requested asks for an assortment of details:
- The name and number of passengers
- The other vehicles, if any, involved
- Crash conditions such as weather
- A crash diagram
- A description of what happened
- Signature
If the Registry of Motor Vehicles determines the form is incomplete, the agency can request more information. You can download a form from the Mass.gov website.
