39.6. In case of injury to life or health of a participant (participants) in a road traffic accident, is a joint notification of a road traffic accident (European Accident Statement) completed?
UAВ разі завдання шкоди життю та здоров’ю учаснику (учасникам) ДТП чи складається спільне повідомлення про дорожньо-транспортну пригоду (Європротокол)?
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This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning the documentation of a road traffic accident and the safety of road users in critical situations. It emphasizes the main priority of traffic regulations: if there is a risk to life and health, simplified procedures do not apply, and the driver’s actions must be aimed at assisting the injured and properly recording the incident.
The question tests the topic “Road Traffic Accident, Driver’s Duties” (terms of clause 1.10 and requirements of clause 2.10 of the Traffic Rules). According to these provisions, a joint accident report (European Accident Statement) is only possible when there are no fatalities or injured persons. Therefore, the option “Yes” is incorrect: the presence of any bodily injuries automatically excludes the use of the European Accident Statement. The wording “No, if there are fatalities” is also incorrect, because the prohibition applies not only to fatalities but also to any injured persons. The answer “Yes, if the harm is minor” is misleading: the “minor” nature of the injury does not matter, as the key condition is the absence of harm to life and health.
For the theoretical exam, it is important to remember the practical algorithm: at the slightest suspicion of injuries, you must ensure safety at the scene, provide assistance, call emergency medical services if necessary, and notify the National Police, as required by the traffic rules. The European Accident Statement is intended only for material damages in simple cases, when there are no injured persons and the incident can be properly settled with the insurer without police involvement.
Clause 1.10 (term “Road Traffic Accident”)
Road traffic accident — an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle, as a result of which people were killed or injured, or material damage was caused.
Clause 2.10
In the event of involvement in a road traffic accident, the driver is obliged, in particular, to take measures to assist the victims and call emergency medical assistance (if necessary), as well as to report the accident to the relevant units of the National Police of Ukraine.
If, as a result of a road traffic accident, there are no people killed or injured, drivers (under conditions provided by law) may, without the involvement of the National Police, complete a joint report on the road traffic accident (European Accident Statement).
Therefore, the correct answer is “No,” given that by definition and direct provision of the Traffic Rules, a joint report on a road traffic accident (European Accident Statement) is allowed only in the absence of people killed or injured.
The European Accident Statement (joint notification of a traffic accident) is intended for simple cases where drivers can independently record the circumstances of the incident without police involvement. Its essence is that the participants fill out a form at the scene of the incident, after which this document is submitted to the insurance company as the basis for settling damages.
One of the key conditions for using the European Accident Statement, according to its rules of use, is the absence of harm to life and health. That is, if there are injured persons in the accident (even with minor injuries) or, even more so, fatalities, the simplified procedure for documenting the event is no longer allowed.
The logic here is simple: when people are injured, the incident falls into a category that requires a different procedure, since issues of medical assistance, recording bodily injuries, and liability arise, which cannot be replaced by a form filled out by drivers. For example, if after a collision a passenger complains of neck pain or a driver has been injured, even with minor vehicle damage, the European Accident Statement is not completed in such a situation.
Therefore, the correct answer is "No.", since when harm is caused to the life or health of participants in a traffic accident, the European Accident Statement is not applied and cannot be completed.