Article 47

What to Do in the Event of an Accident

1. If a traffic accident occurs that results in injury to persons or damage to property, every driver or other road user who was involved in any way in the accident is required to:

(a) Immediately pull over at the scene of the accident without creating additional traffic hazards,

(b) take traffic safety measures at the scene of the accident and, if unable to do so, report the accident to the nearest police authority,

c) provide his or her identification details as well as any useful information regarding his or her vehicle, if requested by the parties involved in the accident. In the event of property damage, if the injured party is not present, the persons involved in the accident are required, within twenty-four (24) hours, to provide the injured party with the above information in the most appropriate manner or through the nearest police station, which is responsible for notifying the injured party.

2. If the traffic accident resulted in death or bodily injury, every driver or other road user who was involved in any way in the accident is also required to:

(a) To provide the necessary assistance and support to the victims,

(b) notify the nearest police authority and remain at the scene of the accident until the police arrive, unless it is necessary for the driver to leave the scene to notify the police or to provide first aid to the injured or to himself. In this case as well, the driver is required to report the accident to the police as soon as possible,

c) to prevent any changes to the scene of the accident, which could hinder the police’s work, with the exception of actions aimed at restoring traffic that may have been disrupted.

3. Violations of paragraph 1 and subparagraph (c) of paragraph 2 are classified as Category E3-B and are punishable by imprisonment for up to six (6) months or a fine.

4. A violation by a person who fails to comply with subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 2 is classified as Category E4 and is punishable by an administrative fine of one thousand two hundred (1,200) euros, suspension of the driver’s license for one hundred eighty (180) days, and imprisonment for at least three (3) months.

In addition to the administrative penalties specified in the preceding paragraph, if the victim’s life was placed in danger as a result of the perpetrator’s conduct, imprisonment for up to six (6) years shall be imposed; if serious bodily injury resulted, imprisonment for up to ten (10) years, and if death resulted, imprisonment for up to twenty (20) years, provided that the act is not punishable by a more severe penalty under another provision. In all cases, the revocation of the driver’s license for a period of three (3) to six (6) months shall be imposed as an additional penalty, which must be imposed by the court.

5. In the event of bodily injury caused by a vehicle, if the driver of that vehicle complied with the obligations set forth in paragraph 2 of this section, Article 419 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall not apply (CPC, Law 4620/2019, A’ 96).

In this case, the police officers acting as preliminary investigators, after gathering the necessary evidence and carrying out the relevant preliminary investigative procedures, release the driver from temporary custody. If the drivers are suspected of fleeing or are particularly dangerous, and evidence of guilt is found against them, the aforementioned officers shall bring them before the competent prosecutor, who may apply Article 419 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

6. Article 11 of Law C^N/1911 (A’332) regarding detention by the police does not apply to motor vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, and motorcycles, as defined in this Code, if the driver complied with paragraph 2 of that article and presented proof of insurance (a certificate from an insurance company recognized in Greece) for the vehicle or proves that he or she holds an international insurance certificate, which constitute a declaration of liability for the minimum amounts of insurance coverage in force in Greece, as provided for in the legally approved insurance premium schedules; or, in the case of passenger cars and three-wheeled vehicles for public use, submit a statement of debt assumption from a legally operating mutual insurance cooperative or mutual insurance fund, with which the vehicle is insured.

7. Vehicles abandoned for any reason at the scene of an accident, as well as vehicles that have been towed away and not claimed due to illegal parking, in accordance with paragraph 9 of Article 38, concerning stopping and parking, provided they obstruct traffic, shall be removed at the expense of their owners or holders; and in the event of their inability or refusal to do so, they shall be removed by the competent police authority, which, after a period of two (2) months, shall hand them over to the Public Property Management Directorate for sale.