The Oregon Legislature has brought us a lot of new laws, and changes to old laws, that will affect the rules of the road. Some are effective now, others won’t take effect until the 2018. Regardless, it’s best to get ready for them now!
The Legislature changed two important rules about your duties after an accident.
Damage Threshold for Accident Reporting Increased
Effective immediately, SB 35 changes the threshold for reporting an accident to DMV, on the DMV’s accident reporting form, has been increased to $2500.00. If your vehicle (that you own or are driving) suffers more than $2500.00 in damage, you must report it. If any non-vehicle property suffers more than $2500.00 in damage, all drivers involved must report the accident.
The obligations to report if any vehicle is towed, or any person is killed or injured, remains unchanged.
If you don’t report an accident when required, it can be a class B traffic violation and DMV can suspend your license until you file the report.
New Requirement to Provide Insurance Information after Accidents – or Risk Hit and Run Charges
As of January 1, 2018, HB2403 makes it mandatory to provide insurance information to other parties in an accident. HB 2403 amends the hit and run statutes, so that if you don’t provide the information and you leave the scene of the accident, you can be charged with misdemeanor or felony hit and run.
You also have to provide insurance information if you leave a note following a fender bender.
The requirement to provide the name and address of the driver and the registration
number of the vehicle that the driver is driving, and the name and address of any other occupants
of the vehicle remains the same.
If you’re in an accident, don’t forget stop immediately and provide all of the above information or you risk the possibility of a hit and run charge.