Summon Help

• Summon paramedics and fire/rescue operations if this has not been done already. Make sure everyone involved in the accident has received medical attention.
  
  

Secure the Scene

• Secure and preserve the accident scene. Make sure there has been no interference with the vehicles or objects involved. Keep everyone who is not directly involved in the accident well clear of the accident scene, including witnesses and victims. Photograph all physical evidence, skid marks and vehicles at their resting place.
  
  

Interview Witnesses

• Interview the witnesses. Take their full names and contact information. Ask them for a detailed account, and prevent them from consulting with any other witnesses, strangers or with the people involved in the accident.
  
  

Note Conditions

• Note the signage and road design, as well as pavement condition, lighting conditions (if a nighttime accident) and any slopes, curves, road debris or blind spots. Note any unusual conditions that may have contributed to the accident. This could be severe weather, poor road conditions, faulty traffic signals or interference from pedestrians, bicyclists, stray animals, etc. These are known as indirect causes.
  
  

Examine the Damage

• Examine the damage and contact match points, showing precisely where the vehicles or objects collided. The angle of the collision and the separation distance can be used to determine the speed at impact. Skid marks can be used for the same purpose.
  
  

Diagram the Accident

• Diagram the accident by charting the initial placement, movement, point of impact and resting place of all vehicles or objects involved. Most accident investigators have preprinted templates available for a graphic reconstruction of the circumstances of an accident.
  
  

Final Report

• Collect the photographs, witness statements, notes and reconstructions to draft a final report, assessing the direct and indirect causes of the accident.