Over the last few years, number of licensed PCO and private hire drivers have increased significantly. As the rideshare industry is more in demand, the increase of PCO vehicles is widespread and it is evident of the increase of vehicle in the next few years.
As the demand for PCO vehicle increases, the risk of accidents increase too, this is due to PCO and private hire drivers spending many hours on the road. Therefore, as a PCO and private hire driver, it is your duty to ensure that you vehicle safe, in good working conditions and protected from damages at all times, as your foremost goal is towards the safety of your passengers and other drivers on the
As driving is an unpredictable job, you can never plan ahead for an accident; however, in order to avert accidents from happening, as a PCO or private hire driver you must be ready and know what to if a situation arises.
Stages to follow when involved in an accident:
Safety – check everyone including yourself is safe, if injured or medical attention required call 999 and wait for the ambulance.
Vehicle examination – check your PCO or private hire vehicle for any damages. If needed take pictures of the positions of both cars, so there is clear evidence about the crash.
Move your vehicle – move the vehicle to a safe place, switch the engine off and turn the hazard lights on. If you are unable to move/drive to a safe place, turn the engine oof, put the hazard lights on and safely exit the car and proceed to recovery stage by calling your insurance/recovery company.
Information of other drive/drivers involved – get details of the other driver involved in the accident and exchange following details.
- The vehicle registration of all vehicles involved, including a note of the vehicle’s make and model
- Third party’s name, contact details and address
- The precise time, date and location of the accident
- A brief description and a drawing of the incident whilst it is fresh in your memory, include all the details you can remember, as this will make it easier when completing the Accident Report Form.
- Details of the damage to both vehicles, the number of passengers in both vehicle and any injuries sustained during the accident.
Eyewitness – during the incident, if there were people around and ask if you would be willing to become witness; if yes, get their name and phone number and get them to write a brief witness statement on a piece of paper, explaining what they witnessed and make sure they sign and date the statement. Once you have collected all the vital information, please report the incident to your PCO or private hire vehicle subscription provider, if relevant.
