Looking for a witness? Someone who saw it can reach you
A scratch along the door in the car park, a bumper pushed in, a bike knocked over at the crossing. The other driver is gone, but someone saw it. WaveSign is a free notice board for exactly this moment: place, time and a short description, and the witness gets in touch by e-mail. No account, no fee.
You need a witness
- Check the map first: open the search, enter the time and the car park or the crossing, and look for an entry about what happened.
- Nothing there yet? Leave a WaveSign yourself: where and when it happened, what was damaged and which car or bike is yours. Write what happened, not whom you suspect: no names, no number plates of others.
- Confirm your e-mail address with the link we send you. When a witness writes, the mail reaches you. Your address stays hidden until you reply.
You saw something
- Is someone hurt or is the other driver still there? Call the emergency number and give your details to the police on the spot. WaveSign is for the moment after, when everyone has left.
- Leave a WaveSign: the place, the time and what you saw in plain words. Describe cars by colour and type; a number plate names a person and does not belong in a public entry.
- The person affected writes to you. You decide what you pass on and whether you give your details to their insurer or the police. Nobody sees your address until you reply.
The official channels
A witness notice is not a report. The person who caused damage must leave their details or inform the police; if they did not, the police and your insurer are the official way. WaveSign fills the gap next to it: it finds the person who saw it.
Questions about witnesses
Do I need an account?
No. An entry needs a place, a time, two short descriptions and an e-mail address for the reply. You confirm the address once with a link.
May I write the number plate of the other car?
No. A number plate identifies a person, and an entry that points at someone is taken off the map by our moderators. Describe the car by colour, type and anything you noticed.
How long is my entry visible?
30 days from the time you enter, not from the moment you save it. After that it leaves the map; after two years we delete it for good.
Do I have to testify when I saw something?
Whether you give a statement to the police or an insurer is your decision; WaveSign only lets the person affected reach you.
Does WaveSign pass anything on to the police or an insurer?
No. We hold nothing beyond the entry and the e-mail addresses needed to deliver replies, and we do not hand them out.
And the wave?
WaveSign started with a gesture. You wave at someone you can no longer reach, say "wavesign.me", and you both know where to look. The person who saw it and raised a hand through the car window as you ran over is making exactly that gesture.