Easter Long Weekend Accident Guide: Towing and Insurance When Shops Are Closed
Easter is one of the highest-risk periods on Victorian roads. The combination of holiday traffic volumes, the Great Ocean Road tourist surge, regional travel by drivers who don't regularly do long trips, and the occasional lapse in concentration that comes with the relaxed holiday mindset creates a significant spike in accidents across the Geelong region every year.
It also happens to fall at a time when most panel shops are closed for 4 days straight — Good Friday through Easter Monday — leaving accident victims without their usual recourse.
This guide tells you exactly what to do if you have an accident over Easter, so you're not making uninformed decisions under stress when the businesses that normally guide you through this aren't available.
Step 1: Make Sure Everyone Is Safe First
Before anything else — check for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 000 immediately. This is always the priority regardless of the day, the time, or what's closed.
If the vehicles are driveable and blocking traffic, move them to a safe position off the road.
Step 2: Document Everything — More Thoroughly Than You Think Is Necessary
Over Easter, the documentation you gather at the scene may need to carry the process for several days until businesses reopen. Be thorough:
- Photograph every angle of both vehicles, including registration plates
- Photograph the full accident scene — road layout, signage, skid marks, debris
- Get the other driver's full name, address, phone, licence number, registration, and insurer
- Get contact details from any witnesses — Easter traffic means there are often more bystanders than usual at tourist locations
- Note the exact location (use a maps app screenshot if you're unfamiliar with the road)
If police are involved — which is required if there's injury, significant property damage, or if the other driver refuses to provide details — get the event number.
Step 3: Call Your Insurer That Day
Insurance companies operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year including Easter. The claims line doesn't close for public holidays. Call them on the day of the accident to lodge the initial report — not to commit to anything, but to get a claim number and establish the timeline.
When you call, do not agree to use their preferred repairer. Tell them you'll be nominating your own repairer when businesses reopen after the holiday period. You have the right to do this — and committing to their preferred option in a stressful post-accident phone call is a commitment that's harder to reverse than not making it at all.
Step 4: Towing Over Easter
If your vehicle is undriveable, you need towing — and towing is available over Easter even when workshops are closed.
North Geelong Accident Repair Centre's 24-hour tow service operates over the Easter period: 0420 801 465.
When your vehicle is towed to our secure compound over Easter, it's safely stored until we open. You don't need to make decisions about the repair in a hurry — the vehicle is protected, and the proper assessment process starts when we're back on deck.
Avoid leaving an undriveable vehicle on the roadside overnight over Easter. The risk of secondary damage, theft, or a further collision involving your stationary vehicle is real.
Step 5: The Decisions That Wait Until After Easter
Some decisions are better made when you have proper support and aren't under immediate pressure:
Choosing your repairer. You have time. The insurer's preferred repairer isn't going anywhere, and neither is your right to choose us instead. Make that decision with a clear head after the holiday.
Accepting any settlement offers. If the other party's insurer or even your own insurer makes you a settlement offer quickly, you don't need to accept it on the spot. Particularly for any offer relating to vehicle value — get an independent assessment before accepting.
Deciding between insurance and private repair. For minor damage, you may be better off paying privately. You can't make that decision accurately without a repair quote. Get the quote after the holiday when you can call us properly.
What the Great Ocean Road Changes About Easter Accidents
The Great Ocean Road corridor through Anglesea, Lorne, and Apollo Bay sees a significant volume of Easter traffic — and the road conditions create specific risks. The road is narrow, coastal, and doesn't forgive distraction or excessive speed.
If you've had an accident on or near the Great Ocean Road over Easter, our tow service covers this corridor. We can recover your vehicle from the road and bring it back to our North Geelong workshop safely.
24-Hour Towing (including Easter): 0420 801 465 Workshop enquiries (business hours after Easter): 03 4244 8938
6 Freedman St, North Geelong VIC 3215 | Book a free assessment