MCOLES State Licensing Practice Exam

What should be reported if a driver swerves to avoid a collision but does not make contact?

1. It can be reported as a non-crash

2. It requires a separate report

3. It should be classified as a near miss

4. It is not reportable

The correct answer is: It can be reported as a non-crash

If a driver swerves to avoid a collision but does not make contact, this incident can be reported as a non-crash. In this context, a non-crash refers to situations where an incident occurs but does not result in damage to vehicles or injury to individuals. Since there was no physical impact or collision, it does not meet the criteria for a reportable crash under traffic accident reporting guidelines. Classifying the situation correctly as a non-crash helps maintain accurate data collection regarding traffic incidents and ensures that only relevant collisions are recorded for analysis. This distinction is crucial for law enforcement and traffic safety officials who need precise information to assess and manage road safety effectively. While a near miss could describe the close call aspect of the situation, it is not an official reporting classification in most jurisdictions, and separating it as a unique report is unnecessary, given that no collision occurred. Thus, defining the event accurately as a non-crash aligns with reporting practices and traffic safety protocols.