Accidents, documentation and NaTIS licensing requirements
Domain 7: Accidents, documentation and NaTIS licensing requirements
This domain covers what to do at the scene of a crash and the paperwork that keeps you legal: licences, vehicle registration, and the NaTIS system that records them.
At the scene
Stop. Switch off, switch on hazards, and place a warning triangle roughly 45 m behind the vehicle - further on a fast road. Do not move an injured person unless there is fire or further danger. Call emergency services, give first aid within your training, and do not leave until details have been exchanged.
What to record
Other driver's name, ID, address, phone number, driving licence number, vehicle registration and insurance details; witnesses' names and numbers; time, place, road and weather conditions; photographs and the position of the vehicles.
Legal reporting
Any crash involving injury or death, or damage to property, must be reported to the South African Police Service - within 24 hours is the standard rule. You may not drive away from a crash you were involved in, and you may not drink alcohol before reporting it.
Documents to carry
Valid driving licence (or learner's licence while accompanied by a licensed driver), the vehicle registration certificate, and the vehicle licence disc displayed on the windscreen.
NaTIS essentials
NaTIS (National Traffic Information System) holds licensing, registration and roadworthiness records.
- A learner's licence is valid for 18 months and must be carried while driving.
- A driving licence card is valid for five years and must be renewed before expiry.
- A purchased vehicle must be registered in the new owner's name within 21 days.
- A used vehicle needs a roadworthiness certificate when it changes hands.
Worked example
You buy a second-hand car on 3 March. Reasoning: registration must be transferred into your name within 21 days, by 24 March, and the roadworthy certificate must go with the application. Miss it and the licence disc cannot be renewed.
Traps
Leaving the scene "to report later"; moving an injured person unnecessarily; not displaying the licence disc; assuming the seller registers the vehicle for you.