What to do after a car accident in Romania

The first minutes after an accident#

If anyone is hurt, however slightly, call 112 and don't move the cars. In that case there is no amicable report: the police come.

1. 1

   Stop and switch on the hazard lights

   Turn off the engine and switch on the hazard warning lights so other drivers can see you.

2. 2

   Get out safely

   If you have a hi-vis vest, put it on before you get out (it isn't compulsory for cars, but it makes you visible). Place the warning triangles behind the car and, if it stays on the carriageway, in front too, at least 30 m away. Then wait on the pavement or behind the barrier.

3. 3

   Check whether anyone is hurt

   If so, call 112 and leave the cars where they are (see below).

4. 4

   No injuries: clear the road

   With only damage to property, the law requires you to move the cars off the carriageway straight away or, if that isn't possible, as close to the kerb or verge as possible, and signal them. Take a few quick photos of their position before you move them.

5. 5

   Decide: amicable report or police

   If the conditions below are met and you both agree, fill in the amicable report. If not, go to the police.

When to call 112#

When someone is killed or injured, the road traffic code (OUG 195/2002) requires anyone involved, or who knows of it, to call 112 and tell the police at once. Drivers involved must not leave the scene or remove traces, and nobody moves the cars without the police's consent. No amicable report applies here.

The amicable report: when it's allowed and how to fill it in#

It's the form both drivers fill in together to report the claim without police paperwork. Under the motor insurance rules of ASF (the Financial Supervisory Authority) and the Amiabila app's rules, you can use it when:

• two vehicles are involved, both insured;
• there is only damage to property: nobody is hurt;
• nothing else is damaged, such as poles, barriers or buildings;
• both drivers fill in and sign the form.

For accidents with only damage to property, the road traffic code requires you to report to the police for the area within 24 hours. The exceptions: if you completed an amicable report, or if you have CASCO and the accident damaged only your own car.

The form comes on paper (your insurer provides it, as two carbonless copies) and in the free Amiabila app, launched by BAAR (the Romanian motor insurers' bureau) together with the RCA insurers. The electronic version has the same legal value as the paper one. How to fill it in:

1. Each driver fills in the column for their own car: personal details, the car, the insurer and the RCA policy.
2. Tick the circumstances of the accident and write down how many boxes you ticked.
3. Draw the sketch: the road, the direction of travel, where the cars were at the moment of impact, the road signs.
4. Mark the point of impact and the visible damage.
5. Both of you sign; on paper, each keeps a copy.

Signing the amicable report does not, by itself, mean admitting fault: the ASF rules say the form describes the facts, and the insurer decides liability. Still, don't sign anything you disagree with.

Which photos to take and what to write down#

• Both cars in full, from several angles, and close-ups of the damage.
• The number plates of every car involved.
• Where the cars stand on the road, before you move them, if it's safe.
• Signs, road markings and traffic lights nearby, plus skid marks or debris on the road.
• The other driver's details: name, phone, plate number, insurer and RCA policy number.
• Witnesses: name and phone.

You can check the other driver's RCA policy on the spot in BAAR's AIDA (opens in a new tab) database of RCA policies issued in Romania. If what you see doesn't match the document, ask the insurer.

How to open a claim#

If the other driver is at fault, you report the claim to their RCA insurer. If your own RCA policy includes direct settlement (decontare directă), you can go to your own RCA insurer, which then recovers the money from the at-fault driver's insurer. If you have CASCO, you can also claim on that.

The RCA insurer then opens a claim file, tells you in writing which documents to submit and assesses the damage within 3 working days of the notification (or on a date you agree), provided you give access to the car. If you both agree, this can also be done from photos and documents sent electronically.

The damage assessment and the repair#

The claims assessor draws up a damage report (proces-verbal de constatare), which the assessor and you both sign, and gives you a copy on the spot. Any objections you have go into the report. If more damage turns up once parts are taken off, a supplementary report is drawn up; the RCA insurer has 3 working days from your request to do it.

• You choose the garage. The RCA law gives you the right to have the car repaired at any repair shop, without restrictions from the insurer, and the damage report must tell you about this right.
• The final repair method is decided by the garage, following the manufacturer's documentation, and accepted by you. What a good estimate shows is in our bodywork and paint guide.
• If you've already repaired the car before the assessment, you can still be compensated if the circumstances and cost are clear from the file, but waiting is simpler.

For the repair itself, look for a bodywork and paint shop. The assessment for the claim is done by the insurer, through its own assessor; you can ask your chosen shop whether the insurer can do it there. If only the windscreen is broken, who pays is in our windscreen guide.

If the car can't be driven: towing#

Check your CASCO and RCA policies first: if you have roadside assistance, included or bought as an extra, the number for a tow is there. Otherwise, call a towing company, and ask where they'll take the car and what it costs before it goes on the truck. What else to ask is in our towing guide.

How CariX helps after an accident#

In the free driver account, the "I had an accident" button opens a step-by-step guide with the steps above, and from there you start your own report:

• Photos are saved on the spot, with the time and, if you allow it, the location.
• The other driver's details: name, phone, plate number, insurer and RCA policy, with a direct link to check it in AIDA.
• Download the report as a PDF when you need it for the claim. It's private: CariX sends it to nobody, neither insurers nor garages.
• The roadside assistance number from your RCA or CASCO policy goes in with the car's documents and sits on the car's page, ready to call.