Thursday 30 / January / 2025
Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has issued comprehensive guidelines for handling simple traffic accidents to ensure safety and minimise disruptions. A simple traffic accident is defined as one where damage is limited to the involved vehicles, with no fatalities, injuries, or damage to public or private property beyond those involved in the collision.
A traffic accident is not considered simple if any of the following conditions exist:
1. A vehicle involved belongs to a military or security entity and is equipped with special modifications.
2. The at-fault party's vehicle is uninsured.
3. One of the involved parties does not hold a valid driving license, or their license is legally suspended.
4. One of the involved parties is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
5. Damage occurs to public or private property belonging to parties other than those directly involved in the accident.
The ROP emphasises the importance of promptly removing vehicles from the roadway to prevent traffic obstruction and outlines the necessary steps for handling such situations. Failure to move vehicles when able constitutes a traffic obstruction violation.
The procedures vary depending on whether the involved parties agree or disagree about who is at fault:
Agreement on At-Fault Party:
(i) Remove the damaged vehicles from the road.
(ii) Complete the Simple Traffic Accident Form, using the provided template, and have all parties sign it.
(iii) The relevant insurance company must take necessary action within one week of receiving the form.
(iv) Agreement on Repair Costs (No Insurance Involvement):
(v) Remove the damaged vehicles from the road.
(vi) Complete the Simple Traffic Accident Form, using the provided template, and have all parties sign it.
(vii) Each party must proceed to the police station to obtain a vehicle repair permit.
Disagreement on At-Fault Party:
(i) Remove the damaged vehicles from the road.
(ii) Notify the police station.
These guidelines aim to streamline the process for handling simple traffic accidents, improving road safety and minimising inconvenience for all road users.
