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Things you have to know in case of a car accident in Romania

Car accidents can be a traumatic and distressing experience, regardless of where they occur. In Romania, car accident statistics reveal that road accidents are unfortunately quite common. While it's impossible to predict when an accident may occur, it's important to be prepared and know what to do in case of a car accident in Romania.

You can’t control what happens in traffic, but you can always avoid possible accidents if you drive carefully.

However, even if we take all safety precautions when we are in traffic, sometimes unforeseen situations can arise. If you or a friend of yours involves in a car accident in Romania, here are some tips to help you manage the situation correctly. Whether they are only simple collisions, car accidents can generate significant stress, and even total panic for some of us.

Therefore, we thought useful to gather practical information on what you need to know in such an unpleasant situation, and the appropriate legal measures to take, and get over such an event more easily.

A car accident on Romanian roads usually meets at least two of the following conditions:

it happens on a Romanian public road;
it causes death or injury to one or more persons, or damage to at least one vehicle as a result of the car accident;
at least one moving vehicle is involved.

In case of a car accident in Romania, the Romanian Traffic Code establishes the legal obligations of the persons involved. There are different procedural steps in the case of a car accident, depending on its type.

Let’s clarify them one by one:

1. Accident with victims

If the accident results in casualties (either death or personal injury), the driver involved must comply with the following:

to notify the police immediately;
not to modify or erase the traces of the accident;
not to leave the accident scene.

Any person who directly or indirectly involves in a traffic accident (or witnesses it) has the legal obligation to immediately call the police, at the single national emergency number: 112.

The following actions are completely prohibited:

changing the position of the vehicle involved in the accident;
changing the state of the place where the accident happened;
deleting the traces of the accident.

2. Accident only with material damages

If the accident resulted only in material damages (only damages to the vehicles and no human injuries), drivers have the obligation:

to take the vehicles out of the roadway, so the traffic can be resumed normally;
if the condition of the vehicles does not allow this 9they are too damaged), try moving them as close as possible to the curb and mark them with reflective triangles;
first of all, make sure that the engine is stopped and turn on the hazard warning lights to warn the rest of the traffic participants;
to inform the local traffic police unit within the radius of the accident, within a maximum of 24 hours. The police will conclude an accident report, will establish the culprit and issue the repair permit. The guilty party will provide to the other driver a copy of his/her car’s mandatory insurance (the “RCA”).

You can find HERE the map with the offices of the traffic police brigade in Bucharest that you can contact if involved in a car accident in Romania.

It would be useful to have as much evidence as possible from the accident site. It allows you to help the police solve the case as correctly as possible: take pictures of the damaged cars, such that the registration plates are clear enough, reach out to witnesses and get their contact details (if the cases go to the court you will need at least 2 witnesses).

Exceptions from reporting to the local traffic police officers apply in the following situations:

1. Drivers agree to conclude a friendly report of the accident

The drivers can do this only under certain conditions. The conditions are: there is agreement between drivers, only two vehicles involved in the accident, there are no casualties or deaths, and no other vehicles, buildings, property, etc. suffered damages. Drivers must agree on the guilty party and the reporting form requires the signature of both drivers involved.

It would be helpful to take a few pictures of the damages from the accident before removing the cars from the road. For the friendly settlement form to be valid, both drivers must complete a single document containing two self-copying sheets. You will find the necessary instructions for the completion in the green certificate accompanying the car’s insurance (RCA) document.

Documents you will need for the friendly report completion

Each driver will need the car’s registration certificate, driver’s license and their ID documents (ID card, passport, etc.). They must complete the friendly report within a maximum of 24 hours after the accident. The original sheet in the finding report must remain with the not-guilty driver, and a copy of the form will remain with the driver guilty of the accident.

The report must be completed as correctly and completely as possible. After completing it, you no longer have the right to go to the Police if you are not satisfied with the verdict given by the insurance company. Once notified, the insurer will appoint a damage inspector to carry out the finding.

The documents you must have with you when applying for the insurance company’s decision are:

the friendly finding form filled in by both drivers involved in the accident or the report issued by the Police;
driving license;
your identity document (ID card, passport);
vehicle registration certificate;
ID card of the vehicle;
power of attorney from the owner of the vehicle, if the vehicle does not belong to you, or proxy, if the owner is a legal entity.

If you had an accident with a car registered abroad, you must also contact the Romanian Car Insurance Bureau.

2. You have an optional car accident insurance (CASCO), and the car accident only resulted in damages to your own vehicle

Only if the vehicle suffered damages while parking, you can go with it (and with your optional car accident insurance – CASCO) to the police headquarters to declare the event and do the necessary documents.

If you have a CASCO insurance, we recommend you to read the Policy and the Contractual Conditions carefully. Doing so, you will understand exactly which situations your insurance covers and which not, and what are the types of services you can benefit of as part of the insurance.

We hope the above information is helpful in helping you better understand the procedures in the event you have a car accident in Romania. Anyway, we hope you’ll never need them.

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