What to do after an accident in a rental car in Colombia

Short answer: if nobody is hurt, take photos and videos, move the cars off the road and let us know. If someone is injured, call 123 and don’t move anything until the authorities arrive.

Since 2022 Colombian law treats those two cases separately, and the procedure for one is almost the opposite of the other. This guide covers both, and what changes when the car is a rental.

First question: is anyone injured?

That decides everything else:

• No injuries, only material damage: this is a minor collision (“choque simple”). The drivers settle it with their own evidence.
• Someone injured: this is an accident with injuries. The authorities take over and the scene is left untouched.

Minor collision: material damage only

Article 16 of Law 2251 of 2022 changed how collisions with only material damage are handled. Under External Circular 20224000000057 from the Ministry of Transport, drivers must move the vehicles immediately, along with anything else blocking traffic, and the traffic authorities no longer have to write a police report: the evidence collected by the drivers replaces it.

In practice, the order is:

1. 01Photos and videos before moving anything. A wide shot with the road signs and the position of the cars, the braking marks and debris, and close-ups of the damage and the plates.
2. 02Move the cars off the road as soon as you have the evidence.
3. 03Write down the other driver’s details: name, ID number, phone, plate and insurer.
4. 04Message us on WhatsApp and send us the photos. It is answered 24 hours a day.

If there is no agreement on who pays for the damage, that evidence is what gets presented later at a conciliation center. One exception: a traffic officer is required when one of the drivers appears to be under the influence of alcohol.

Accident with injuries

Here the order is reversed. Bogotá’s city government says to call 123 with the exact address of the accident and the condition of the injured, so the right ambulance is sent, and not to disturb the scene: the authorities need it as it was in order to investigate.

• The police write the traffic accident report (IPAT) using the vehicle and driver documents.
• Drivers who were not injured are tested for alcohol.
• The vehicles may be towed to the impound lot while the investigation goes on.

Medical care for the injured is covered by SOAT, the mandatory insurance, regardless of who was at fault. More in our guide to SOAT vs. full-coverage insurance.

What the rental car insurance covers

Damage to the car is covered by full-coverage insurance, which is added to the rate and equals 10% of it. At Andes Auto Rental it covers 80% of total loss, partial loss and theft; the remaining 20% is paid by the driver. Partial damage has no fixed price list: it is quoted and you are told before anything is charged.

The insurance also includes 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere in the country, for the whole rental.

What about the deposit?

The security deposit is 30% of the total rental price and is returned 15 days after you drop off the car. If you get a traffic ticket during the rental, it is deducted from it. All the details are on our security deposit page.