Parked-car damage in Australia: what to do

Save the evidence and contact your insurer. If the other driver left without exchanging details, tell the police service for the place where it happened. Call Triple Zero (000) if someone is injured or there is an immediate emergency.

You do not need to identify the driver’s name before asking for help. Start with the facts you have.

Photograph before the scene changes

Take a wide photograph of the parking space, then closer images of the damage. Record the time, address and any vehicle description or rego you saw. Keep the issuing state or territory with the rego.

Save any note, dashcam clip or message. Ask witnesses for contact details and ask nearby businesses whether they can preserve relevant recordings. Do not promise yourself that a camera will have captured the plate.

If you did not see the impact, say so. A vehicle parked close to the damage is not proof that its driver caused it.

NSW: tell police if the driver failed to exchange details

NSW Police’s crash-reporting guidance includes failure to stop and exchange particulars among the criteria for crashes police investigate. It lists 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance and 000 for emergencies.

Describe the incident when you call and follow the instructions for your circumstances. These are NSW contacts and procedures. For a crash in another state or territory, use its police reporting route rather than assuming the NSW process applies.

Keep any reference number and ask how to add evidence obtained later.

Ask your insurer what it needs next

Give the insurer the photographs, report details and any information about the other vehicle. Explain whether the car is safe to drive. Ask about inspection and repair arrangements before approving work, apart from urgent action needed for safety.

An unanswered message does not establish fault. Neither does a plate by itself identify who was driving. Your insurer will need the evidence and policy details to assess the claim.

Contact is supplementary

If there is a displayed contact number or code, you can request an exchange of details. Keep the wording factual and save the response.

An Australian plate address needs Australia, the issuing state or territory and the complete rego.

The current Google Play app does not support plate contact for US, Canadian or Australian plates.

For supported plates, Replyte keeps phone numbers out of the conversation and requires the sender to use the app. Eligible messages to supported, unclaimed plates wait up to 30 days and expire unless claimed. Never delay police or insurance steps while waiting for a reply.

For help addressing a follow-up request, see contacting a driver in Australia.

Replyte is available on Google Play. The iOS app is not available yet.