After a traffic accident, stop, help the injured, and call the police — don’t flee

1. After a traffic accident, stop, help the injured, and call the police — don’t flee

Cost: No cost at all. Stopping, turning on hazard lights, helping the injured, and calling the police will take at most one or two hours. In minor accidents where no one is hurt and both parties agree on what happened, you can first take photos, then note down the other driver’s name, phone number, license plate, driver’s license number, insurance policy number, and the damaged parts of the vehicles. After both parties sign a statement, they may leave the scene and later negotiate a settlement.

In plain terms: If you flee the scene, you are automatically considered fully responsible for the accident. Your driver’s license will be revoked, and you won’t be allowed to retake the test for life. More practically, both collision damage coverage and third‑party liability insurance will not pay any claims related to fleeing — you’d have to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket. Staying on the scene to help and call the police only takes a couple of hours.

Benefit: The person who flees bears full responsibility for the accident. Only if you can prove the other driver also acted negligently might that responsibility be reduced. Fleeing also results in license revocation for life. If the incident meets the criteria for a traffic‑related crime, fleeing can lead to a sentence of 3 to 7 years; if someone dies because of it, the sentence rises to more than 7 years. Insurance won’t help either: both collision damage coverage and third‑party liability policies exclude any claims arising from “hit‑and‑run,” “intentional tampering with or falsifying the scene,” or “destruction of evidence,” leaving you responsible for any compensation costs (nationwide).

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2021). Road Traffic Safety Law (Revised in 2021, Articles 70, 101). <https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/205308/index.html> (Reprinted by Beijing Municipal Public Security and Traffic Management Bureau); State Council of China (2017). Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law (State Council of China Order No. No. 405, revised in 2017, Articles 86, 92). <http://xzfg.moj.gov.cn/front/law/detail?LawID=75>; National People’s Congress (1997). Criminal Law (Article 133). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>; Insurance Association of China (2020). Model Clauses for Motor Vehicle Commercial Insurance (2020 Edition) (Article 9, 22). <https://www.iachina.cn/art/2020/9/4/art_24_104621.html>

Notes: If anyone is injured, first provide aid and then call the police. If moving vehicles or people is necessary to help, mark their original positions first. Even if you feel no impact after a minor collision and drive away, that can still be classified as fleeing — when in doubt, call the police. The insurance information cited comes from standard industry clauses; the actual coverage you receive depends on the specific terms of your own policy.