When required by a constable to produce evidence at the scene, which action is correct?

• A. The driver must report the accident and produce the certificate or other evidence.
• B. The driver may refuse to provide evidence if not detained.
• C. The driver must provide a written statement to the police within 7 days.
• D. The driver must contact the insurer by email only.

Answer: (A)

If a constable asks you to produce evidence at the scene, you must comply by presenting the documents that prove your identity, insurance, and vehicle details. This typically includes your driving licence, the certificate of motor insurance, and the vehicle’s registration document, or any other evidence of insurance or ownership the officer requests. The duty comes from the Road Traffic Act, which authorises police to require production of these documents at the scene, and you should provide them promptly or within a reasonable time if you need to forward them later. You may also have to report the accident to the police if the circumstances call for it.

refusing to provide evidence simply because you’re not detained isn’t appropriate, and a written statement within seven days isn’t the immediate action required at the scene. Emailing the insurer may be part of dealing with the incident, but it doesn’t satisfy the police’s requirement to produce documentary evidence on demand at the scene.