Buying a car is an exciting experience but can also be daunting if you don’t know what to look out for when making your choice. An important risk to check for is whether a vehicle has previously been in an accident. A damaged vehicle which has not been repaired properly can be unsafe to drive or may be worth less when you come to sell it. So read our advice before choosing your second-hand vehicle. How to tell if a vehicle has been in an accident 1. A vehicle history check Make sure you choose a reputable dealer and ask if they will carry out a full vehicle check. At Rockpoint , we offer the HPI check, widely considered the best in the UK. It uses the registration number, chassis number (VIN) and logbook (V5C) details to throw up any issues with a car and its history such as its mileage, ownership and any outstanding finance. It will also alert you to whether the car is an insurance write-off. An insurance-write off happens when a car has suffered damage and the insurer considers the r...