Hazard lights and someone waving at the side of the road ahead. What do you do?

Check your mirror, slow down and be ready to stop. Flashing lights and waving often mean an incident. Slowing early gives you time to see what is happening and to stop safely.

A car has gone into the hedge. Nobody else has stopped to help. You have pulled in well before the crash. What next?

Hazard lights on, engine off, and put on anything bright you have. You are now part of the scene. Hazard lights warn other drivers, the engine off cuts fire risk and something bright helps you be seen.

The driver is still in the seat, awake, and says their back hurts. You can smell petrol. A passer-by lights a cigarette. What do you do first?

Ask them to put the cigarette out, and make sure the crashed car's engine is off. Leaking fuel and a flame is the biggest danger here. Deal with danger first: engines off and no smoking.

You call 999. What do they need from you?

Exactly where you are, how many vehicles and people are involved, and their injuries. The exact location matters most on a country road: a road number, junction, landmark or what3words. Then the number of casualties and how they are.

The driver is shivering and asks if they can get out and walk around. How do you look after them until help arrives?

Keep them still, warm with a coat or blanket, and talk to them calmly. Keep casualties warm, still and reassured. Watch their breathing and tell the call handler if anything changes.

The police and an ambulance arrive. What now?

Tell them what you know, then follow their directions. Stay until the emergency services arrive, hand over, and do what the police tell you. You MUST follow their directions.

Next week you drive past a different crash. The police are already there. How should you pass it?

Keep your eyes on the road and keep moving as directed. Slowing down to look causes queues and more crashes. Watch the road, not the incident.

Real-life situations

What to do if you see a car crash: stopping to help safely

A car has just left the road ahead of you and nobody else has stopped. Make it safe, get help and look after the driver.

7decisions

6rules and laws

3Dpractice version

The short version

Stop safely before the scene with hazard lights on, engines off, no smoking.
Call 999 with the exact location, number of casualties and their injuries.
Do not move injured people unless they are in danger. Keep them warm, still and give nothing to drink.

Step 1
Hazard lights and someone waving at the side of the road ahead. What do you do?
✓ Check your mirror, slow down and be ready to stop. Flashing lights and waving often mean an incident. Slowing early gives you time to see what is happening and to stop safely.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Keep your speed and get past quickly. There may be people or debris in the road around the next few metres. Slow down and be ready to stop.
- ✗ Brake as hard as you can straight away. Harsh braking without checking your mirror risks a crash from behind. Slow down firmly but under control.
- ✗ Sound your horn and flash your lights. That helps nobody. Use the time to slow down and work out what has happened.
Rule 281
Step 2
A car has gone into the hedge. Nobody else has stopped to help.
You have pulled in well before the crash. What next?
✓ Hazard lights on, engine off, and put on anything bright you have. You are now part of the scene. Hazard lights warn other drivers, the engine off cuts fire risk and something bright helps you be seen.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Drive up alongside the crashed car to help faster. Stopping in the road next to it blocks the road and puts you in the path of traffic. Stop safely before the scene.
- ✗ Leave your engine running in case you need to move. Engines off is one of the first things the Highway Code asks for at a crash, because of the fire risk.
- ✗ Stay in your car and wait for someone else to deal with it. If nobody has stopped, you may be the only help. If you cannot help directly, at least call 999.
Rule 283 Rule 116
Step 3
The driver is still in the seat, awake, and says their back hurts. You can smell petrol. A passer-by lights a cigarette.
What do you do first?
✓ Ask them to put the cigarette out, and make sure the crashed car's engine is off. Leaking fuel and a flame is the biggest danger here. Deal with danger first: engines off and no smoking.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Pull the driver out of the car and lay them on the verge. Do not move injured people unless they are in immediate danger, such as a fire. Moving someone with a back injury can make it much worse.
- ✗ Take photos for the police. Safety and the casualty come first. Leave evidence to the police.
- ✗ Give the driver a drink of water to calm them. An injured person should be given nothing to eat or drink, in case they need an operation.
Rule 283 Annex 7
Step 4
You call 999. What do they need from you?
✓ Exactly where you are, how many vehicles and people are involved, and their injuries. The exact location matters most on a country road: a road number, junction, landmark or what3words. Then the number of casualties and how they are.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Just that there has been a crash, then hang up to help. Stay on the line. The call handler needs details and can talk you through first aid.
- ✗ The make and colour of the crashed car. Useful later, but the location and injuries decide what is sent and how fast.
- ✗ Your insurance details. Your insurance has nothing to do with it. You did not crash.
Rule 283 Annex 7
Step 5
The driver is shivering and asks if they can get out and walk around.
How do you look after them until help arrives?
✓ Keep them still, warm with a coat or blanket, and talk to them calmly. Keep casualties warm, still and reassured. Watch their breathing and tell the call handler if anything changes.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Help them out so they can stretch. With a back injury, moving is the risk. Ask them to stay as they are.
- ✗ Take off their seat belt and recline the seat. Moving their body or seat can worsen a spinal injury. Leave them as they are unless they are in danger.
- ✗ Leave them to go and flag down traffic. Stay with the casualty. The hazard lights are warning traffic already.
Annex 7 Rule 283
Step 6
The police and an ambulance arrive. What now?
✓ Tell them what you know, then follow their directions. Stay until the emergency services arrive, hand over, and do what the police tell you. You MUST follow their directions.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Leave straight away without a word. What you saw and did helps the crew treat the driver. Hand over before you go.
- ✗ Keep giving first aid and ignore the paramedics. Hand over to the professionals and step back.
- ✗ Move your car closer so you can watch. Keep the road clear for emergency vehicles. Only move when told to.
Rule 281 Rule 283
Step 7
Next week you drive past a different crash. The police are already there.
How should you pass it?
✓ Keep your eyes on the road and keep moving as directed. Slowing down to look causes queues and more crashes. Watch the road, not the incident.
Why not the other options
- ✗ Slow right down to see what happened. Rubbernecking causes collisions behind you and holds up the emergency services.
- ✗ Stop and film it on your phone. Never use a hand-held phone while driving. Stopping to film also blocks the road.
- ✗ Stop to offer help. When the emergency services are already there, you help most by keeping traffic moving.
Rule 282 Rule 149

Practise it in 3DDrive the scene, make each decision as it happens, and see how you score.Play

The rules behind it

Rule 281 Warning signs or flashing lights ahead may mean an incident. Slow down and be ready to stop.
Rule 283 At an incident: stop safely, hazard lights on, engines off, no smoking, call 999 with full details, do not move injured people unless they are in danger, and stay until help arrives.
Rule 116 Hazard warning lights are for when you are stopped and causing a temporary obstruction. You MUST NOT use them while driving, except briefly on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway to warn of a hazard ahead.
Annex 7 First aid on the road: deal with danger, get help, keep casualties warm and still, give them nothing to eat or drink.
Rule 282 When passing an incident, keep your eyes on the road and do not slow down to look.
Rule 149 You MUST NOT use a hand-held phone while driving. The only exception is a genuine 999 or 112 call when it is unsafe or impractical to stop.

More situations

Based on the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988 as published on GOV.UK in October 2026, in our own words; follow the links for the full text. Insurance points are common UK insurer policy terms, so check your own policy. This is not legal advice. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.