What to Do After a Minor Bump UK 2026

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026

The legal obligation: Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170

The Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170 requires any driver involved in an accident on a road or public place that causes damage to another vehicle, property, or injury to any person to stop and remain at the scene. The driver must provide their name, address, and the vehicle's registration number to any person with reasonable grounds to require them, including the owner of the damaged property.

This obligation applies regardless of the severity of the damage. A scratch in a car park caused by your door opening into the adjacent vehicle, a minor rear-end tap at low speed, or a grazing contact with a static object, all constitute "accidents" for the purposes of section 170 if damage to another vehicle or property results. Leaving the scene without exchanging details is a hit-and-run offence under section 170, carrying up to five penalty points and a potential disqualification.

Where the other party is not present at the scene, a car park collision where the other vehicle's owner is in a shop, you must leave your contact details on or with the other vehicle and report the incident to police within 24 hours to fulfil the section 170 obligation.

Documenting the incident: photographs and evidence

Regardless of whether you intend to make an insurance claim, thorough documentation of the incident and the damage provides protection if the other party later claims more extensive damage than was caused at the time.

Take photographs immediately: the damage to both vehicles; the position of both vehicles before they are moved; any skid marks, debris, or environmental factors; the other vehicle's registration number; and any visible CCTV cameras in the area that may have recorded the incident.

Where the other party is present, collect: their full name and address; their vehicle's registration number; their insurance policy details (insurer name and policy number); and any independent witness details (names and contact information for people who saw the incident).

When to claim on insurance and when to self-fund

The decision of whether to make an insurance claim following a minor incident depends on the financial comparison between the cost of self-funding the repair and the combined cost of the insurance claim excess plus the long-term premium increase from the NCD step-back.

For minor repairs, a superficial scratch, a small dent, cosmetic damage costing £150 to £300 to repair, where the total excess (compulsory plus voluntary) is £400, the insurer contributes nothing and there is no financial case for a formal claim. Self-fund the repair.

Where the repair cost exceeds the total excess, for example, a £700 alloy wheel repair against a £250 total excess, producing a £450 insurer contribution, the claim may be financially rational. However, the NCD step-back cost must also be calculated. A two-year NCD step-back producing an additional £200 to £400 in premiums over the following two years may outweigh the £450 settlement value. Calculate the net financial outcome over the next two years before deciding to claim.

The ABI's estimate of the average UK motor claim cost, approximately £3,500 in 2025, reflects the average across all claims including large repair, personal injury, and total-loss claims. Minor bump claims that fall well below the total excess represent the vast majority of incidents where self-funding is the correct economic decision.

Reporting to your insurer: the 14-day notification recommendation

Whether or not you intend to claim, notifying your insurer of the incident within 14 days is strongly recommended and is a requirement under many policy conditions. Most UK motor insurance policies require the policyholder to notify the insurer "promptly" of any incident involving the vehicle, even where no claim is being made.

The reason: if the third party subsequently makes a claim against you, for injuries discovered later, or for vehicle damage they claim was more extensive than initially apparent, your insurer needs to have been notified to manage the liability claim on your behalf. An insurer notified after the third party's claim has already been submitted has less opportunity to investigate and defend it.

Notifying the insurer of an incident without claiming does not automatically trigger an NCD step-back. The NCD step-back occurs when a claim payment is made, not when the incident is reported. The incident will appear on the CUE database as a reported event even where no claim was made, and must be disclosed on future applications and renewals as an incident, regardless of whether a claim was pursued.

Key Figures

How a minor incident affects future renewals and disclosures

Even where no claim is made following a minor bump, the incident must be disclosed on future insurance applications and renewals. The Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) database records all incidents reported to UK insurers, whether or not a claim was made. The CUE record remains for five years.

At every renewal and new policy application during the five-year window, the insurer will ask whether any incidents or accidents have occurred in the relevant period. The minor bump must be declared honestly. Failing to declare a known incident is a material non-disclosure under CIDRA 2012.

The premium impact of a reported-but-not-claimed incident is typically lower than an equivalent at-fault claim, some insurers apply no loading for incidents where no claim was made; others apply a modest actuarial adjustment. BIBA-registered specialist brokers (biba.org.uk/find-insurance/) can compare across underwriters whose actuarial models weight reported-no-claim incidents differently, identifying the most competitive terms for a policyholder with a recent minor incident in their history.

DVLA vehicle and driver records: what a minor incident doesn't change

DVLA records the registered keeper of a vehicle on the V5C and records driving licence endorsements. A minor bump, even one involving the Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170 exchange of details, does not automatically create a DVLA endorsement or record. Endorsements arise from court convictions, not from incidents alone.

Where a minor bump leads to a police report and subsequent prosecution (for example, where the other party alleges a more serious incident than the actual contact), DVLA endorsements may follow a court conviction. But the incident itself, a car park scratch, a minor rear-end contact, does not trigger any DVLA action without a prosecution and conviction.

The insurer's CUE record (the Claims and Underwriting Exchange) is separate from DVLA's records. The CUE incident flag follows the policyholder through UK motor insurance applications for five years; the DVLA driving record is unaffected unless a court conviction follows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to stop for a minor car park scratch?

Yes. The Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170 requires stopping and exchanging details for any accident that causes damage to another vehicle or property, regardless of severity. Driving away without leaving contact details is an offence.

Should I claim on insurance for a small dent?

Calculate the financial outcome: if the repair cost exceeds your total excess, there may be an insurer contribution. But the NCD step-back cost over the following two renewal years must also be factored. For repairs near or below the total excess, self-funding is almost always the better economic choice.

Do I need to tell my insurer if I decide not to claim?

Yes. Most motor insurance policies require notification of any incident promptly, typically within 14 days. Failure to notify limits the insurer's ability to manage any subsequent third-party claim. The incident is recorded on the CUE database regardless of whether a claim is made.

Does reporting an incident without claiming affect my no-claims discount?

No. The NCD step-back occurs when a claim payment is made, not when an incident is reported. Reporting without claiming does not trigger the NCD step-back. However, the incident appears on CUE and must be disclosed on future applications.

What evidence should I gather at the scene?

Photographs of both vehicles (including the damage and positions before being moved), the other vehicle's registration number, the other party's name and contact details, their insurance information, any witness contact details, and any nearby CCTV camera locations. Thorough documentation provides protection if the other party later claims more extensive damage.

Sources & Verification

• Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52
• ABI Motor Insurance data: https://www.abi.org.uk
• Motor Insurers' Bureau, CUE: https://www.mib.org.uk
• HMRC Insurance Premium Tax: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/insurance-premium-tax
• BIBA, Find a specialist broker: https://www.biba.org.uk/find-insurance/
• gov.uk, Driving without insurance: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/penalty-for-driving-without-insurance

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always verify rates with official sources before making any financial decision.