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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 31, 2007 Since You Asked: Teen drivers meet the DMV Your answer on auto accident reporting was incomplete. You forgot about a requirement to report to the state DMV. I know this from personal experience (twice) — I have a teen driver! -- Don H., Medford Well, our initial response to this was we weren't asked about total reporting requirements, and we only have so much space for our answer and yadda yadda yadda. But that and a nickel got us a hot cup of jack squat. We ultimately failed our mission to inform as completely as possible, so after answering this we will trudge off to the SYA Omissions and Purgatory Dungeon to don our beard of bees. Our other choice for penance was to parent a pair of teen drivers for a month, but we considered a face bristling with angry stinging insects to be far preferable — we hear the venom helps with arthritis! The question posed to us was "Do you have to call the police if you are in an auto wreck?" The short answer from Medford police and a local insurance agent was "no," unless there is an injury or residential or commercial property damage. You should also call police if the accident has created an unsafe traffic condition (say, your car has stalled in the middle of an intersection) — officers can help direct traffic until the wreckage that your life has suddenly become can be moved. Advertisement But, as you say, you are required by Oregon law to report the wreck to DMV within 72 hours if: Damage to the vehicle you were driving is more than $1,500 (even if your car was the only one involved), or Damage to any vehicle is more than $1,500 and any vehicle is towed from the scene as a result of damages from this accident, or Injury or death resulted from this accident, or Damages to any one person's property other than a vehicle involved in this accident is more than $1,500. DMV cautions: "Some drivers who are in accidents offer to fix the damage and try to get the other driver not to file a report. If you agree to do this, you are breaking the law if the amount of damage is more than $1,500." Note that you must independently file DMV reports even if you DO involve the police. See www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV for more information. Fail to do this and your license will be suspended. Which might not be such a bad idea for a teen driver who gets into more than one accident, but you didn't hear that from us. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help