Recently, LVMPD announced they will no longer respond to non-injury car accidents. To be expected, this has caused quite an uproar in the Las Vegas community. Metro will respond to a car accident if there is an injury or if any of the motorists appear to be operating a vehicle while impaired. One thing we need to keep in mind is that Metro is operating on a budget just like any other business or government agency and has to decide how to best use the resources they have. Metro believes by implementing this change it will free up their officers so that they can keep the Las Vegas roads safer. Whether you agree with this new law or not, you have to agree that there are way too many car accidents in Las Vegas and Metro believes their resources will be better spent trying to prevent so many accidents. I would also like to point out that if you currently have a non-injury, property damage only, car accident you can expect to wait anywhere from 1 to 3 hours for Metro to arrive. Going forward it will be up to the drivers involved in the car accident to handle the situation in a calm and efficient matter.
If you are involved in a non-injury car accident and the other driver is acting calm and rational, here is what you should do:
1. Get as much information as you can about the other car and driver. This includes; license plate number, driver license info (license number, name, address and birthdate) and most importantly insurance information. The insurance information should include; name of the insurance company, policy number, phone # to the insurance company and name of the insured driver on the insurance card. It is also very important to make sure the insurance card is a current identification card.
2. Try to get information on any witness that might have seen the accident. Usually other motorists are in a hurry and will not stop for an accident, but it is imperative to get their name and phone number so they can help validate the accident. Previously, Metro was the party who determined which driver was at fault. Now, it will be up to the insurance company and witnesses to help determine fault.
3. As always, remain calm and try to handle the situation in a responsible matter and be safe!
Here is a link to a news excerpt explaining Metro’s decision and their long term goals.