A hit and run is one of the most frustrating accident situations you can find yourself in. Someone has caused damage to you or your vehicle and driven away. You're left dealing with the consequences of someone else's decision to evade responsibility. Your options depend heavily on whether you can identify the other vehicle — but in many cases, you have more options than you might think.
Here's what to do, and how to assess whether a replacement car is possible.
Step 1: Do this immediately after a hit and run
Time is critical in a hit-and-run situation. The evidence window closes fast — CCTV footage is overwritten, witnesses disperse, and tyre marks fade. Act immediately.
- Note the registration plate if you saw it — even a partial plate (three characters, the state) is valuable
- Describe the vehicle as precisely as you can: make, model, approximate year, colour, any distinguishing features
- Look for witnesses — anyone nearby who may have seen the vehicle. Get their name and phone number.
- Report to police immediately — in Victoria, you are required to report an accident where the other driver does not stop. File the report as soon as possible: police can access traffic and business CCTV much faster if they start looking early.
- Request CCTV footage yourself from nearby businesses, petrol stations, car parks, and shopping centres. Request it in writing and specify the time window — many systems overwrite within 24–72 hours.
- Save your dashcam footage immediately if your vehicle has a dashcam. Some cameras overwrite continuously — back it up before the incident footage is lost.
Can you get a replacement car after a hit and run?
If the at-fault driver can be identified: Yes, you may be entitled to a replacement car through credit hire. Once you have the other driver's registration plate, police can typically identify the registered owner and their insurer. With that information, a credit hire claim may be possible, subject to eligibility.
If they cannot be identified: Standard credit hire is not available without a known at-fault party. In this situation, your options are:
- Check your own comprehensive policy for uninsured motorist protection or hit-and-run coverage — some policies cover this without requiring you to identify the other driver
- Review whether the Nominal Defendant scheme applies — this is managed by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Victoria and may cover personal injury from a hit-and-run, though not vehicle damage or hire car costs in most circumstances
The role of police in a hit-and-run claim
A police event number is important regardless of whether an officer attends the scene. It:
- Formally records the incident with an official timestamp
- Gives investigators authority to request CCTV from cameras you may not have access to
- Provides a reference number for insurance and credit hire purposes
- Creates a record that can be updated if the driver is identified later
If police identify the driver after the initial report — even days or weeks later — that information can reopen the path to a credit hire claim.
What if you have dashcam footage?
Dashcam footage is often the difference between identifying a hit-and-run driver and not. Even a partial plate captured on dashcam, combined with a clear view of the vehicle type and colour, gives police and insurers something concrete to work with.
Save the footage immediately. Copy it to your phone or a USB drive before you do anything else. Do not assume the camera will retain it — some overwrite the earliest footage as soon as the storage is full.
What if the driver is identified but denies it?
Registration plate evidence combined with your vehicle description, witness accounts, dashcam footage, and a police report can establish a strong basis for a claim even where the driver denies involvement. This is where a credit hire company's experience in dealing with insurers — including contested situations — can be valuable.
We manage the insurer correspondence, not you.
What if you only have limited information?
Call 888 Car Hire on 0423 022 881 and describe your situation honestly. We'll tell you clearly what's possible and what isn't. In some hit-and-run cases, enough information exists to pursue a claim — a partial plate, a clear vehicle description, and a police report can be more than sufficient. In other cases, the path leads through your own insurer, and we'll say so.
We won't take on a claim we don't believe has a reasonable prospect of recovery.
Protecting yourself in future: install a dashcam
The most consistent lesson from hit-and-run incidents is a simple one: install a dashcam. They are inexpensive — a quality front and rear unit can be fitted for a few hundred dollars — and they transform your position in exactly this type of scenario. Front-only coverage is helpful; front and rear is ideal.
If your parked car is hit while you're away, a rear-facing camera captures exactly what you need. If a moving vehicle strikes you and flees, the front camera catches the plate.
For information about your options after a hit and run in Melbourne, visit 888 Car Hire's not-at-fault car hire page or call us on 0423 022 881. We'll give you an honest assessment of what's possible in your specific situation.