Dec. 29, 2016—An innovative collision reporting center recently opened in north Roanoke County in Virginia, as noted by The Roanoke Times. The program is an 18-month pilot initiative of Roanoke, Roanoke County, and Accident Services International, and the concept is modeled after one in Canada.
The concept involves having Virginia residents report collisions at a privately managed facility, as opposed to having their vehicle delay traffic on the side of roadways. Roanoke-area police will still show up to a crash site and instruct motorists who have driveable vehicles to take them to the collision reporting center, and the center will then handle the rest of the incident writeup.
The model is intended to create a more efficient experience for both motorists and police in reporting minor collisions and filing claims with insurance companies. Currently, the Virginia center only accepts vehicles that were in a crash without injuries or damage to other property. Cars that are disabled and require a tow are still handled in a traditional manner, with an officer filling out a crash report and the vehicle being towed wherever a driver wishes.
At a recent Roanoke County Board of Supervisors work session, towing and body shop operators expressed concerns about the possibility that cars requiring tows might be referred to the crash reporting center, leading to scenarios in which extra costs could come to towing companies and their drivers.
