← Breakdowns and incidents
Rule 286: Stopping after a collision
Legal requirement — says MUST
Documentation (rules 286 to 287)
If you are involved in a collision which causes damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal or property, you MUST
- stop. If possible, stop in a place of relative safety (see Rule 275
- give your own and the vehicle owner’s name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle, to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them
- if you do not give your name and address at the time of the collision, report it to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours.
Why the capitals matter. The Highway Code writes a rule in capitals — MUST or MUST NOT — when it is backed by law, so breaking it is a criminal offence. The rules that do not use capitals are advice.
5 theory test questions on this rule
From the DVSA revision question bank. These are not the questions asked in the real theory test. Each one shows the answer, the explanation, and our own note on why every other option is not it.