In the unlikely event of an accident while renting a car, it is a good idea to know what to do in advance to ensure you can respond calmly and appropriately to the situation.
Furthermore, insurance may not cover you in the event the accident is not dealt with properly.
This article takes you through the relevant steps to take in the event of an accident to ensure you can act calmly in the event of an emergency.
What to do in the event of an accident
①Stop the car in a safe place
- If an accident occurs, first stop the car in a safe place.
- Turn on your hazard lights to alert passing traffic.
②Call an ambulance if there are injured people
- If there is an injury or an emergency, please call 119 and request an ambulance.
- 119 can be called free of charge anywhere in Japan.
③Call the police
- Call the police by dialing 110 and inform them that there has been an accident.
- Even in the event of a small, single-car accident with no other parties involved, those involved in the accident have a duty to report it, and failure to do so can result in penalties.
- If you fail to report an accident, you will not be covered by insurance or compensation. In order to be covered by insurance/compensation, you must receive an "Accident Certificate" issued by the police.
④Call the rental company
- After calling the police, please call the rental company as soon as possible.
- The rental company's telephone contact will be explained to you at the time of pick-up, or information may be distributed together with the rental agreement.
- Failure to contact the rental company will result in no insurance/compensation coverage, so be sure to call the company as soon as possible.
⑤Exchange contact information with the other parties
In there are other parties involved in the accident, please take the following information.
- Name
- Phone number
- Vehicle number
- Insurance company name and contact number
⑥Take photos/videos where possible for proof
As a precaution, it is a good idea to document the accident scene, damaged parts of the car, and road conditions by taking photos and videos, which can help ensure a smooth process following the accident.
Insurance, compensation and payments for accidents
Most rental cars come with car insurance (personal injury, property damage, vehicle) as part of the base cost, and the insurance company will pay for damages in the event of an accident.
However, even in the event that the insurance company pays the compensation amount, there is an "excess" and "Non-Operation Charge (NOC)" that must be paid for by the customer.
In regards to the excess charge, all plans on Jcation include the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), meaning the excess charge is waived for customers.
On the other hand, NOC is borne by the customer if they did not apply for the NOC option that waives the payment or did not reserve a plan that includes the charge in it.
We recommend that customers purchase the NOC Compensation options, which waives the NOC fee, as a mean of protecting themselves in the event of an accident.
Please check the following article for more information on CDW, excess and NOC Compensation.
Car Rental Insurance & Waivers - NOC Compensation ＞
