UAE: What to do if your parked car is hit by an unknown person

You may not give a second thought when you park your car in a designated area while running errands, but what happens if you come back to an unwanted surprise?

It is undoubtedly surprising when find your parked car damaged and no sign of the other vehicle or the driver to resolve the issue. An unknown driver might have backed into the car and drove away or opened their car door to leave behind a scratch for you to mend.

As upsetting as the situation may be, you need to alert the authorities before you do anything, as the law requires reporting any car accident to police regardless of its intensity.

Dial 999 and explain to the operator that an unknown driver has damaged your car and that you require police help. You will need to explain and give your location.

Ensure that you have your driving license, car registration card, and Emirates ID or passport to present to the authorities when asked. It is good to take pictures of the damage to your car as evidence.

According to RoadSafety-UAE, you can also check for any CCTV cameras that may be nearby; most mall car parks have CCTV.

If CCTV is present, locate security and ask them to replay the tape to try and identify the culprit.

If there are no CCTV cameras, there is little you can do.

"You can explain your findings if CCTV footage exists when the police arrive. They will then issue the due penalties to the offending culprit. If there is no evidence, then, unfortunately, you will likely have to foot the bill yourself," says the RoadSafety-UAE.

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Abu Dhabi Police explains that it provides an online service for issuing a traffic accident report against an unknown person. Through this service, the motorist can request an accident report against an unknown person in case their car was hit and damaged by an unknown driver and drove away.

The authorities will then issue a damage report, at a fee, which you can send to your insurance firm.

It is important to note that you can't get your car fixed without a police report, and insurance companies will not cover repair costs without this report.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

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