When involved in a minor road accident, British motorists are most likely to contact their insurance provider first, rather than the police, a family member, or a friend, according to research conducted by the UK's leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart.

According to the survey, 36% of the respondents said that they would contact their insurance company first if they had a low-speed car accident and someone had damaged their vehicle, such as by denting the bumper.

30 percent of people said that they would call a family member in an emergency, 28 percent said that they would call the police, and 9 percent said that they would call a friend.

The most divided responses were those relating to whether or not to call the police if a minor incident occurred, with one in three respondents (33 percent) indicating that they would be the last people to call if such an incident occurred, while 28 percent thought that the police would be their first call.

36 percent of respondents said they would try to get a confession from the driver who hit their car, according to the survey.

“After an incident on the road, it can be difficult to remain calm and consider the most logical course of action. Calling your insurance company is the right thing to do but it is important to remember that the nature of the situation will also determine who to call,” said Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart.

“For example, we would only suggest calling the police if somebody is hurt, a crime has been committed, or you are in the live lane of a motorway or dual carriageway, with no other way of getting help.

“Equally, if your car’s lights have been damaged in poorly lit conditions, it is important that you do not continue on your journey and that you call your breakdown company, or a family member or helpful friend.”

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