How to fill in the accident report form correctly

The accident report form, known in Spain as the ‘parte amistoso’ and officially the ‘Declaración Amistosa de Accidente’, uses the same layout throughout Europe. It lets the two drivers involved in an accident describe together what happened and sign it. With it, the insurers can settle the claim much faster. Always keep one in the glovebox, and if you hire a car, check it has one too.

Before you start

• Use a single set: it is a carbonless form, with one sheet for each driver.
• Write in ballpoint pen and press firmly so the copy is legible.
• Each driver fills in their own column: vehicle A on one side and B on the other. It doesn’t matter who is A or B.
• If you don’t share a language, the numbered boxes are the same in every version, which helps you understand each other.

Shared details

The top section records the date, time, exact location, whether anyone was hurt, whether other vehicles or objects were damaged, and witness details. Be precise about the location: street or road name, kilometre marker if you know it, and municipality.

Your column

Each driver writes down the details of the policyholder, the vehicle, the insurer (name, policy number and validity) and the driver (driving licence). Keep them to hand: the car’s documents and the insurance receipt or certificate make this step much easier.

Circumstances: the most important part

In the middle there is a list of numbered situations: parked, leaving a car park, changing lanes, travelling in the same direction, failed to stop at a stop sign, and so on. Each driver ticks the ones that describe what they were doing at the moment of impact. At the end, the total number of boxes ticked in each column is written down.

That number prevents anyone adding crosses later. And those boxes are the first thing insurers look at to share out liability, so take your time. If none fits exactly, don’t tick one that doesn’t apply.

The sketch

Draw the road, the lanes, each car’s direction of travel with arrows, their positions at the moment of impact and any relevant road signs. You don’t need to be an artist, but it does need to be clear. Also mark the initial point of impact on each vehicle, on the small drawing of the car.

Damage and remarks

Describe the visible damage to your vehicle. Under remarks you can add anything you consider important, for example that the other driver accepts they failed to give way. Avoid opinions or long sentences.

Signing and splitting

1. Check everything before signing. Once signed, it should not be changed.
2. Both drivers sign.
3. Separate the sheets: each keeps one.
4. Take a photo of the form just in case.
5. Send it to your insurer within the few days your policy allows.

If you don’t agree with what the other driver wants to write, don’t sign. It’s better for each of you to give your own version separately than to sign something that doesn’t reflect what happened.

You’ll find a more detailed explanation in our accident report form guide. And if your car has been damaged, at Green Car Service Tenerife we take care of the loss assessment and dealing with your insurer.