Massachusetts driving lesson · Special Situations & Crashes
If You're in a Crash
A 3-minute lesson from the Massachusetts course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
In 2022 there were 134,472 motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts. If you're involved in any crash, even a small one, the law requires you to stop and follow specific steps. Leaving can mean a hit-and-run charge.
Property damage only:
Move off the road if possible: the Driver Removal Law requires this when no one is injured
Exchange name, address, license number, registration and insurance with drivers or owners involved
Damaged a parked vehicle or property? Try to find the owner, or notify the local police
Injured a cat, dog or other animal? Notify local police and, if possible, the owner
You must report any crash you're in that kills or hurts someone or causes $1,000 or more in property damage. Reporting only to your insurance company isn't enough; if you don't file, you can be fined and your license suspended or revoked.
Get the report form at a police station, an RMV Service Center, the Contact Center or Mass.Gov/RMV, and keep a copy for your files. A copy of a police crash report can be requested online for $20.
You back into a parked car in a lot, causing about $1,200 in damage, and no one is around. Try to find the owner or notify the local police, and within five days file a crash report with the RMV and the police.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How many days do you have to file a written crash report with the RMV after a reportable crash?
Ten days
Three days
Thirty days
Five days
Answer: Five days
You must file a crash report with the RMV and local police within five days.