Important Information for Drivers

Not just for those of us in Rio das Ostras. I received this information from our good friend after it was distributed through her company and it is very good advice.

Know how and where to file a police report in case of accident. Find out before you need to know. I will be posting a list of Rio das Ostras' police stations soon.

An advisory from Insurers:
Consider any collision with a motorcycle as an injury causing event.Always take a photograph of the bike, rider and passenger if possible. This is easy now with most cell phones. Get the name and phone numbers of witnesses.
Make a police report RIGHT AWAY.

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Below is a report from an insurance company provider (summary translated by me).
"In April, my son's car was rammed in the rear end at a stop light by a motorcyclist with a passenger. The bike fell and the passenger had her leg caught underneath the bike.
My son took a photo of the license plate of the bike and got the phone number of the passenger.The telephone number was nonexistent.
An employee of the CET (transit engineer company), which was near, called for rescue (ambulance) but the motorcyclist then called to cancel it.
Because she did not want to be treated, the passenger asked to leave the site without first informing my son that she wanted to register a BO (police report). My son filed a police report that same afternoon.
A month later, I received a call from the motorcyclist at home wanting to make a deal, saying that repairing the bike was around R$800.00 and that the passenger's leg was badly hurt so she was unable to work for 20 days.
Over a month later I received a police summons in my house to appear with the district to provide astatement. The charge was "failure to rescue."
On arrival, we learned that a police report had been registered one month and four days later.
We made out statements, my son as a driver and I as owner of the vehicle, the car went through police inspection and the case is with my lawyer to prove that there was no failure to rescue. Fortunately, our BO was made before theirs and had the name of the officer who attended the event so we knew the exact timethe call of the rescue was canceled. Still, the hassle and headache are great."

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Every time that you get involved in a traffic accident with a motorcyclist (or anyone), file a BO (police report)whether you are guilty or not.
There have been events in which the motorcyclist is at fault and tries to make a deal immediately, says he is fine and does not want medical help.
Only then he goes to a police station, records the BO and claims that the vehicle fled the scene without providing relief, charging in justice, missed work days, the bike repair, etc.
In most cases, their "witnesses" are their friends.
This becoming a very common occurrence.
In one recent case the person involved went to the police register the BO, and behold, when they got to the station, there were the motorcyclist and his friends trying to register a BO charging absence of relief.

Please be careful, and wary everyone.