What should I do if my car is blocking a live lane after a crash?

Prioritise personal safety, warn other traffic only if it is safe, leave the vehicle if appropriate and move to a safe place away from traffic before calling emergency services or recovery.

In relation to “What should I do if my car is blocking a live lane after a crash?”, at a collision or roadside incident, safety comes first; evidence comes second, but good evidence can make a later insurance or liability decision much clearer.

For “What should I do if my car is blocking a live lane after a crash?”, if vehicles can be moved safely and there is no reason they must remain in place, getting people out of live traffic is usually more important than preserving a perfect accident-scene position. Take quick wide photos first if safe.

For “What should I do if my car is blocking a live lane after a crash?”, for Northern Ireland, the key is to use the authority or contract that actually controls this issue. The sources attached to this answer include PSNI - Road Traffic Collision, nidirect - Motor insurance explained, and GOV.UK - Vehicle insurance. Those sources should take priority over forum posts or guidance written for a different jurisdiction, particularly where a deadline, offence, fee, finance right or policy condition is involved.

Practical next step for “What should I do if my car is blocking a live lane after a crash?”: make a short incident note while details are fresh — time, exact location, registrations, people involved, witnesses and photographs or original video. If police, insurer, road authority or recovery operator is involved, keep each reference number with that note.