You called the police and nobody came

Italian police do not routinely attend collisions without injuries. For a foreign driver used to a different practice this feels like being left alone with the problem — but the system assumes the CID does that job, and it usually does.

When it genuinely matters that they attend

Injuries, however minor they appear at the time. A refusal by the other driver to complete the CID. A suspicion that the other vehicle is uninsured or the documents are not genuine. A driver who leaves the scene. Damage to public infrastructure or third-party property.

If any of these apply, say so explicitly when you call — the assessment of whether to attend is made on what you describe.

If they still do not attend

You can report the accident yourself afterwards at a police station: Polizia di Stato, Carabinieri or the local police, depending on where it happened. For an unidentified party, vandalism or theft this is usually a requirement of your comprehensive cover, and it has to be done in Italy.

Take the vehicle documents and your own identification, and bring the completed CID if you have one. Ask for confirmation of the report and note the reference.

Build the file yourself

Without an official report, your documentation is the file. Photograph the final positions before anything moves, the whole scene including signage and road markings, all damage on both vehicles, and the other party's documents.

Take witness details. A name and a telephone number written down at the scene is worth more than a dozen people who "saw everything" and left.

Then have the damage assessed. Where liability is contested and no authority attended, the damage geometry becomes the main independent evidence — and it is only readable while the vehicle is unrepaired.

Frequently asked questions

Is a claim weaker without a police report?

Not automatically. Most straightforward claims in Italy are settled on the CID alone. A report matters where liability is disputed or where your policy requires one for the type of event.

Can I report it after I get home?

For the Italian record, generally no — the report belongs where the accident happened. Notify your own insurer at home promptly, but do the Italian formalities before you leave.

The other driver called their own insurer at the scene and said it is handled.

Notify your insurer yourself regardless, and keep your own documentation. What matters to your claim is what you can show, not what the other party says they have arranged.