Easter and Long Weekend Crashes: Replacement Cars

Why long weekend crashes are different

Long weekends concentrate traffic on the Hume Highway, the M1 Pacific Motorway and the M4 Western Motorway. They also concentrate repairer closures. A crash at 4pm on Good Friday means most smash repairers are shut until Tuesday, and assessors are not far behind. The paperwork you collect at the scene matters more because you cannot lean on a repairer to chase the other side for you.

Traffic volumes also change the type of crash. Rear-end collisions at speed on the Hume near Berrima or the M1 near Mount White are common as city drivers mix with holiday caravans and trucks. On the M4 near Eastern Creek, queueing traffic into the Blue Mountains produces multi-car nose-to-tails. Police are stretched, so attendance times blow out. You may wait two hours on the shoulder for a highway patrol car, and that is normal on a long weekend.

Insurers run skeleton staff. The other driver's insurer may not answer the phone until Tuesday. That does not stop you from starting a not-at-fault claim or arranging a replacement car. It does mean you need your own record of what happened. If you are unsure of the first steps, read our guide on what to do in the first 24 hours.

The other difference is demand. Everyone who crashes on a long weekend needs a car at the same time. Prestige vehicles are limited, so the earlier you start, the better your chance of matching your own car.

The scene evidence that matters when police are stretched

When police are busy, you may be told to exchange details and move on. That is fine, but collect more than the minimum. The other driver's insurer will look for any reason to dispute fault, and a long weekend crash often lacks an independent witness.

Take these steps at the scene, in this order:

1. Photograph the position of every car before anything moves. Get wide shots showing lane markings, give-way signs, traffic lights and the road surface.
2. Photograph damage close up on both cars, including your own bumper, boot, headlight and any sensor or camera housings.
3. Photograph the other driver's licence, rego sticker or plate, and their CTP insurer if shown on the windscreen.
4. Record a short video walking around the scene, saying the time, date, road name and direction of travel.
5. Note the names and phone numbers of any witnesses, including passengers in your own car.
6. If police attend, ask for the event number. If they do not, note the time you called and the advice you were given.

Do not rely on a tow truck driver to gather this for you. Some are helpful, some are not. Your own photos are the ones that count. For a deeper look at what supports a claim, see evidence that supports a like-for-like claim.

If the other driver is aggressive or refuses to exchange details, stay in your car, lock the doors and call police. Do not argue about fault at the roadside.

Getting home from the Southern Highlands or the Central Coast

A long weekend crash often happens far from home. You might be near Berrima, Bowral, Mittagong, or up the coast at Terrigal, Avoca or The Entrance. Getting back to Sydney without your car is the first practical problem.

If your car is drivable, you can usually drive it home and deal with repairers later. If it is not, you have three options:

• Tow it to a secure holding yard near the crash and arrange a repairer later.
• Tow it to your preferred Sydney repairer, which may cost more but keeps the process simple.
• Leave it with a local repairer and accept that you may not see it for weeks.

For the trip home, a replacement car can sometimes be delivered to a regional location, but availability is tighter on long weekends. Most prestige replacement cars are collected from Sydney, so you may need a lift or a train back to the city first. The Southern Highlands line runs from Bowral and Mittagong to Central, and the Central Coast line from Gosford or Woy Woy. Both are busy on the Monday of a long weekend, so book a seat if you can.

If you are not at fault, the other driver's insurer may eventually cover reasonable travel costs, but that is a reimbursement argument, not an instant solution. A replacement car arranged through a credit hire provider is usually faster. For the full process, see how credit hire works.

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Delivery to a repairer that opens on Tuesday

Most smash repairers close from Good Friday until the Tuesday after Easter Monday. Some close for the whole week. That creates a gap: you need a replacement car before the repairer opens, but the repairer cannot confirm the booking or start work.

You can still arrange a replacement car. The process works like this:

1. Choose a repairer, even if they are closed. Leave a voicemail or send an email with your details and photos.
2. Tell the replacement car provider where the car will be repaired, so delivery can be scheduled for the first morning the repairer opens.
3. Arrange for the replacement car to be delivered to your home or workplace in the meantime, if you need it immediately.
4. Keep the replacement car until your own car is repaired and returned to you.

Delivery to a repairer is common. The driver meets you at the workshop, checks the car with you, and notes the odometer and fuel level. You sign a hire agreement, and the car is yours until the repair is done. If the repairer is in Alexandria, Botany, Silverwater or Artarmon, delivery is straightforward. If it is further out, like Penrith or Campbelltown, allow extra time on the first morning back.

One warning: do not let a tow truck driver talk you into a repairer you have never heard of, especially one that offers a free hire car on the spot. That usually means the repairer and the hire company are related, and the other insurer may dispute the arrangement later. You are entitled to choose your own repairer. For more on this, see dealing with insurers.

Rental demand spikes and what that means for availability

Every long weekend, the same thing happens. Demand for replacement cars jumps, and prestige models are the first to run out. If your car is a Range Rover, a BMW M car, an AMG or a Porsche, you may not get an exact match if you wait until Tuesday.

Availability depends on three things:

• How quickly you start the process.
• Whether you are flexible on colour and trim.
• Whether you need delivery to a specific suburb or repairer.

Like-for-like does not always mean the same badge. It means a car of similar size, performance, transmission and prestige that keeps you mobile in the way your own car did. If your exact model is unavailable, a comparable car is usually acceptable. Our guide on what happens when your exact model is unavailable explains how that is assessed.

If you drive a performance car and need something with similar pace, the Range Rover Sport 2022 is a common substitute for large luxury SUVs. It has all-wheel drive, 294 kW and a 0-100 time of 5.9 seconds.

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If you drive a ute and use it for work, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak 4x4 is a practical replacement. It has a 3.5-tonne-ish towing capability in general terms, but check the specific car's page for details. It is based in Merrylands and has a minimum driver age of 25.

Bookings are fulfilled by Drive Tribe (drivetribe.com.au), the trading name of Australian Business Holdings Pty Ltd, and this site is part of that group. You can check availability and book through the accident replacement car Sydney page.

Interstate drivers and NSW claims

Long weekends bring interstate drivers to NSW. If you are from Victoria, Queensland or the ACT and you are hit in Sydney, your claim is still handled under NSW rules because the crash happened here. That means the other driver's CTP insurer is a NSW insurer, and the not-at-fault process follows NSW practice.

Your own insurer may be interstate, and that can slow things down. Some interstate insurers are not familiar with NSW credit hire arrangements, and they may tell you that you have to use their preferred repairer or that you cannot get a hire car. That advice is often wrong for a not-at-fault claim.

What you need to do:

• Report the crash to NSW Police if anyone was injured or the other driver failed to stop. Otherwise, you can exchange details.
• Notify your own insurer, even if you are not claiming through them. Most policies require it.
• Keep every receipt for taxis, trains and rideshare while you wait for a replacement car.
• Get the other driver's details, including their insurer if possible.

If you are from interstate and your car is not drivable, you may want to have it repaired in Sydney rather than towed home. That keeps the claim in one jurisdiction and avoids transport costs. If you need a car to get home and back, a replacement car can be arranged for the duration. See not at fault explained for the basics.

One more thing: if you are from interstate and you were driving a hire car, the hire company's insurer may be involved. That does not change your right to a replacement car if you were not at fault, but it does add a layer of paperwork.

Keeping the replacement car until the assessor returns

After a long weekend, assessors are backed up. Your car may sit at the repairer for days before anyone looks at it. That is normal, and it does not mean you have to give back the replacement car.

You are entitled to keep the replacement car until your own car is repaired and returned to you, or until the claim is settled. The hire period is not measured in days from the crash; it is measured by how long the repair takes. If the assessor takes a week to approve the repair, you keep the car for that week.

What you should do:

• Keep the replacement car provider informed of any delays.
• Send them the repairer's details and the claim number.
• Do not agree to a cash settlement from the other insurer without checking what it means for your hire car costs.
• If the other insurer disputes the hire, ask for the dispute in writing and pass it to the provider.

If your car is written off, the replacement car arrangement changes. You may be entitled to a replacement until the payout is agreed, but not indefinitely. Our guide on repairs and write-offs covers that in detail.

If the other insurer tries to move you to a cheaper hire car, or tells you to return the car before yours is ready, that is a common tactic. You do not have to agree. For more, see insurer disputes hire car claim.

What not to sign at the scene

Tow truck drivers and repairers sometimes appear at crash scenes surprisingly fast. Some are legitimate. Some are not. The paperwork you sign at the roadside can commit you to a repairer, a hire car or a storage fee you did not agree to.

Do not sign:

• Any authority to repair or tow that you have not read fully.
• Any blank form, or any form with empty spaces.
• Any agreement that says you will pay for storage or hire if the claim fails.
• Any document that names a repairer you have not chosen.

You are allowed to say no. You can call your own insurer, your own repairer, or a replacement car provider before signing anything. If a tow truck driver pressures you, tell them you will arrange your own tow. If they refuse to leave, call police.

If you have already signed something and you are worried, get advice quickly. A solicitor who handles motor accident claims can review it. This is general information, not legal advice, so talk to your solicitor about your specific situation.

For a step-by-step guide to the first day, see first 24 hours. If you are ready to arrange a replacement car, you can start with accident replacement vehicles.

If you need a car before the repairer opens

The Tuesday after a long weekend is chaos. Repairers are triaging a backlog, assessors are booking inspections, and hire car providers are fielding calls from everyone who crashed. If you can start on the Monday, or even the Sunday, you are ahead.

You can arrange a replacement car before the repairer opens. You do not need the repairer's approval to start the hire. You need:

• The other driver's details and insurer, if known.
• Your own licence and a credit or debit card for the bond.
• A rough idea of where your car will be repaired.

The bond equals the excess you choose, and paying by card carries a small surcharge while bank transfer and cash on the rental do not. The rate, the bond and every fee are shown on the car's page before payment. You can book from a single day.

If you need a prestige replacement and your own car is a large SUV or a performance model, availability is tight. Start early. You can browse the fleet and book through not at fault accident replacement.

If you are a fleet manager or a repairer, we work with referral partners. See partners and referrals or business and fleet.