Accident or breakdown — what to do
Most trips go perfectly. If something happens, here's exactly what to do — and we're a phone call away, any time.
What to do — step by step
Get safe
Move yourself and passengers to safety. Switch on hazard lights to warn other drivers.
Call 112
Iceland's single emergency number for police, ambulance, and fire — 24 hours, every day. After an accident, the police must be told straight away. Safety before the car, always.
Document everything
Photograph all vehicles, all license plates, road conditions, and the wider scene. If another vehicle is involved, fill in the accident statement together and both sign it.
Call us
By phone or WhatsApp, around the clock. We guide you through the paperwork and arrange assistance. Stay at the scene until the police arrive or say they won't attend, or we tell you that you can leave.
Do not admit fault at the scene — a calm “I need to speak to my rental company” is all you need to say.
Emergency — anyone hurt or in danger?
Call 112 immediately. That is Iceland's single emergency number for police, ambulance, and fire — 24 hours, seven days. Safety before the car, always.
The 112 Iceland app (free, iOS and Android) can send your exact GPS location to the rescue coordination center — useful on remote roads where you may not know your precise position.
At the scene — accident steps
- 1
Move to safety and switch on hazard lights
If it is safe to do so, move yourself and passengers away from traffic. Turn on the car's hazard lights to warn other drivers.
- 2
Call 112 if anyone is hurt or in danger
Do this before anything else. After an accident, tell the police straight away and stay at the scene until they arrive, say they won't attend, or we tell you that you can leave (rental terms, clause 19). Give your location as precisely as you can — a road number, a landmark, or your GPS coordinates.
- 3
Photograph everything
All vehicles and their damage, every license plate, road conditions and signs, the wider scene, the other driver's license and insurance document, any witnesses. Take more photos than you think you need — they cost nothing and can matter a great deal later.
- 4
Do not admit fault or sign anything you don't understand
A calm "I need to speak to my rental company" is all you need to say. Fault is for the insurers to determine — an on-the-spot admission can complicate things even when you were not at fault.
- 5
Exchange names, numbers, and insurance details
Note the other driver's name, phone number, license plate, and the name of their insurer. Ask any witnesses for contact details. If another vehicle is involved, both drivers sign the accident statement, and you send it to us straight away.
- 6
Call us
Call us on +354 779 9499 — by phone or WhatsApp on the same number, or by email, day and night. We will guide you through the next steps and start the incident paperwork with you.
If you break down — step by step
- 1
Get safe first
Pull over where it is safe, switch on the hazard lights and keep everyone away from traffic. In storms or snow it is often safer to wait inside the car.
- 2
Call or WhatsApp us before anything else
+354 779 9499, day and night — or email info@ringroadcars.is. Tell us where you are (road number, nearest landmark or GPS position) and what the car is doing: warning lights, noises, whether it starts. Don't arrange a tow or a repair yourself: repairs or recovery arranged without us are not reimbursed (rental terms, clause 50).
- 3
Only do the simple, safe things
Fit the spare tire if the car has one and it is safe to do so. Don't tow, push or try to recover the car yourself — especially off-road, in snow or near a river — as that can cause damage no cover option includes.
- 4
We arrange the help
A breakdown you didn't cause is fixed free, including towing and a replacement car as soon as reasonably possible. Who pays for a flat battery, a puncture or a lock-out — and for an incident you cause — is set out below.
- 5
Stay with the car until help arrives
Keep warm and keep your phone charged; in remote areas help can take longer. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 112.
Had an accident? Report it here
The European Accident Statement to download, how to fill it in box by box, the insurer details for box 8, and a report form with photos that reaches our claims desk straight away.
If the car won't go — breakdown, flat tire, or won't start
Call us first on +354 779 9499 — reachable by phone, WhatsApp and email around the clock. Our team is on site 04:00–20:00 every day (24 and 31 December 04:00–12:00; closed 25 December and 1 January) and answers calls, WhatsApp and email through the night. We arrange roadside assistance 24/7 and tell you exactly what to do while you wait. Always call us before arranging any third-party help or repair — repairs you arrange without us are not reimbursed (rental terms, clause 50).
A breakdown you didn't cause
If the car breaks down because of a mechanical failure or normal wear and tear that is not your fault, roadside assistance is arranged at no cost to you — for every renter, with or without Roadside Assistance Protection (RAP) — including a tow where needed and a replacement car as soon as reasonably possible; a minor fault may be repaired locally with your consent instead. In remote areas this can take longer (rental terms, clauses 29 and 51).
When you're responsible
Without Roadside Assistance Protection, a call-out for a flat battery, a tire puncture or keys locked in the car — and any incident you cause, such as getting stuck off-road, wrong fuel or running out of fuel — is charged at our towing rate, from our office to where help is needed and back (€4.50 per km, minimum €200), whatever the conditions, and keys, tires, fuel and parts are charged too. Roadside Assistance Protection waives the call-out, labor and recovery fees, including towing, for a flat battery, a tire puncture or keys locked in the car, in an emergency — not for wrong fuel, new keys or tires, running out of fuel, recovery from closed or restricted roads, call-outs that aren't emergencies, or incidents you cause yourself (rental terms, clauses 52 and 53). If you are in any doubt about the cause, call us first and we will work through it together.
Who pays for roadside help?
Call us first, whatever happened — we arrange the help. What it costs depends on the cause:
| What happened | Without Roadside Assistance Protection | With Roadside Assistance Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Not your faultA breakdown you didn't cause: a mechanical failure or normal wear and tear | Without Roadside Assistance ProtectionFree, including towing and a replacement car as soon as reasonably possible | With Roadside Assistance ProtectionFree, the same |
| Flat battery, puncture or lock-outIn an emergency — what Roadside Assistance Protection is for | Without Roadside Assistance ProtectionOur towing rate from our office and back: €4.50 per km, minimum €200 | With Roadside Assistance Protection€0 for the call-out, labor and recovery; a new tire or key is still charged |
| Your faultAn incident you cause, such as wrong fuel, running out of fuel, or getting stuck off-road or on a closed road | Without Roadside Assistance ProtectionOur towing rate (€4.50 per km, minimum €200), plus repairs and parts | With Roadside Assistance ProtectionThe same: Roadside Assistance Protection doesn't cover incidents you cause |
Example: help is needed 100 km from our office. That's 200 km there and back: 200 km × €4.50 = €900 without Roadside Assistance Protection, and €0 with it.
Do not attempt recovery yourself
Especially in off-road situations, near rivers, in snow, or on gravel tracks — a self-recovery attempt can cause serious further damage that no cover option includes. Changing a wheel, or an emergency repair needed for safety, is fine; anything else needs our consent first. Stay with the vehicle in a safe spot and wait for help.
Why this also protects you
The photos you take at the scene work the same way as our 360° pickup video and photos: they create an evidence record, so you are charged only for damage that is new and documented. Good scene photos protect you just as reliably as the photos and video we send you at pickup.
If a third party is involved, your photos of the other vehicle, license plates, and the scene are the same evidence the insurers will use to determine liability. The more thorough your documentation, the stronger your position.
Iceland-specific things to know
Sheep and wildlife on roads
Iceland has open-range sheep everywhere, particularly in summer. If an animal is in the road, slow down and let it move — do not swerve sharply at speed. Damage involving animals must be reported to the police and to us without delay; the police contact the animal's owner (rental terms, clause 19). No cover option, not even MAX, covers damage caused by or involving animals (rental terms, clause 36).
Gravel chips and wind doors
Gravel chips on windshields are common on Icelandic roads — report them to us. The CDW and SCDW included in your price don't cover damage to the windshield alone. With Tire and Windshield Protection (TWP) — which makes your cover PLUS, and is part of MAX — a front windshield damaged by gravel from another vehicle is replaced at no excess: it pays for the windshield itself, not the fitting (rental terms, clauses 36 and 38). Wind catching a car door and bending it back is also a known hazard: park facing into the wind where you can and hold the door firmly when you open it (rental terms, clause 18).
Check conditions before you drive
umferdin.is (Vegagerðin) is the official Icelandic road conditions service — check it every morning on multi-day trips. safetravel.is lets you file a travel plan so rescue teams know your route if you are heading into remote areas.
River crossings are never covered
Driving into or across any river, stream or ford, even on an F-road your car may use, is entirely at your own risk: no cover option includes water damage, and you pay the full repair cost, or the car's value if it cannot be repaired, plus towing (rental terms, clause 17). If water covers the road, turn back.
Quick answers
What number do I call in an emergency in Iceland?
112. It is Iceland's single emergency number for police, ambulance, and fire — the same number for every emergency, 24 hours a day. The 112 Iceland app can also send your exact GPS location to the rescue coordination center.
What if I get a windshield chip or a small gravel nick?
Report it to us. Small gravel chips happen on Icelandic roads. BASIC and SCDW don't cover damage to the windshield alone (rental terms, clause 36). With Tire and Windshield Protection — which makes your cover PLUS on this site, and is part of MAX — a front windshield damaged by gravel from another vehicle is replaced at no excess: it pays for the windshield itself, not the fitting or other labor (clause 38). Without it, a new windshield is charged at the actual cost, never above the Price List. Before any charge, we compare against the photos and 360° video from pickup — a chip that was already recorded is not yours to pay.
What if the car won't start or breaks down on the road?
Call us on +354 779 9499 any time, day or night (WhatsApp works too). A breakdown you didn't cause is free for every renter, with or without Roadside Assistance Protection (RAP), including a tow and a replacement car as soon as reasonably possible. Do not attempt to tow or recover the vehicle yourself — especially off-road, near a river, or in snow, as that can cause further damage that no cover option includes. We arrange roadside assistance and will tell you exactly what to do while you wait. Call us before arranging any third-party help or repair — repairs you arrange without us are not reimbursed.
Should I admit fault at the scene?
No. Do not admit fault or sign anything you do not fully understand at the scene. Exchange contact and insurance details, photograph everything, and call us. Fault determination is for the insurers — a polite "I need to speak to my rental company" is all you need to say.
What should I photograph at the scene?
All vehicles involved (all four sides), any visible damage, the license plates of every car, road conditions and any relevant signs, the wider scene, and the other driver's license and insurance document. More photos are always better — you cannot take too many.
What if the car is stolen or broken into?
Report it to the police and to us without delay. The Theft Waiver is included with every cover option, even without CDW: your liability for theft of the car is €0 if it was locked with the windows closed, the keys are returned and the theft was reported without delay. It does not cover theft of parts or belongings, or theft made possible by keys left in the car or by gross negligence, and no cover option includes vandalism (rental terms, clauses 19, 36 and 37).