How to correctly fill out a European protocol in case of an accident, receive payment and avoid recourse?

A traffic accident is an unpleasant event that entails bureaucratic delays and official proceedings. In order for insurance companies or the traffic police (in case of serious damage or injuries) to quickly determine the causes of the incident, in 2021 drivers must draw up an accident diagram. This is an official document (if drawn up correctly), which is the legal basis for contacting the insurance company in order to compensate for the damage caused. Also in 2021, the road accident diagram will be used in court proceedings (attached to the case materials).

Why and when is it necessary to draw up an accident diagram in 2021?

In 2021, when drawing up an accident report yourself, the accident diagram is the key document on the basis of which the insurance company identifies the culprits. With its help, traffic police officers have the opportunity to analyze in detail the circumstances of the incident. In case of going to court (for example, if there are victims), the diagram is also attached to the case materials.

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In order for an accident diagram to have legal force, it must be drawn up taking into account all the requirements described in the Federal Law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance”. Otherwise, you may receive a legal refusal to pay for material damage from the insurance company.

When are typical road accident schemes used?

Typical road accident diagrams can be used in two cases:

  1. When registering an accident according to the Europrotocol procedure, that is, without involving police officers authorized by law in the process of documenting the accident.

    The Europrotocol procedure is applied in the manner and under the conditions provided for in Article 11.1 of the Federal Law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance” and clause 2.6.1. Traffic rules of the Russian Federation.

    Read the article for details:

    How to correctly register an accident according to the European Protocol

  2. It is advisable to use standard road accident diagrams if the conditions listed in paragraph 2.6 of the Road Traffic Rules of the Russian Federation are met, that is:

    a) in the absence of victims in an accident;

    b) if there is agreement between the participants in the incident in assessing its circumstances.

    In this case, a diagram of the incident is drawn up and signed by its participants, after which they are required to arrive at the police department (traffic police) for further registration of the incident.

Standard road accident schemes have been approved by the Presidium of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers - RSA.

The full name of the document is “Rules for the application of Standard Road Accident Schemes and the distribution of responsibility of participants in road accidents for the harm caused by them when preparing documents for road accidents without the participation of authorized police officers” (hereinafter referred to as the Rules).

The Rules are in force from 03/01/2009.

The standard diagram drawn up by the participants in the incident is evidence in the case and is assessed by the court when considering civil and administrative cases if there is a dispute about guilt and damage.

Read more in the articles:

How to dispute guilt in an accident

Recovery of damages from the culprit of an accident

Claim against an insurance company for damages in an accident

Who should draw up the document?

The road accident diagram in 2021 can be compiled in two ways:

  1. Without the participation of traffic police officers , i.e. directly involved in the accident. In this case, all the necessary information is indicated in the Europrotocol, which is signed by both parties.
  2. With the participation of traffic police inspectors . This method is relevant in situations where disagreements have arisen between the parties to the accident and they are unable to reach an agreement on their own. A traffic police officer who arrives at the scene of an accident, in this case, carries out a set of measures in order to establish the degree of guilt of the participants in the accident and the damage they caused.

In 2021, the European protocol is an official document, despite the fact that it was drawn up independently. Its presentation to the insurance company is a legal basis for collecting material costs for the restoration of a vehicle damaged in an accident under compulsory motor liability insurance.

Receiving monetary compensation is possible only if no errors were made when drawing up the Europrotocol. This document must record in detail all the events that occurred, taking into account external factors (traffic lights, other traffic participants, terrain, etc.).

Road accident diagram - what is it?

accident diagram

The main purpose of an accident plan is to visually display the characteristics of the accident that occurred. This graphic document is drawn up by hand and certified by the signature of the traffic police inspector who recorded the accident. If the Europrotocol is filled out without the involvement of traffic police officers, the diagram must be certified by both participants in the car accident. Only after this does it receive the status of a legal document, and can serve as an evidence base when analyzing the circumstances of an accident.

Expert opinion

Maria Mirnaya

Insurance expert

OSAGO calculator

The diagram is necessary to clearly demonstrate to interested parties all the nuances of the incident. Despite the fact that the plan is drawn up by hand, it should be as informative as possible. In particular, contain information about the main surrounding objects that affect the road situation. These are traffic lights, road markings, intersections, and some obstacles that limit visibility. You can duplicate the drawn schematic plan with photographs and videos from the scene of the accident. It is important that they do not conflict with the drawn diagram.

The main purpose of the scheme is to provide it for consideration by insurance agency employees who are deciding on the assignment of payments under the MTPL or CASCO agreement. In addition, schemes drawn up and certified in accordance with all the rules are subject to consideration by judicial authorities in the event of litigation between participants in a collision, or in the event of a refusal to pay insurance compensation.

What should be included in an accident report?

Russian legislation does not have particularly stringent requirements for the artistic component of the road traffic accident diagram. The main factor is the reliability and completeness of the information provided. Using this scheme, traffic police and insurance company employees establish the responsibility of the parties. In 2021, the road accident report must include the following information:

  • A detailed description of the location of the accident that occurred (full names of streets, routes, etc.).
  • Detailed location of vehicles before the accident with directions indicated.
  • If there were obstacles in the path of the vehicles, they should be described in detail.
  • Detailed location of traffic lights, road signs and marking lines. The latter is needed in order to find out whether the participants in the accident had restrictions on performing certain maneuvers.
  • If there were other vehicles on the road at the time of the accident, you must indicate them.
  • The place where the first contact of vehicles occurred.
  • Location of cars after an accident.

How to draw a diagram of an accident

There are no clear rules for drawing up a scheme in the European Protocol. However, you should adhere to some recommendations so that the drawing does not raise additional questions for insurers:

  1. The diagram is drawn with a ballpoint pen.
  2. It is necessary to note all road infrastructure objects that are important for determining the circumstances of the accident.
  3. The position of the vehicles at the time of the accident must be indicated, and the location of the collision must be noted.
  4. If there are errors, it is better to redraw the accident plan. The space allocated for the drawing is very small, and it is almost impossible to certify corrections correctly.

Inspectors of the State Traffic Inspectorate draw a diagram on a large A4 sheet. This size allows you to display in detail all objects that are important for identifying the culprit of the accident. In the Notification of an accident, the pictures are small in size; all items are shown schematically.

There is no need to draw small details; cars are indicated by ordinary rectangles. Arrows are placed to indicate the direction of movement.

Methodology for drawing up an accident diagram

The sequence of drawing up an accident plan can be presented in the form of several stages. It is advisable for each driver to draw up a draft independently, and then, after approval, transfer the drawing to the Notification of an Accident.

Stage 1. Drawing the area . First, you need to draw on the plan the place where the accident occurred. Schematically show the location of the streets and write their names. It should be clear from the drawing that the collision occurred at an intersection, on a straight section of road, when leaving a yard or in a parking lot.

If the accident happened near the house, it also needs to be marked on the diagram with the address. You can add other notable places that allow you to recognize the area - a park, monument, fountain, bus stop, etc.

Stage 2. Mapping road infrastructure . The following are included on the plan:

  • road markings;
  • traffic lights marked with the color that was on at the time of the collision;
  • pedestrian crossings;
  • road signs;
  • tram rails;
  • path for cyclists;
  • sidewalk, etc.

All objects that could affect the behavior of drivers must be reflected in the drawing.

Stage 3. Sketching the accident . The position of the vehicles is plotted in relation to the terrain and road infrastructure. The participants' cars should be marked with the letters A and B, according to the completion of the protocol. Arrows next to vehicles indicate the direction in which they are moving.

The collision location is marked with a cross - X.

It is advisable to show the places where the car wrecks are located.

If there was another vehicle obstructing traffic at the time of the collision, this should also be included in the diagram.

The more accurately participants can draw up an incident plan, the fewer controversial situations that arise during the analysis of an accident. If drivers have disagreements and even aggression when drawing up a diagram, the traffic police should be called.

Below is a sample diagram of the scene of the incident, compiled in accordance with the methodology.

Sample road accident diagram

Compilation requirements

When drawing up a road accident diagram in 2021, you must adhere to the established requirements:

  • The Europrotocol must be filled out exclusively with a black or blue ballpoint pen.
  • It is recommended to fill out the document in block letters.
  • Each participant fills out their part independently.
  • If there is a need to make corrections to the diagram, then first cross out this part of the diagram (with the same pen), and then put the signature “correction is correct.”
  • When all the points are completed, participants study the document and then sign it on the back. Once the Euro Protocol is signed, it is no longer possible to make any adjustments to it. Therefore, you should check all the data as carefully as possible.

Step-by-step instructions for drawing up an accident diagram yourself

If the participants in the accident have no disagreements, then the road accident diagram in 2021 is drawn up independently. The sequence of actions is as follows:

  1. The scale of the drawing is determined.
  2. The first step is to depict the section of the road (on which the accident occurred) with a detailed designation of the landscape, traffic lights and road signs. There is no need to go deep and apply all the smallest details.
  3. Next, vehicles are applied to the paper. They are usually depicted as a rectangle (headlights - as a triangle).
  4. After this, the exact coordinates of the vehicles must be plotted on the accident diagram both before and after the accident. To do this, measurements are taken (distance between vehicles, from wheels to the side of the road, etc.). For such purposes, it is advisable to have a tape measure.

There should be no blots in the drawing, so the best option is to first draw up a “draft”, agree on it, and after both drivers have come to a common opinion, draw up a full-fledged diagram with clarification of all the details. When the drivers have jointly drawn up an accident diagram, you can proceed to filling out the notification form (issued along with the insurance policy).

Rules for drawing up an accident diagram

When drawing up a drawing about an accident, there are no uniform rules or strict requirements. The main requirement for the diagram is clarity and clarity of data presentation, which does not raise subsequent confusing questions. There are general recommendations when drawing up an accident plan.

What information should be

The circumstances of the accident are established from its graphic image. In the plan, drivers indicate:

  • the exact date and time of the accident;
  • where the emergency occurred (name of route, name of street);
  • type of road section (straight route or turn, unregulated or controlled intersection);
  • landmarks in the form of tram tracks, gas stations, transport stops, etc.;
  • direction of transport;
  • detailed image of existing barriers;
  • presence of road markings, partitions, traffic lights or signs;
  • width of the roadway and accident objects;
  • braking distance on a section of road;
  • large debris;
  • location of the car after an accident.

All items that are related to the accident are included in the plan. At the same time, the color of the car or the location of the trunk are unimportant details that the insurance company does not need.

Symbols

Vehicle owners are required to know how to draw a diagram of an accident. To do this, they must understand the generally accepted graphic images used for designation.

The main special characters include:

  1. Motorbike.
  2. Passenger car. If there are several persons involved in the accident, each is marked with a numerical or letter designation.
  3. Freight vehicle.
  4. Direction of traffic. Depicted as a dotted arrow.
  5. Collision point. Depicted as two crossed lines.
  6. Road markings.
  7. Road sign.
  8. A traffic light with the signal that was on at the time of the incident.

It is acceptable to draw cars in a simplified manner, as labeled rectangles.

At the bottom of the document, notes are written, registration numbers and car brands are indicated. The diagram also shows the braking distance in the form of curved lines that follow the trajectory of the car.

Recommendations for design

Drivers should be aware of how to draw up an accident diagram correctly. There are general rules for image design:

  • presence of a name;
  • drawings are drawn up on sheet A4 (if there are no European protocols);
  • the drawing is depicted with a blue or black pen;
  • block letters are used for the inscription;
  • non-detailed special characters;
  • all participants in the incident are involved in drawing up the scheme;
  • corrections are excluded;
  • scale and proportions must be respected.

If you make a mistake, you can carefully cross out the incorrect image and leave the inscription “ correction is correct .” The inscription is certified by other persons involved in the incident.

An example of a self-made road accident diagram

This is what the form for drawing up a road accident diagram looks like:

A typical diagram in which 2 vehicles moving in the same direction collided at an intersection. The cross indicates the location of the collision, the arrows indicate the direction of movement. The drawing contains street names and locations of traffic lights. Pay attention to the header - it indicates the place and date of the accident.

Typical road accident diagrams

scheme

The official RSA resource has standard drawings, including a diagram of an accident at an intersection. You can draw up an accident diagram based on the existing model after filling out the Europrotocol with a traffic police officer.

This method of registration is unacceptable if:

  1. Compilation rules violated.
  2. A non-contact incident has occurred.
  3. The collision happened when the car stopped.
  4. The scheme does not correspond to real circumstances.
  5. There is no signature of the participant in the accident.

How to create an accident diagram online?

Inexperienced drivers may have problems drawing up an accident diagram; several online services have been created specifically for such situations to make this task easier in 2021:

  • Autocadabra. An easy-to-use editor on one of the most popular automotive sites. With its help, you can reproduce even a very complex accident, since the number of elements (road signs, vehicles, markings, etc.) in this service is not limited. This is the most popular instrument of its kind. Link - https://autokadabra.ru/road-editor
  • Drawing up an accident diagram online. A Voronezh car buying company has developed its own service. It differs from the previous one in its unpretentiousness (it works even with a slow Internet connection). Link - https://avtovikup136.ru/drawing-diagram-accident-online/
  • Constructor of traffic situations. Another powerful service for drawing up an accident diagram. It features more diverse functionality. The only negative is the relatively long loading time of pages (this is due to the fact that upon first launch a library of various files and data is loaded). Link - https://www.roadimage.ru

When can you not draw up a diagram yourself?

Independent drawing up of an accident diagram in 2021 is permissible only if the following list of conditions is met:

  • As a result of the traffic accident, only cars were damaged, and each participant has a compulsory motor liability insurance policy.
  • There were no injuries or fatalities in the accident. Any other property (for example, road signs, shop windows, etc.).

If there are victims, a protocol is drawn up with the obligatory presence of witnesses (Article 214 of the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 185).

  • The damage to the car amounts to more than 100 thousand rubles, the participants in the accident could not reach an agreement, and they have disagreements regarding the degree of guilt.

If at least one of the conditions presented above is not met, then you cannot independently draw up an accident diagram in 2021 and registration must take place in the general manner (with the involvement of traffic police inspectors or accident commissioners).

If these rules are ignored, the insurance company will have the right to refuse payment.

Is it possible to draw up an accident diagram yourself?

The road accident diagram is drawn up by the participants in the incident if the registration of the accident is carried out according to the European protocol. It is drawn up on a notification form. Column 17 is intended for drawing up a plan. Subsequently, the document is submitted to the insurance company. Participants in the accident prepare notices in 2 copies. The location of objects on both diagrams must be identical.

If the use of the European protocol is unacceptable within the current situation, the traffic police will be called. Representatives of the authorized body will independently prepare a diagram. They operate within the framework of the administrative regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. functions for monitoring compliance with legal requirements in the field of road safety.

IMPORTANT

The completed road accident diagram is provided to the participants of the incident for review. If the drivers agree with the nuances of what happened, they sign. Refusal to perform the procedure is acceptable. In this case, the certification of the scheme is carried out by witnesses. If they are not there, video recording is carried out (clause 282 of the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 664).

Common Mistakes

When recording a traffic accident by a traffic police inspector, problems usually do not arise. However, when drivers, according to the European Protocol, draw up an accident diagram on their own, mistakes often occur. Let's note the most typical of them in 2021:

  • The place of the first contact (impact) of the vehicles, which entailed further consequences of the accident, was incorrectly determined. Inaccuracies are caused in most cases due to insufficient care and reaction of drivers.
  • Conflicting descriptions of traffic lights at the time of the incident. In such situations, eyewitnesses are usually brought in as witnesses in order to establish which driver is right.
  • Hiding by drivers factors of their performance of certain maneuvers. This happens solely because of intent. Distortion of information is made in order to deflect blame from oneself and shift it to another participant in the accident. A typical example is when a driver refuses to admit that he was overtaking or speeding before the collision.

Requirements for drawing up an accident diagram according to the European protocol

Not a single regulatory act contains any official standards for drawing up a diagram when registering a traffic accident in the European protocol format. Accordingly, the requirements for the correct execution of the necessary documents will be standard, applicable to filling out all such forms:

  • legible writing of letters, numbers, drawing lines,
  • no blots, strikeouts,
  • done in blue ink,
  • design language – Russian,
  • an intelligible and realistic depiction of the situation,
  • signature of both drivers at the bottom of the diagram.

Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to additional questions and, as a result, a waste of time to clarify all the nuances. In addition, if there are corrections, they must be certified by the signatures of both participants, which in itself will entail unnecessary “dirt” in the small field for placing the diagram.

So that the issues of registration of the European protocol do not confuse the participants in this process, on the website of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers, there is a whole section to help drivers who want to apply this procedure. These include standard incident diagrams designed to help the reader of the site.

Consequences in case of incorrect drawing up of an accident diagram

If at least one rule was violated when drawing up an accident diagram in 2021, it will be declared invalid. Such a document will not be accepted either by the traffic police or by the insurance company, therefore, the victim will not be able to receive monetary compensation for the damage caused.

An unpleasant conclusion follows: the driver who is not the culprit of the accident is primarily interested in the correctness of the diagram. The second participant in the incident may deliberately distort information or incorrectly draw up his part of the document. Therefore, in case of the slightest disagreement, it is recommended to invite traffic police officers or emergency commissioners to the scene of accidents.

Please note: a car with a trailer counts as one vehicle.

Who should draw a traffic accident diagram?

There is no clear answer to the question whose responsibility it is to draw up an accident diagram. But you need to rely on:

  1. Circumstances of the accident.
  2. Goals of the plan.

Based on the circumstances, the document can be drawn up both by participants in the incident on the road and by authorized officials present during the execution. It should be taken into account how severe the consequences of the accident were and how they can be classified, the difficulty of identifying the culprit and the degree of disagreement between the participants, as well as much more, are taken into account.

Nuances

Let's highlight a few more pitfalls that you should know in order not to be refused by an insurance company in 2021:

  • The accident diagram must be drawn on a separate A4 sheet (if the accident is being investigated by traffic inspectors), or in paragraph 17 of the Europrotocol.
  • When drawing up independently, the drawing must be depicted on the “notification of an accident” form.
  • Vehicles must be marked in the form of rectangles with symbols (A and B).
  • The diagram must show all maneuvers performed, especially overtaking and lane changes.
  • The testimony of witnesses can be entered into the protocol only with their consent (oral form is sufficient).
  • It is allowed to use standard road accident diagrams (if they are suitable). You can download them on the website of any insurance company, for example, Rosgosstrakh.

Basic rules for drafting

The diagram is drawn up at the bottom of the accident notice. There is a section specifically designed for this.

It is necessary to reproduce the physical situation at the scene of the incident with all care, try not to miss anything.

So, the basic rules are the procedure for filling out the schematic part of the notice step by step:

  1. First, the streets and roadway where the collision occurred are plotted. The image must be realistic and reproduce the direction of the roads, their bends and turns.
  2. roadway markings,
  3. This is followed by a drawing of buildings and structures, including those to which the diagram is “attached”. These are buildings located in the immediate vicinity that have a postal address indicated on the diagram.
  4. the next step is to draw the vehicles themselves that were involved in the traffic accident. They appear as rectangles, with a point towards the front to distinguish their placement.
  5. it is also necessary to mark the location of the collision using an “X” sign,
  6. a scattering of soil and glass, scattering of torn off elements of vehicles - an integral part of the scheme,
  7. road signs,
  8. it is required to reflect the initial position of the cars before the accident, their final position after the collision,
  9. arrows indicate the direction of movement of vehicles,
  10. capital letters “A” and “B” indicate the cars involved in the incident, indicate which of them is which - make, model, state number.

The website of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers contains standard diagrams that can be used when drawing up an EU protocol.

3D diagram

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