New York driving lesson · Crashes & Driver Assistance
At the scene of a crash
A 3-minute lesson from the New York course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
New York has more than 300,000 traffic crashes a year, and even careful drivers get caught up in other people's mistakes. If you're in one, the law requires you to stop, share information and protect the scene, no matter how minor the damage looks.
Know the rule
You can carry an emergency kit with flares and first-aid supplies; road kits are sold in department and auto supply stores.
Leaving the scene of a property damage incident carries 3 points; leaving the scene of a personal injury accident carries 5 points, and one such violation (or a fatal crash) means revocation for at least six months.
If possible, move your vehicle off the road. Protect the scene with reflectors or flares, but watch for leaking fuel, and protect yourself and others from oncoming traffic.
Don't stop at a crash scene unless you're involved or emergency help hasn't arrived. Otherwise focus on driving and on directions from traffic officers.
You back into a parked car in a lot and dent its door, but no one is around. You can't just drive off: leaving the scene of a property-damage crash is a traffic violation. Try to find the owner, or notify 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.
If you're in a crash with only minor property damage, must you stop?
Yes, whatever the damage
No, only for injury crashes
Only if the other driver stops first
Only if the damage exceeds $500
Answer: Yes, whatever the damage
If you are in a crash, you must stop — the level of damage does not matter.