Are we required to carry insurance papers within the car at all times? I'm helping a friend ask this as she was involved in a slight accident and the other party didn't have the insurance papers with her.

This short question actually has a two part answer. The first deals with which documents a driver is required to carry and the second concerns the information that they are required to produce when they are involved in an accident on a highway.

The drivers of all vehicles in BC must carry three documents with them and produce them on demand of the police. They are a driver's license, the vehicle license and the vehicle insurance document. As you will see, this can be especially important if you are not the vehicle's owner and are involved in a collision.

If another driver involved or a witness to the crash requests it, you must produce in writing the following particulars: your name and address, the name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle, the licence number of the vehicle, and particulars of the motor vehicle liability insurance card or financial responsibility card for that vehicle or such of that information as is requested.

If you do not have these documents with you and the information is demanded, you may have difficulty supplying it. As you would expect, failing to supply the requested information is an offence.

www.drivesmartbc.ca/collisions/producing-information-after-collision [1]