EuroCrash · Road information explained

How to write a useful road-incident report

Updated 2 November 2026 · EuroCrash site information

A practical reporting checklist: location, observation time, factual descriptions and privacy-conscious photos.

A useful report helps another person understand where an observation was made, when it happened and what was actually visible. It does not need dramatic language or personal details. Use EuroCrash only after stopping somewhere safe; never type, photograph or adjust a map while driving.

Choose a location that another person can understand

Enter the city or nearby area and the country. Add the road name or number if you know it. A junction, direction of travel or nearby public landmark can distinguish two otherwise similar locations. For example, “A1 eastbound near the exit for the industrial area” is more useful than “accident on the motorway”, provided that you genuinely observed that direction and location.

You may select a point on the map or use Find my location. Device positioning can be inaccurate, so inspect the selected point before submitting. Latitude and longitude are optional: leaving both blank lets the site try an approximate location from the reported city and road. An approximate point is labelled as such and should not be treated as an exact crash position.

Separate observation from speculation

Use a short title that describes the visible issue. In the description, explain what you saw: a vehicle stopped in a lane, debris on the carriageway or a queue near a junction. Avoid guessing the cause, assigning blame, identifying drivers or reporting injuries you cannot verify. If you learned about an event second-hand, do not present it as something you personally witnessed.

Check the observation time. The moment you submit a report may be later than the moment you saw the event. Use the form's incident-time field accurately. Avoid describing an old event as current simply because you have only just regained an internet connection.

Use photos sparingly

A photo is optional. Only upload media you have permission to publish. Avoid identifiable bystanders, vehicle registration plates, victims, injuries and private documents. Do not copy a news photo or social-media image merely because it is publicly visible. It may be copyrighted and may also expose personal information.

The form accepts up to three supported media files, each no larger than 10 MB. Media submissions require moderator review. This means a photo report may take longer to appear than a text-only report. Approval is not guaranteed, and a successful upload is not the same as public publication.

What happens after submission?

You can submit a text report with a private contact email and no account or password. Guest email addresses are not verified, and guest reports always need moderator approval. Photo uploads and My reports remain available to signed-in members. Eligible text-only member submissions can be published after automated rule-based screening. The checks look for problems such as unsuitable timing, repetition and some personal-data patterns, but they cannot verify that an event happened. Flagged reports and media submissions are held for a moderator.

Full reports and their photos are designed to expire after five hours; approved text summaries can remain in selected-city history for up to 24 hours. These are retention windows, not promises about how long an incident lasts. Do not submit a duplicate simply to keep a pin visible.

Correct a mistake

Use My reports to check your submission and any available management actions. For a correction, suspected false report or privacy issue, contact the site operator through the Contact page. Include the city, report title, approximate observation time and the reason for your request, without sending unnecessary private information. For an immediate emergency in the EU, contact 112 rather than waiting for a website response.