Crash on Anzac Parade: Replacement Car Steps
If you are hit on Anzac Parade and it is not your fault, you can keep driving a car of the same standard while yours is repaired. In New South Wales this is called a like-for-like replacement car, and it is arranged through credit hire at no upfront cost to you, with the at-fault party's insurer picking up the reasonable cost.
Anzac Parade is one of the busiest corridors in the Eastern Suburbs, carrying buses, students, light rail works and a lot of distracted drivers between Moore Park and Maroubra. This guide walks you through what to do at the scene, where to tow and repair, how delivery works to Kensington and Randwick, and what changes when a bus or light rail vehicle is involved.
Key takeaways
- If the Anzac Parade crash was not your fault, you are entitled to a like-for-like replacement car while yours is repaired.
- Bus and light rail collisions on Anzac Parade follow a separate incident process and usually take longer for liability to be accepted.
- You can choose your own repairer and your own tow, and you should collect witness details and CCTV requests the same day.
- Replacement cars can be delivered to Kensington, Randwick, Kingsford, Maroubra and surrounding suburbs, often the same day.
- Keep the replacement car for the reasonable repair period, and document parts delays in writing if the insurer queries the hire.
- The Anzac Parade crash profile: buses, students, light rail
- Securing the scene near a bus lane or tram line
- Towing and repairers in Kensington and Randwick
- Delivery to the Eastern Suburbs
- If a bus or light rail vehicle is involved
- Witnesses from the university and nearby cafes
- The insurer's response time in a bus-involved claim
- Keeping the replacement car while parts arrive
- What to do in the next hour
The Anzac Parade crash profile: buses, students, light rail
Anzac Parade runs roughly nine kilometres from Moore Park down through Kensington, Kingsford, Maroubra and into La Perouse. It is a six-lane arterial for most of that run, with a dedicated bus lane, a steady stream of UNSW students, and light rail tracks now sharing the corridor from Circular Quay to Kingsford. That mix produces a specific kind of crash.
The most common not-at-fault collisions we see on this road are rear-enders at the Alison Road and High Street intersections, side-swipes where a driver drifts out of the bus lane near Kensington Oval, and low-speed shunts in the Kingsford shops strip around Anzac Parade and Gardeners Road. Bus-on-car contact is more frequent here than on almost any other Sydney road because the bus lane sits hard against general traffic for long stretches.
Peak risk windows are 8am to 9.30am heading city-bound and 4.30pm to 6pm heading south, when UNSW traffic peaks and the light rail runs at frequency. Friday afternoons around Randwick Racecourse add another layer. If you drive a prestige or performance car, the repair bill on a seemingly minor tap can run into serious money because of sensors, radar, cameras and aluminium panels.
What matters legally is fault, not the size of the hit. If the other driver is at fault, you are entitled to be put back in a comparable car while yours is off the road. That principle was confirmed in the NSW case of Arsalan v Rixon, which is the backbone of like-for-like claims in this state. Read our explainer on not-at-fault claims if this is your first time through the process.
Securing the scene near a bus lane or tram line
Anzac Parade is a clearway and a bus lane for much of the day, so a stationary car is a hazard within seconds. Do these things in order.
- Hazards on, then move if the car is driveable. Get off the bus lane and, if you can, into a side street such as Boronia Street, Grosvenor Street or Meeks Street.
- Check for injuries and call 000 if anyone is hurt. Ambulance first, everything else second.
- If a bus or light rail vehicle is involved, do not move your car until the driver or a transport officer tells you it is fine. There may be a formal incident process.
- Photograph everything: both cars from four angles, the road position, lane markings, the bus lane sign, the traffic light state, and any skid marks. Photograph the other driver's licence, rego sticker or plate, and their insurer if they have it.
- Collect names and phone numbers from witnesses. On Anzac Parade they are usually students waiting at a stop, cafe staff, or a bus driver behind you.
- Do not admit fault, even conversationally. Say you will let the insurers work it out.
If the car is not driveable, call a tow from a side street rather than the main carriageway. Tow operators who cruise Anzac Parade will offer to take you to their yard. You are not obliged to use them. You can nominate your own repairer, and a not-at-fault tow should be recoverable from the at-fault insurer.
Age limits are set per car. Drivers under 25 can hire most cars with Young Driver Cover; the exact terms are shown before you pay.
Towing and repairers in Kensington and Randwick
You have the right to choose your own repairer. Insurers will often push you toward their preferred network, which is fine if you are happy with it, but for a prestige or performance car you usually want a shop that works with your brand and knows aluminium, carbon and calibration.
Useful landmarks when you are directing a tow or describing your location to a repairer:
- Kensington: near UNSW Gate 2, Kensington Oval, and the Todman Avenue lights.
- Kingsford: the Anzac Parade and Gardeners Road junction, and the light rail stop outside the shops.
- Randwick: Alison Road, Belmore Road, and the hospital precinct around High Street.
- Maroubra: Maroubra Junction and the Anzac Parade run down to Malabar Road.
Most reputable Eastern Suburbs shops will arrange the tow themselves once you call. Ask three questions before you commit: do you have the diagnostic equipment for my model, do you use genuine or OEM-equivalent panels, and how do you handle a supplementary quote if hidden damage appears after the bumper comes off. That last point is where timelines blow out.
While the car is being assessed, you still need to get to work, uni, school pickup and the airport. That is where a replacement car comes in. If you are not at fault, you can book a like-for-like vehicle through accident replacement vehicles and have it delivered to your address in Kensington, Randwick, Kingsford or Maroubra. Bookings are fulfilled by Drive Tribe (drivetribe.com.au), the trading name of Australian Business Holdings Pty Ltd, and this site is part of that group.
A prestige SUV is the usual match for a prestige SUV. If you drive something in that class, this is the natural step while your car is in the shop.
Porsche MACAN
2019 Porsche MACAN...
Not at fault? Start your claim
A like-for-like replacement car while yours is repaired. No cost to you when the other driver is at fault.
Start my claimDelivery to the Eastern Suburbs
Delivery changes the whole experience. Instead of catching two buses to Mascot or paying for a taxi to a depot, the replacement car arrives at your door, you do a quick walkaround, sign, and drive away. For anyone living between Moore Park and Malabar, that is usually the difference between a stressful week and a manageable one.
Typical delivery windows we work to in this area:
| Suburb | Usual delivery window |
|---|---|
| Kensington and Kingsford | Same day or next morning |
| Randwick and Coogee | Same day or next morning |
| Maroubra and Malabar | Next morning |
| Moore Park and Paddington | Same day |
You will need your driver licence, a card in your name for the bond, and the other driver's details or a police event number. The bond equals the excess you choose, and it is refunded when the car comes back in the same condition. Paying by card carries a small surcharge; bank transfer and cash on the rental do not. The rate, the bond and every fee are shown on the car's page before you pay, so there are no surprises.
If your own car is a performance model, tell us the make, model and year when you book. Matching a hot hatch to a base SUV is not like-for-like, and it weakens your claim. Our page on performance car equivalence explains how that assessment works.
Audi RS 3 Sportback 2022
The Audi RS 3 Sportback packs a turbocharged five-cylinder engine with a sound all of its own into a compact, practical hatch. Quattro all-wheel drive puts all 294 kW down in any...
If a bus or light rail vehicle is involved
A crash with a bus or a light rail vehicle on Anzac Parade is a different animal. State Transit and private bus operators run their own incident procedures, and light rail is operated under a separate regime again. The driver will usually radio the depot, and a supervisor or transport officer may attend.
What to do:
- Stay calm and cooperate with the driver and any transport officer. Do not argue fault at the scene.
- Get the bus fleet number, the route number, the driver's name and the depot. This is on the front and side of the bus.
- Ask for the incident or report number. Buses log every collision.
- Note the exact time and the light rail stop nearest you, because CCTV is time-stamped and location-specific.
- Photograph the bus or tram position, your car, and the road markings.
- Report to police if anyone is injured or a vehicle is towed. In NSW you generally must report a crash to police if someone is hurt or the other party fails to exchange details.
Bus and tram operators carry heavy insurance and their claims teams are professional. That cuts both ways: they will investigate thoroughly, but they also tend to accept clear liability quickly when their driver is at fault. Your job is to give your replacement car provider and your insurer clean evidence, and then get on with your week. See evidence that supports a like-for-like claim for the full checklist.
Witnesses from the university and nearby cafes
Witnesses are the single most useful thing you can collect in the first ten minutes, and Anzac Parade is unusually rich in them. UNSW students wait at stops along the parade, cafe staff in Kensington and Kingsford see the same intersections every day, and bus passengers often have a clear view from above the traffic.
Ask for a name, a mobile number, and a one-line description of what they saw. If they are willing, ask them to text it to you so you have it in writing with a timestamp. A short text saying "I saw the white ute run the red at High Street" is worth more than a long statement taken a week later.
Places where witnesses tend to be found:
- Bus stops outside UNSW and along Anzac Parade at Kensington and Kingsford.
- Cafes on Anzac Parade in Kingsford and on Belmore Road in Randwick.
- The light rail stops at Kingsford and UNSW High Street.
- Service stations and convenience stores with external cameras.
If a shop or the university has CCTV covering the intersection, ask politely whether they can preserve the footage. Many will, especially if you explain that it is for an insurance claim. Do it the same day, because retention periods are often short. Our guide to the first 24 hours after a not-at-fault crash covers this in detail.
The insurer's response time in a bus-involved claim
Bus-involved claims usually move at a different pace. The operator's claims team has to obtain the driver's report, pull CCTV, and sometimes wait on transport authority records. That can add days to the liability decision, even when fault is obvious.
What you can control is your own side. Lodge your claim with your insurer promptly, and tell them clearly that you are not at fault and that you intend to claim a like-for-like replacement car. Keep every receipt and every message. If the at-fault insurer delays acceptance, credit hire providers can still put you in a car, because the claim is against the at-fault party, not against your own policy.
Realistic timelines in the Eastern Suburbs:
| Stage | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Liability accepted, simple rear-ender | A few days to two weeks |
| Liability accepted, bus or tram involved | Two to six weeks |
| Replacement car approved and delivered | Same day to next morning |
| Repair booked in, parts on order | One to three weeks |
If the insurer pushes back on the hire, do not panic and do not accept a base model. Our pages on dealing with insurers and insurer disputes set out how to respond. For the broader rules on how long you can keep the car, see how long you can keep a not-at-fault replacement car in NSW.
Keeping the replacement car while parts arrive
Parts delays are the biggest cause of long repairs on prestige cars in Sydney. A bumper is easy; a radar module, a headlight with adaptive beam, or an aluminium bonnet for a European model can sit on backorder for weeks. During that time your car is off the road, and you are still entitled to a comparable replacement.
The rule of thumb is that you keep the replacement car for the reasonable period your own car is being repaired, plus reasonable assessment time. "Reasonable" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and it is why documentation matters. Keep a folder with:
- The repairer's booking confirmation and any updated completion dates.
- Parts order confirmations or backorder notices.
- Photos of the damage and the assessor's report.
- Your replacement car agreement and delivery docket.
Send these to the at-fault insurer when they ask why the hire is still running. A repairer who emails you a one-line update each week is worth their weight in gold. If the repair drags past the original estimate, ask the repairer to put the reason in writing, then pass it on.
If your car is written off instead of repaired, the replacement car arrangement ends when the claim settles, and the conversation shifts to what a fair market value or replacement vehicle looks like. Our repairs and write-offs page covers that separately.
For a performance car that is sitting in a Kingsford or Randwick workshop waiting on parts, this is the sort of car that keeps your week moving.
Tesla Model Y RWD 2025
The updated Tesla Model Y is the easiest way to try electric driving: quiet, quick off the line and packed with technology, with a huge boot and a panoramic glass roof. Plenty of...
What to do in the next hour
If you are reading this on the side of Anzac Parade right now, here is the short version.
- Make the scene safe, check for injuries, call 000 if needed.
- Photograph everything and exchange details. Do not admit fault.
- Collect witness names and numbers, and ask nearby businesses to keep CCTV.
- Call your insurer and lodge a not-at-fault claim.
- Arrange a tow to a repairer you choose, not one who flags you down.
- Book a like-for-like replacement car for delivery to your address.
If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, the starting point is always fault. Read what not-at-fault means in NSW, then look at how credit hire works so you understand who pays and when. If you run a business and the damaged car is a fleet vehicle, see business and fleet for how to keep a driver on the road.
When you are ready, you can check availability and have a car delivered across the Eastern Suburbs. Browse the Sydney accident replacement range at accident replacement car Sydney, or start with the main Drive Tribe site. Cars can be booked from a single day, and the minimum driver age is 20 on most cars and 25 or 30 on some.
Smash repairers, solicitors and brokers who refer clients to us can find the process on our partners and referrals page.
Questions people ask
Can I get a replacement car in the Eastern Suburbs?
What happens if I crash with a bus on Anzac Parade?
How long will the repair take if parts are delayed?
Do I have to use the tow truck that stops at the scene?
Will the insurer give me a base model instead of my own car?
What if my car is written off after the Anzac Parade crash?
Injured in the accident?
A replacement car covers the car. For legal advice about an injury, speak to Jameson Law, the most trusted personal injury firm in NSW (motor vehicle accident claims) on (02) 8806 0866.
Ready when you are
Start the claim online in five short steps, or call 0468 011 118. Replacement hires are arranged and fulfilled by Drive Tribe, the trading name of Australian Business Holdings Pty Ltd.
Start my claim