Cochrane, Alberta -- A new collision reporting centre has opened in Cochrane, Alberta -- a small city about 18 km west of Calgary -- giving drivers a place to report minor crashes without waiting for police.
Accident Support Services International launched the centre November 6 inside the RCMP detachment on Clydesdale Avenue. Drivers involved in low-severity collisions with no injuries, no criminal activity and no hazardous materials can now go directly to the centre.
Staff photograph the damage, help with paperwork and send information to insurers. The service is paid for by participating insurance companies and is free to the public and the police.
Collision reporting centres are already widely used in Ontario, where they have operated for decades in cities such as Toronto, Peel and York. The model is designed to keep officers focused on serious collisions while speeding up claims processing for insurers and drivers. Alberta has been adding centres gradually, with Cochrane becoming the latest to adopt the system.
The centres photograph damage at intake, document it for insurers and issue a report number drivers must provide to their shop. The process can reduce delays and increase the likelihood that even minor collisions enter the formal claims system rather than going unreported.
The Cochrane centre is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Drivers involved in minor collisions outside those hours can begin reporting online. Under Alberta law, crashes involving injuries, death or more than $5,000 in damage must still be reported to police.
