Dutch police and insurance companies on Tuesday launched an app which does away with the need to fill in complicated forms following a car accident.

It is the first time police and insurance companies have worked together to tackle the problems posed by ‘old fashioned paper documents’, the AD says. The new app replaces sketches of the accident with photographs and uses GPS to determine the exact location.

The app can also be used by cyclists and walkers to report accidents and damage.

According to research by market researchers Gfk, one in three motorists say the current European accident statement is not user-friendly and 15% do not carry one in their vehicle.

Insurance companies, government officials and road safety lobby groups have all been involved in the development of the app. They hope the data it generates can be used to reduce the number of road deaths, the AD says.

Paper forms are not yet being phased out.