What A Police Sketch Plan Shows
You keep hearing about a sketch plan and want to know what it actually is.
A police sketch plan is a diagram showing how the vehicles in your accident are understood to have collided. It marks their positions, direction of travel and the road layout. It is sometimes called a rough sketch, or rajah kasar. It is a different document from the written police report, though both come from the same investigation.
Many people assume the report they collect from the station is the whole picture. Only later do they discover the sketch plan is a separate, equally important piece of paper they still need to request.
What the sketch plan actually contains
The diagram typically marks where each vehicle was positioned before and after impact. It shows the direction each was travelling, road markings, junctions or signs nearby, and sometimes a rough scale of distances involved. It gives a visual account of the collision that a written report alone cannot easily capture.
This is often paired with what is known as the key. It is a short reference explaining the symbols and abbreviations used in the diagram itself.
Why it matters to your claim
Where liability is disputed, the sketch plan can carry real weight. It sets out an official, contemporaneous version of how the vehicles came together. Insurers, and a court if needed, often refer to it directly when comparing it against dashcam footage, photos or witness accounts.
Who is at fault in a crash explains how this evidence fits alongside everything else gathered after an accident.
Getting your copy
The sketch plan is not always handed over automatically at the same time as the report. You may need to ask for it specifically, sometimes once the investigation has progressed a little further. Getting your police report and sketch explains the practical steps for requesting both.
The honest limits
A sketch plan reflects what the investigating officer recorded. Like any human-prepared document, it can contain a genuine error, an unclear measurement, or a detail that does not quite match your own recollection. It is one piece of evidence, not an unchallengeable final word.
What to do next
Review your sketch plan against your own memory of the accident as soon as you receive it, while details are still fresh. If something looks wrong, what if the police report is wrong sets out what to do about it.
Common questions
What exactly is a police sketch plan?
It is a diagram prepared by the police showing how the vehicles are understood to have collided, including their positions, direction of travel, and the layout of the road at the scene. It is sometimes called a rough sketch or rajah kasar.
Is the sketch plan the same as the police report?
No, they are different documents produced from the same investigation. The report is the written account, while the sketch plan is the visual diagram. Both are usually available and both matter to a claim.
Who actually draws the sketch plan?
It is prepared by the investigating police officer, usually based on measurements and observations taken at the scene, along with information from those involved and any witnesses present.
What if the sketch plan looks inaccurate to me?
Raise it as soon as you notice, since it can be corrected or supplemented more easily while the investigation is still active. [What if the police report is wrong](/blog/what-if-the-police-report-is-wrong/) covers how to approach this.