Road Warrior: What to do after a crash
As a drove my damaged sedan back home after speaking with the responding officer, I was surprised at how calm I was and that I knew what to do after the crash. I don't exactly make a habit of getting into crashes, so it's not like I was working from experience.
It's never a bad idea to prepare for an emergency, so it can't hurt to go over what to do. Since taking on the Road Warrior column, I've been surprised to learn that several local school districts don't offer driver's ed, so young drivers may not be getting much instruction on what to do if they find themselves in an accident. I was also surprised when PennDOT spokesman
Instead, my list of best practices is coming from the auto insurance industry, including esurance, Liberty Mutual,
* Remain calm
Getting into an accident is no one's idea of a good time, and tempers may flare. No matter what happens, losing your cool isn't going to help. You're going to need to assess potential injuries, damage to property and communicate with emergency responders. That's all easier said than done if you or someone you love is hurt, but you need to take a deep breath and focus.
* Get to a safe space if possible
Take stock of the situation. Are you hurt? If you have any passengers, are they hurt?
If everyone's safe, do your best to get your vehicle off the road. The last thing you need is more people smashing into it. Pull onto the shoulder or into a nearby parking lot if possible. Put it in park, turn off the engine and remove the keys. If your vehicle is totaled and cannot leave the road, get everyone out. Consider using road flares or warning triangles if you have any to alert oncoming drivers.
If people are hurt, you need to balance the need to keep the risk of leaving them where they are with any additional harm you may cause moving them. Generally speaking, you shouldn't look to move anyone with a serious injury unless they're in immediate danger, like if the car is on fire or at risk of getting hit. That rule applies to you, too -- if you're hurt, stay put if it's safe.
"It's usually best not to move someone that's seriously injured,"
* Check on everyone else
Now that you're out of the vehicle, check on anyone else involved in the crash, including any other drivers, passengers or pedestrians. Determine if anyone is hurt and note the nature of their injuries.
* Call 911
Once you have a sense of what's going on, call 911 and tell the dispatcher where you are, the basics of what happened, whether the road is blocked and if anyone is injured or trapped.
The Road Warrior made sure to photograph the damage to his vehicle after getting hit on his passenger side in
The Road Warrior made sure to photograph the damage to his vehicle after getting hit on his passenger side in
* Document the accident
Take down the names, contact information, drivers license numbers and insurance company details of other drivers. If possible, get the names and contacts for any witnesses.
Take down notes on the accident. Where did it occur? What time of day? Who was injured? What were the weather conditions? What was the make, model and color of the other vehicles involved? What damage, if any, did those vehicles take? If you have a camera phone, take pictures. These can come in handy if you file an insurance claim or if you find yourself in court over the accident.
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