1. Is RCMP required at the scene of a collision?
Call 911 if:
- There has been a serious injury or fatality, or if a driver involved in the accident appears to have committed a crime (ex: driving while intoxicated).
Call the incident/complaint line at 780-594-3301 if:
- Any vehicle involved in the collision is not drivable,
- Any vehicle involved in the collision cannot be moved to the side of the road, and its position is likely to cause another collision,
- Any driver involved in the collision fails to produce registration, insurance or a driver’s license.
If no one is seriously injured and all vehicles are drivable, Cold Lake RCMP does not need to attend. You will need to report the collision to RCMP later, if there are injuries or if damage appears to be more than $2000.
2. Exchange information with the other driver(s)
Write down or use your cell phone to take photos of their driver's licence, registration, insurance documents and licence plate. Also take photos that show the damage caused to all vehicles involved and the location of the collision.
3. Reporting a collision after the fact
The collision must be reported to RCMP if:
- There is any injury, even a minor one,
- There appears to be $2000 or more in damage. If you're not sure whether there is $2000 in damage, you may get an estimate first. Alberta law prohibits auto repair shops from repairing a vehicle with damage over $2000 unless it has a sticker showing the accident was reported to police.
4. Reporting a collision with injuries or more than $2000 in damage
You must attend the Cold Lake RCMP detachment in person and you will need to provide the same information you exchanged with the other driver(s): driver's licence, registration and insurance documents. You will also need to fill out a Collision Reporting Form, detailing the circumstances, damage to all vehicles and location of the collision.
You are responsible for reporting the collision to your insurance company. Filing a police report does not mean your insurance company will be notified.