What to Do If You Hit a Stationary Car While Reversing?
3 Answers
The correct procedure when you hit a stationary car while reversing is to stop your vehicle immediately, preserve the accident scene, and report the incident to the traffic police department or your insurance company. Wait for the traffic police to arrive at the scene to collect evidence, determine liability for the accident, and issue a liability determination certificate. Hit and Run: This refers to fleeing the scene of a traffic accident to evade legal consequences, with the subjective intent of avoiding legal liability. Here are some precautions to take when reversing: Control your speed; Be aware of the actual distance in mirrors. Control your speed: Beginners must control their speed when reversing. The reversing speed should not exceed 2 meters per second. A slower speed allows more time for observation and steering adjustments, which is essential for safety. Otherwise, excessive speed increases the likelihood of accidents. Be aware of the actual distance in mirrors: Objects seen in mirrors may not appear as they do to the naked eye. Particularly, the passenger-side rearview mirror is a slightly curved convex mirror, which provides a wider field of view but can make objects appear farther away than they actually are. It's important to take evasive action in advance. The driver-side rearview mirror is a flat mirror, offering a relatively narrower field of view but a more accurate sense of distance.
Here's how I handled it last time when I reversed into my neighbor's car: I immediately stopped the car, shifted to P gear, and first checked the extent of the damage to the other car. If the scratch wasn't severe, I took photos as evidence from all angles—front, back, left, and right—making sure to clearly capture the positional relationship between the two cars. After that, I moved my car to a place where it wouldn't obstruct traffic and directly negotiated with the car owner. We exchanged phone numbers and driver's license information, and since the repair cost was only a few hundred dollars, we settled it privately with compensation. Remember, never just drive away—it counts as a hit-and-run, and you'll be fully liable!
Last time I reversed into a parking lot pillar, the security guard taught me to do this: immediately turn on the hazard lights, get out to inspect, and take photos and videos if there's a dent on the rear bumper. Then contact the property management to check the surveillance footage. After confirming it was a single-vehicle accident, call the insurance company to file a report. They asked me to take photos of the vehicle registration, driver's license, and VIN, and upload them. The next day, the claims adjuster came directly to the community to assess the car's condition. The entire process didn't require me to visit the claims center myself, and the repair cost of over 3,000 was fully covered by the comprehensive insurance.
