Key takeaway
Before anything moves, take a wide shot that shows where both vehicles ended up, and what's around them: the lane markings, the signals, the signs. Once the cars are moved, that picture is gone for good.
Everyone photographs the damage
It's the natural instinct, and it's worth doing. Close-ups of every vehicle, from a few angles, are genuinely useful.
But damage photos have a quiet limitation: they show what happened to the cars. They don't show the scene.
The shot people forget: the wide one
Stand back far enough to get everything in one frame, and take a photo that shows:
- Where both vehicles came to rest, relative to each other
- The lane markings, and which lane each car is in
- Traffic signals, stop signs, or crosswalks, if there are any
- Skid marks, debris, or glass on the road
- What the weather and the light were doing
Here's why it matters more than the close-ups: the moment the cars are moved out of traffic, and they should be moved if it's safe, that arrangement is gone permanently. A dent can be photographed tomorrow. The scene cannot.
Take it early, take it wide, take more than one
Safety first, always: check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt before you think about your phone. But if everyone is okay and it's safe to stand where you can see the whole scene, take the wide shot before you move anything.
Take it from a couple of directions if you can. Phones stamp photos with a time, which quietly does some useful work for you later.
The rest of the photo list
- Each vehicle, wide and close, from several angles
- Both license plates
- The other driver's insurance card and license, if they're comfortable
- The road itself, in both directions
- Any visible injuries
It's all part of the same simple habit: gather it while it's in front of you, and keep it in one place.
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Sources
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (nhtsa.gov)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Transportation Safety (cdc.gov)
- USA.gov — Motor vehicle services and accident basics (usa.gov)
