What to do if someone scratches your car and flees?
2 Answers
If someone scratches your car and leaves the scene, and the incident is recorded by surveillance or witnessed by others, the victim can report the case. If the traffic police identify the perpetrator, it will be considered a hit-and-run, but generally, the driver's license will not be revoked. A traffic hit-and-run refers to the act of a party involved in a road traffic accident driving away or abandoning their vehicle at the scene to evade legal consequences. For minor scratch-and-flee incidents, the nature of the offense must be determined after investigation by the traffic police department. More details are as follows: 1. Fleeing after a traffic accident refers to the act of the perpetrator running away to evade legal consequences after the accident occurs. 2. Fleeing after causing a traffic accident that does not constitute a crime may result in a fine of 200-2000 yuan, 12 penalty points, and detention for up to 15 days. 3. Fleeing after causing a traffic accident that constitutes a crime will lead to criminal liability and a lifetime revocation of the driver's license. 4. The criteria for a traffic accident to constitute a crime: the party bears primary or greater responsibility for the accident, causing serious injury to one or more persons or being unable to compensate for damages exceeding 300,000 yuan; or causing the death of three or more persons with equal responsibility. Minor scratches typically do not meet these conditions.
Last weekend I accidentally scratched a parked car and drove off due to nervousness, which kept me awake all night. I think the best approach is to go back and handle it promptly. Fleeing after scratching a car may be considered hit-and-run, resulting in heavier fines, penalty points, and difficulties with insurance claims. Leaving a note with contact details on the windshield or finding the owner through property management to apologize—most reasonable people will forgive. Here’s a personal experience: when I went back promptly, the owner appreciated my honesty, and we settled with just a few hundred yuan in compensation. In contrast, a friend who fled was caught on camera, fined over a thousand yuan, and damaged their credibility. Always check blind spots when parking and use the reversing camera to avoid scratches.
