If something goes wrong: incidents, breakdowns, a lost passport
Most trips never need this guide, and we hope yours is one of them. But if something does happen on the road, here is what to do, step by step: a scrape, another car at fault, someone hurt, a breakdown or a flat tyre, a fine, a lost passport or phone. Who to call, and who pays.
Most trips never need this guide, and we hope yours is one of them. But a scrape in a car park or a flat tyre on a mountain road is much easier to deal with when you already know the sequence, and in China it is the same everywhere: make the scene safe, call the traffic police for a report, call the rental company, then deal with the paperwork. Nobody expects you to manage it in Chinese. A bystander, a translation app or a phone call to someone who speaks Chinese does that part, and on our trips that call is to us. Here is the short version of each case, then the steps.
Who does what, who pays
| What happened | Do this | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| A scrape or a dent, nobody hurt | Hazard lights, photos of everything, call 122 for the police report, then the rental company. | If you are insured, the insurance company covers the cost. If there are any extra charges, the rental company will discuss them with you. |
| Another car is at fault | Same steps. The police report assigns fault; do not agree anything privately. | Their insurance, through the report. You are not out of pocket. |
| Someone is hurt | 120 for an ambulance first, then 122, then the rental company. Hand the phone to a Chinese speaker if you need to. | Medical bills: you pay upfront. Afterwards, depending on who was at fault and what insurance applies, you are paid back. Keep every receipt. |
| Breakdown or flat tyre | Pull off the road, hazard lights, triangle 150 m (about 500 ft) back. Call the rental company's roadside line. | The rental company will help you get the car repaired or replaced either way; your rental insurance decides who pays for it. |
| A fine appears | Nothing to do. The rental company charges the deposit and tells you. | You, from the deposit. |
| Lost passport | Police report at the nearest station (110), then your embassy for an emergency passport, then the exit-entry bureau for a new visa stamp. | You; your travel insurance may cover the fees. |
| Lost or broken phone | Buy a phone in any electronics shop and put your eSIM or a local SIM on it. | You. |
Traffic police officers directing traffic on the road.
Emergency numbers in China
Save these before you drive. All of them are free from any phone, with or without a SIM.
| Number | Service | When |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | Police | A crime, a lost passport, anything urgent that is not medical or fire. If another line is busy, 110 transfers you. |
| 120 | Ambulance | Someone is hurt or ill. Call this first, before 122. |
| 119 | Fire | Fire, smoke, a rescue. |
| 122 | Traffic accidents | Any collision. The officers issue the report every insurance claim needs. |
| 12122 | Expressway rescue | A breakdown or an accident on an expressway. They send a tow. |
| 12345 | Government service line | Questions about offices, hours and procedures. English service in the big cities. Add the local area code before the number. |
| 12301 | Tourism hotline | Help with hotels, attractions and travel agencies. |
| 12315 | Consumer rights | A serious dispute with a shop or a business. |
Rental company roadside line: in the app. For eHi, 400 888 6608.
A local traffic police station in Chengdu
What to say. Give your location first, then what happened. In Amap, long-press your position to see the coordinates and the nearest road name, and read them out. If you cannot manage in Chinese, say 我需要帮助 (wǒ xūyào bāngzhù, I need help) and hand the phone to a bystander. On our trips, call us and we make the call with you.
A scrape or a collision, nobody hurt
- Make the scene safe. Pull over, hazard lights on, warning triangle out (it is in the boot of every rental car). On an expressway, get everyone behind the barrier: pull over, leave the vehicle, call for help, in that order.
- Photograph everything before anything moves: the positions of the cars, the points of impact, skid marks, all the plates, the road and its surroundings, from several angles. Take more photos than you think you need.
- Call 122, the traffic police, and wait. The officers issue the Traffic Accident Responsibility Report (交通事故责任认定书), which every insurance claim needs. If you cannot manage the call in Chinese, ask a bystander; people help.
- Call the rental company. For eHi, 400 888 6608, ask for English service. Say what happened plainly. They coordinate with their insurer and may send an assessor or tell you which garage to use. Their staff often follow up by SMS or WeChat, and a translation app is enough for that.
- Decide about the car with the rental office: drive on, repair, or swap.
Do not settle privately with the other driver, even for a small amount and even if it feels like the friendly thing to do. Without the police report the insurance does not pay, and your deposit does.
Someone is hurt
- Call 120 first for an ambulance, then 122 for the police. If the lines are busy, 110 transfers you.
- Make the scene safe as above, as far as you can.
- Photographs only if it is safe and the police do not say otherwise. People come first.
- Call the rental company once people are looked after, and tell them about the injuries and the damage.
- Call your travel insurer as soon as you can and report it. Public hospitals treat foreigners; you pay first and claim after. Keep every receipt and every report, because the same bill cannot be paid back twice.
A breakdown or a flat tyre
Pull off the road, hazard lights, triangle 150 m (about 500 ft) back, and on an expressway everyone behind the barrier. Then call car rental's official roadside assistance line for English service. Depending on where you are and what has happened, they arrange the nearest roadside assistance or a tow, or talk you through fitting the spare wheel.
A lost passport
- Police report at the nearest station (110 if you cannot find one). Take the report with you. If you are travelling with us, contact your personal local adviser first: they will find the right police station for you and walk you through the procedure.
- Your embassy or consulate for an emergency travel document. Its website says which Chinese cities it has an office in; most countries have Beijing and Shanghai, and some have Guangzhou, Chengdu or others too.
- The exit-entry bureau of the city you are in, for a new entry record and, if you had one, a new visa.
- Your hotel can register you with the police report meanwhile. The rental company needs the passport number, not the passport, so the car is not affected.
Keep and know
- Keep the police report, repair invoices, medical bills and every message. Civil claims from a traffic accident can be made for three years in China.
- Know your cover before you need it: what the rental package pays, what your travel insurance pays, and what is on you.
- Before paying anything to a garage or a hospital, call the rental company or your insurer and ask how they want it handled.
Questions we get asked
Do I have to speak Chinese to the police?
No. Officers at a scene mostly need the documents and the photos. For the rest, a translation app is usually enough, and a passer-by who speaks English may offer to help. Our clients can call us and hand the phone over.
Is there an English-language emergency line?
Not a dedicated one. 110 and 120 operators in the big cities can often find an English speaker; on the road, a translation app or a passer-by who speaks English is faster.
Will the rental company blame me for everything?
No. The police report assigns fault, not the rental company. With the report and the full damage waiver, a scrape costs you nothing beyond the time it takes.
Can I drive on after a small accident?
If the police have issued the report and the car is safe, usually yes. Confirm with the rental office first, because the damage is now recorded against the car.
What if it happens at night in the mountains?
Same steps. 12122 and 122 work everywhere, and the police come. It is one of the reasons our itineraries get you to the hotel by five, with daylight to spare.
Next step
The deposit, the fine hold and what the insurance costs: What does it cost to rent a car in China?.
