Shanghai traffic police said on Friday that they will move to the Internet in dealing with traffic accidents amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The police officer in charge of an accident will establish a WeChat group with the parties involved and their agents. Evidence collection and information sharing, as well as negotiations for compensation, will be done in such groups.

If questioning is required, the police officer will contact involved parties or witnesses via video call on WeChat. When WeChat is not available, the police officer will make recorded calls.

The police officer will also take a picture of the legal decision in paper form and send it to the parties involved in the accident and allow them to use this document in asking for a review of the decision.

On the legal decision, the parties involved will find a mobile phone number and a WeChat number which serve them if they need to file a review request.

Police said the purpose of online accident handling is to avoid gatherings of people as much as possible now that more people are returning to the city.

Police said they will also avoid seizing vehicles from traffic law offenders unless necessary to reduce public inconvenience.