How to Read Car Accident Police Reports
Car accident reports may be confusing to understand for those who do not see them on a daily basis. Car accident reports are public records. By law, they can be ordered by anyone who requests it for a process/copy fee of $6.00 from the reporting police department if the request is made 10 days after the accident.
In order to obtain a copy of the accident report, you will need at least two of three items to request it from the police department. You will need to know at least two of the following: 1) address or cross street of the car accident, 2) date of car accident, 3) names of the parties in the wreck. At the scene of the wreck, the police officer who mde the report may provide an incident report to you which can be used to order the accident report.
In Houston, car accidents that occurred on or after January 1, 2008 can be purchased on-line for $7.50 at: https://www.vectrareports.com/Index.aspx.
Accident reports are usually not admitted into evidence in court because the information on the report is hearsay. That is, the responding officer is typically not an eye-witness of the accident and will not have firsthand knowledge about how the wreck happened. If you were cited or ticketed in a car wreck and disagree with the charges, you should immediately contest the charges and seek legal representation. Do not delay fighting the charges, especially if you were injured.
Most police reports will report whether there may be an injury in the car accident. The typical injury codes are as follows:
- A = Incapacitating Injury
- B = Non-Incapacitating Injury
- C = Possible Injury
- K = Killed
- N = Not Injured
- 99 = Unknown
Accident reports will also commonly have information about charges and possible causes of the car wreck. Here are some common codes used:
- 1 = Animal on Road - Domestic
- 2 = Animal on Road - Wild
- 3 = Backed without Safety
- 4 = Changed Lane when Unsafe
- 14 = Disabled in Traffic Lane
- 15 = Disregard Stop and Go Signal
- 16 = Disregard Stop Sign or Light
- 17 = Disregard Turn Marks at Intersection
- 18 = Disregard Warning Sign at Construction
- 19 = Distraction in Vehicle
- 20 = Driver Inattention
- 21 = Drove Without Headlights
- 22 = Failed to Control Speed
- 23 = Failed to Drive in Single Lane
- 24 = Failed to Give Half of Roadway
- 25 = Failed to Heed Warning Sign
- 26 = Failed to Pass to Left Safely
- 27 = Failed to Pass to Right Safely
- 28 = Failed to Signal or Gave Wrong Signal
- 29 = Failed to Stop at Proper Place
- 30 = Failed to Stop for School Bus
- 31 = Failed to Stop for Train
- 32 = Failed to Yield ROW – Emergency Vehicle
- 33 = Failed to Yield ROW – Open Intersection
- 34 = Failed to Yield ROW – Private Drive
- 35 = Failed to Yield ROW – Stop Sign
- 36 = Failed to Yield ROW – To Pedestrian
- 37 = Failed to Yield ROW – Turning Left
- 38 = Failed to Yield ROW – Turn on Red
- 39 = Failed to Yield ROW – Yield Sign
- 40 = Fatigued or Asleep
- 41 = Faulty Evasive Action
- 42 = Fire in Vehicle
- 43 = Fleeing or Evading Police
- 44 = Followed Too Closely
- 45 = Had Been Drinking
- 46 = Handicapped Driver (Explain in Narrative)
- 47 = Ill (Explain in Narrative)
- 48 = Impaired Visibility (Explain in Narrative)
- 49 = Improper Start from Parked Position
- 50 = Load Not Secured
- 51 = Opened Door Into Traffic Lane
- 52 = Oversized Vehicle or Load
- 53 = Overtake and Pass Insufficient Clearance
- 54 = Parked and Failed to Set Brakes
- 55 = Parked in Traffic Lane
- 56 = Parked without Lights
- 57 = Passed in No Passing Lane
- 58 = Passed on Right Shoulder
- 59 = Pedestrian FTYROW to Vehicle
- 60 = Unsafe Speed
- 61 = Speeding – (Over Limit)
- 62 = Taking Medication (Explain in Narrative)
- 63 = Turned Improperly – Cut Corner on Left
- 64 = Turned Improperly – Wide Right
- 65 = Turned Improperly – Wrong Lane
- 66 = Turned when Unsafe
- 67 = Under Influence – Alcohol
- 68 = Under Influence – Drug
- 69 = Wrong Side – Approach or Intersection
- 70 = Wrong Side – Not Passing
- 71 = Wrong Way – One Way Road
- 72 = Cell/Mobile Phone Use
- 73 = Road Rage
- 98 = Other (Explain in Narrative)
There are no attorney fees if there is no recovery. If you have been hurt in a car wreck anywhere in Texas, contact our Texas Car Wreck Lawyers now for a free and confidential consultation at 1-877-TX-CAR-WRECK (1-877-892-2797) or email by clicking here.
