What to Do After a Car Accident in Qatar

Qatar, like much of the Middle East, is known for its erratic driving, so having a bumper bashing or a minor accident in a parking lot is not very uncommon. Larger car accidents also do happen. It is always best to be informed on how to act and react if you have been involved in an accident, no matter how minor. This includes finding your vehicle banged and scratched in the parking lot of a mall and the culprit leaving the scene.

This guide provides all the necessary information that you should know regarding the police, the paperwork and the procedures.

 

The paperwork that should always be in the car

1. Your driving license
2. Your vehicle registration
3. Your vehicle insurance documents

If you are involved in any kind of vehicle accident, the police will ask you for these documents.

If you are involved in a minor accident and you and the third party agree as to who is at fault, you can move your vehicles out of the way so as not to obstruct traffic. However, if the two parties cannot agree on who is at fault, we recommend that you leave your vehicles as they are until the police arrive and do an assessment.

SEE ALSO: Guide to traffic offences and penalties in Qatar

Do not move the vehicles no matter the obstruction that they may be causing to the other road users if the vehicles have suffered major damage or if there is an injury. Allow the police to arrive and assess the situation. Furthermore, if there is an injured party, call an ambulance as well as the police, Even if you deem the injury minor, it may lead to complications and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Once the police arrive, they will ask to see your paperwork. Then, they will issue you with a red or a green ticket. The red indicates that you are at fault while the green means that you are not at fault. They will then inform you of the date that you need to go to the police station to collect the police report. This is done on the day of or the day after the accident. Also, try to retrieve the policeman’s personal details such as his name, badge number, phone number or police branch.

 

Do not sign anything that you do not understand. Try and take an Arabic speaking friend with you to the station for communication purposes.

Never accept blame if you believe that the accident was NOT caused due to your negligence.

SEE ALSO: Need advice? Ask fellow EWers on our Qatar forum

Always be respectful to the police officer and NEVER lose your temper. This will only slow things down.

Go to the police station closest to the scene of the accident. They will open a file and you will have to wait for a week in case someone comes forward to claim responsibility. Thereafter, you will receive a police report which will enable you to fix your car.

By law, the body shops in Qatar are not allowed to fix any damaged vehicle without a police report, so you will have to get one for even minor damage.

Police
+974 4489 0699
+974 4489 0670
999

Ambulance
999