Did you know you can report all collisions or near-misses online, even if there is no injury or little damage and no police involvement?
Collisions involving injury, where someone is in danger, where an offence may have been committed or details have not been exchanged should always be reported to the Police (see below), but Dorset Council wants to know about other collisions.
Having information about damage-only, non-injury incidents and near-misses helps the council identify where road improvements are needed.
Near misses, which might be at low speed with another vehicle, a pedestrian or bike, and dents often go unreported. They may be minor, but lots of small incidents at the same location can highlight the need for changes. This might be something simple, like new signs, or bigger like a new junction design.
Report your damage only collision or near miss
As well as giving details about the incident, you can pinpoint the exact location using our online map.
Cllr Jon Andrews, Cabinet Member for Place Services at Dorset Council, said: “If we don’t know about incidents, we can’t make changes. Social media comments about near misses won’t count as evidence for improvements.
“We recognise that people will make mistakes or feel an incident is minor and not worth reporting. However, we need this data to help us make changes. Without it, it is difficult to understand where we can target funding and improve safety on our roads.”
All information provided will only be used for gathering evidence to make road improvements. It will not be used for any other purposes.
For more serious collisions or collisions that involve injury, please report to Dorset Police:
1. Call 999 (Police/Ambulance/Fire) – For all collisions where someone is in danger, has potentially been seriously injured, you believe a serious offence has been committed, or the collision has caused a blockage or dangerous obstruction of the road.
2. Report a road traffic incident online to Dorset Police – If anyone was injured but they do not require emergency treatment, or if there is no injury but you suspect that the other person may have committed a driving offence. You must report the collision to the police even if you were unable to exchange details at the scene.
