If you discover damage and have reason to believe another vehicle hit your parked car and left, record the location, damage and the last time you saw the car undamaged. Preserve any dashcam footage and ask car park management to retain relevant CCTV. Traffic Police list hit-and-run as a case that requires a traffic accident report. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
Contact your motor insurer promptly and follow its accident reporting process. Under the Motor Claims Framework, report the accident to your insurer within 24 hours or by the next working day, even if you plan to pay for repairs yourself. The insurer’s report and the Traffic Police report serve separate purposes. General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
- Save photos, footage and the time window before files are overwritten.
- Lodge a traffic accident report for a hit-and-run.
- Call your insurer and follow its reporting and towing directions.
On this page
- Record what you actually found
- Lodge the Traffic Police report
- Notify your insurer and protect the claim record
- Frequently asked questions
Record what you actually found
From a safe position, photograph the full car, the damage, your plate and the surrounding bay or pillar. Write down when you parked, the last time you saw it undamaged and when you discovered the damage. If there is a note or a witness, save those details. Identify the damage you can see and describe uncertainty about what caused it. General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
Export original dashcam files before they overwrite. Ask management to preserve the relevant time window, using the car park name, level and bay. They may have a process for releasing footage to Police. Keep your request and any incident reference.
Lodge the Traffic Police report
Use the Traffic Accident Report service on the SPF e-services website or lodge the report at a police station. Provide the location, time window, damage, witness details and other vehicle registration if known. If you did not see the impact, state how you discovered it and what any footage shows. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
Use 999 when you need immediate police help. A discovery after the other vehicle has left can be reported through the traffic accident reporting process when there is no immediate danger. SPF emergency contact information SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
Notify your insurer and protect the claim record
Use the insurer’s published hotline to ask how to report, where to take the car and whether a tow is needed. If the damage may make the car unsafe to drive, ask about approved towing before moving it. Report within the Motor Claims Framework timeline and keep both report references. General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework
A car park example
A driver finds a dent and a broken lamp after returning to a basement bay. They photograph the bay number, save the dashcam file, ask management to keep the footage and call their insurer. They state the time the car was last seen undamaged and leave the identity of the other driver for the evidence to establish.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wait for CCTV before calling my insurer?
Notify the insurer promptly and say what evidence is pending. Follow the Motor Claims Framework reporting timeline. General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework
Is the insurer report enough for a hit-and-run?
Traffic Police list hit-and-run as a case requiring a traffic accident report. Follow both processes. SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework
Sources
- SPF traffic accident reporting criteria and process
- SPF emergency contact information
- General Insurance Association Motor Claims Framework