Collisions, insurance and registration in Yukon

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list your legal duties at a collision scene.
• You can state when a crash must be reported to police.
• You can name the information you must exchange.
• You can help safely at another crash scene.
• You can explain insurance, registration and impoundment rules.

What you need to know and understand

• If you are involved in a crash, you must stay at the scene and give all reasonable assistance.
• The handbook says to report a crash to police if there is an injury or damage over $1,000.
• You must exchange your name and address, the registered owner's name and address, the plate number and insurance details.
• You must give this information to police or a witness if asked.
• Notify your insurance company right away.
• Police can impound a vehicle immediately for 30 days or longer if the driver is unlicensed, impaired or uninsured, or the vehicle is unregistered.
• Driving without a valid licence, in the wrong class or contrary to licence conditions can void your insurance.

At the scene: step by step

Avoid arguing or discussing who was at fault. If you need a copy of the accident report later, the Whitehorse Motor Vehicles office supplies one for a $10 fee, in person or by mail, if you give the RCMP file number or the accident details.

1. Stop and stay at the scene.
2. Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt or there is danger.
3. Warn other traffic, for example with hazard lights or warning triangles, and keep people away from any fuel leak.
4. Move vehicles off the road if it is safe to do so.
5. Exchange the required details, plus licence numbers and witness names.
6. Report to police if there is an injury or damage over the reporting threshold.
7. Take photos or sketch the scene, noting time, place and weather, and call your insurer.

Registration and insurance basics

As a driver you must make sure any vehicle you drive is registered and insured. Tell a Motor Vehicles office when you change your name or address for both your licence and registration. Vehicle owners must only let licensed, responsible drivers use their vehicles; lending a car to an unlicensed or prohibited driver can lead to it being impounded, with the owner paying towing and storage. If you move to Yukon, register your vehicle here within 7 days of it entering Yukon if you are working, or within 60 days if you are not, bringing your previous registration and valid Yukon insurance. Snowmobiles, ATVs and other off-road vehicles used on, beside or across a road or public trail must also be registered and insured.

When insurance may not protect you

In these cases your claim may be denied and you could pay all crash costs yourself. Our guide to the Alaska Highway and winter roads on this site covers crashes with wildlife in remote areas.

• Driving without a valid driver's or learner's licence.
• Driving a vehicle your licence class does not cover.
• Driving contrary to licence restrictions or conditions, such as GDL rules.
• Causing a crash while impaired.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the scene of a minor crash without exchanging details.
• Admitting or arguing fault at the roadside.
• Letting registration or insurance lapse, which risks impoundment.
• Assuming GDL breaches do not affect insurance. Driving contrary to conditions can void coverage.

Test yourself: Collisions, insurance and registration in Yukon

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Driving the Alaska Highway and Yukon Winter Roads as a New Driver
• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Yukon
• Yukon Driver’s Basic Handbook study guide