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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Witnessed road traffic accident

15 replies

Thinking45 · 15/11/2025 10:19

Don’t know where to post this. So I witnessed a road traffic accident. Minor collision. No one injured. I was not involved in any way. I was just the car stationary at the time and the crash happened right in front of me. Is it fine for me to leave and drive off? I don’t know if there are any laws on this regarding witnesses. I noticed the car on the opposite side of the road who also witnessed it drove off before me. Which made me think it’s fine to leave. Anyone know if there is a law regarding needing to stay if a witness?

OP posts:
Original poster
Thinking45 · 15/11/2025 10:22

I’m in the UK btw

OP posts:
TY78910 · 15/11/2025 10:22

You don’t have to stay as a witness. There is no law meaning you’re obliged to. What is nice is if you offer your details for a potential claim to provide a witness statement. But that is a nice to do not a must do.

Doris86 · 15/11/2025 10:22

Don’t think there is any law around it. However offering your details to the affected parties is morally the right thing to do. It can be invaluable if liability is disputed.

TheHairInClaudiasEyes · 15/11/2025 10:30

There’s no law that you have to stay, provide your details or give a statement but I would ask, what would you have liked someone to do if you were the person involved in this collision?

Hoppinggreen · 15/11/2025 10:30

Its not illegal to leave but the deecent thing to do would be to at least give your contact details in case a witness was needed

Original poster
Thinking45 · 15/11/2025 10:48

Thanks for replies. Good to know for future reference, as I couldn’t really find any info when googling. No info about what to do if a witness, but not actually involved in collision.

I drove off, as everyone involved in collision seemed fine and because I saw the other driver who witnessed it on other side of road start to drive off, so I thought it’s fine to leave.

Good to know what to do should this happen again in the future.

OP posts:
nannyl · 16/11/2025 15:45

defintely not illegal.

Immoral to drive away if someone might be seriously hurt but still not illegal.

One time as I was leaving a motorway on the slip road, the car in front of me (on the slip road) made a last second choice to rejoin the motorway and hit a car still on the motorway. It was unsafe for me to stop, or to swerve back onto the motorway, but I did call the police on the non emergancy number to tell them I had witnessed it, if they needed a witness. Never herd anything.

Haribosweets · 16/11/2025 15:48

I saw a major crash with the car in front of me about 10 years ago. It was awful and someone lost their legs in it. Air Ambulance, road closed for hours sort of accident. I was a key witness obviously but eventually what seemed like hours but was about 5 mins I decided to drive off because I had my then 3 year old in the back crying who also saw the accident and a zillion people stopped to help, call Ambulance etc. I was so unsure if I done the right thing so rang the non emergency police line when I got home who said I did the right thing with my son in the back and also there were so many people getting out to help etc.

Doone22 · 16/11/2025 20:19

No legal requirement to act as witness even if someone dies

Jc2001 · 16/11/2025 20:41

Thinking45 · 15/11/2025 10:19

Don’t know where to post this. So I witnessed a road traffic accident. Minor collision. No one injured. I was not involved in any way. I was just the car stationary at the time and the crash happened right in front of me. Is it fine for me to leave and drive off? I don’t know if there are any laws on this regarding witnesses. I noticed the car on the opposite side of the road who also witnessed it drove off before me. Which made me think it’s fine to leave. Anyone know if there is a law regarding needing to stay if a witness?

Unless it was a serious enough accident where there were bad injuries I wouldn't hang around. Which, from what you're describing is what happened (not serious)

If there were clearly injuries and the police were likely to be called I would hang about or at least contact the police after with my details if that wasn't possible.

InveterateWineDrinker · 16/11/2025 20:52

There's no law, but I guess it depends how much you believe in karma whether or not you were right to leave.

Thursday5pmisginoclock · 19/11/2025 07:05

No witnesses came forward when my partners car was ran off the road. He now has now has back issues for life and had to accept 50:50 as other car denied fault. Impact financially was not just in short term on insurance but for rest of his life to help his health.

even if no visible injuries you should help the person have a witness if they weren’t to blame.

butterycroissants · 19/11/2025 07:07

There’s no law but the decent thing to do is offer your details in case of disputed liability down the line.

BertSymptom · 19/11/2025 07:43

When a young lad speeding down the wrong side of the road on an electric motorbike thing smashed into DH and sped back off again there were no injuries but a lot of damage to the car. Would’ve been a really expensive job but thankfully a few lovely people stopped and offered their details as witnesses for the insurance claim and police report so it was sorted out quite easily.

I appreciate we’re all busy and like to keep ourselves to ourselves these days - and there’s no law against that - but the morally right thing to do is check everyone’s alright and offer to be a witness imo.

Roystonv · 19/11/2025 07:50

Definitely offer to be a witness and make notes/ take photos if pos. The person who caused the accident may do a runner/provide false insurance details/or just make up a story. My dil suffered such a crash some weeks ago and no one offered.

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