Collisions
June 2013- Ottawa Police is introducing Collision Reporting Centres (CRC). Find our more!
Reporting a traffic accident
- A police report is not required if damage to all vehicles is under $1,000.
- If there are injuries and the vehicle(s) cannot be driven...call 9-1-1
- If there are no injuries, but the vehicle(s) cannot be driven... call 613-230-6211
- If the vehicle(s) can be safely driven and there are no injuries, as soon as possible, or when directed by police, drive all vehicles to the same Police Station to file a report. Accident reports cannot be taken over the phone.
Collision Report Questions and Answers
The Ottawa Police Collision Investigation Unit is responsible for investigating all fatal and serious life threatening motor vehicle collisions. They also assist the Major Crime Unit (which includes Homicide, Robbery, Sexual Assault etc..) and the Forensic Identification Section to create scale diagrams for outdoor crime scenes, utilizing a Total Station and other measuring techniques. Their other responsibilities include investigating hit and run/ fail to remain collisions.
Some of the techniques used by the Collision Investigators include:
- Measuring tire marks and coefficients of friction to calculate the speed of the involved vehicles
- Downloading the crash data retrieval system that monitors the air bag system
- Time/distance/velocity calculations
- Using momentum formulas to determine vehicle velocities and angles
- Fall and vault calculations
- Pedestrian throw distances to determine the velocity of the vehicle
Contac the Collision Investigation Unit by phone at 613-236-1222 ext: 2481 between 7:00am-11:00pm, Monday to Friday, for any questions related to motor vehicle collisions and the related legislation under the Provincial Offences Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.