Suffered A Road Collision? Take These 8 Crucial Steps
Road collisions occupy a spectrum of difficulties – from light bumps to full-scale vehicular pile-ups.
If you find yourself suffering a road collision, it’s easy to react from instinct and forget the best path forward.
To begin with, it’s essential to inspect your well-being and the wellbeing of your passengers if you have any. Calling emergency services is essential if you suspect problems or problems for the other person in the opposing vehicle.
This post will be solely focused on what to do in this situation if only no one has been injured or needs immediate assistance as a result of the collision. If you do – always prioritize interventionist help before anything else in this post.
If all seems well outside of car damage, knowing the following eight steps can help you proceed with confidence and make sure your response is productive. Moreover, in an emotionally charged situation like this, the following steps will prevent anything worse from happening.
- Contact Local Authorities
If it’s not just a minor fender-bender that can be driven away from and has caused little damage outside of a scratch and bump, then it’s important to at least notify the authorities that a crash has taken place, even if you’re not requesting their direct presence right then and there. Depending on where you live, this may be a direct legal requirement.
This is because a collision on the road can cause pieces of your vehicle to lie across the road, and that may cause damage to someone else’s car. Of course, if you feel that there’s been criminal negligence, such as the other person acting in a clearly inebriated fashion, then it’s worth mentioning that immediately too.
- If You Can, Remove & Park Your Car
It may feel tempting to get out and start resolving the situation, but of course, you’re still on the road, and for that reason safety is paramount. If your vehicle can clearly still drive safely, then pulling to the side of the road can be important to do.
If not, then turn your hazard lights on, safely exit the car and move to the pavement at the safest possible opportunity. This will help notify other traffic users that a problem has taken place and to be cautious.
- Stay Calm & Take A Deep Breath
It’s hard not to feel frustrated when you’ve been in a road collision, even if both parties are uninjured. You may feel annoyed that the other person subverted the rules of the road putting you at risk, or, in some cases, they may not be the most cordial in their response.
First of all, it’s important to be grateful for the fact no one has been hurt, to take a deep breath, and to prioritize not making the issue worse. Stay calm and take a deep breath if you can – even if the other person is less polite.
Read: WHY BREATHING RIGHT IS SO IMPORTANT
- Exchange Information, Note Down Details
It’s important to exchange information such as insurance and contact details. Make sure to note down their license plate and any identifying details about their vehicle. You can also note the road you were on, the time it was, what you were doing when the collision hit, and who you believe to be in the wrong.
In some cases, you may have a small card of insurance information they can take a picture of, or you can give that info for them to write down too.
- Document The Scene With Your Smartphone Camera
Smartphone cameras are vitally important tools for documenting road traffic collisions, so take as many as you can. Take pictures of the road, the location, the other person’s car, where you were hit and the damage your car took, their license plates, their damage, and more.
Don’t shield anything or try to paint the situation as worse for you than them hoping this will win your case, it won’t, just be impartial and objectively photograph the scene if you’re able to do so. You can also take a video to showcase the wider scene more easily. Note – do not get out of the car to take pictures unless you’re safe and you know other traffic won’t interfere.
- Speak To Witnesses
If you can, speak to witnesses who may have seen the collision. You can take their contact information in case you need them to speak for you at a later date. Often, an impartial witness backing up your side of events can be more helpful than anything else, aside from specific evidence like smartphone footage or CCTV coverage of the event.
And in their absence, you can seek assistance from any expert trucking witness who is credible and highly experienced in commercial motor vehicle crashes. Their expert statements will help you if you need to go to court.
- Get Yourself Checked
It might seem as though your collision was a small bump, or you may not have felt any pain or injuries, but it’s still good to visit your doctor for a checkup just in case. You may not have realized how intensive the hit was, or how your neck whipped back and forth, to the point where soreness comes a little later without you expecting it.
Collisions on the road are unpredictable. Even if you feel fine, it’s always good to have that checked. Moreover, it’s helpful to write down your experience and how you felt about it. Road collisions are scary, and this can be an emotion we bottle up until it comes out in unhealthy ways. When you go through the event step by step, recalling it properly, you can better process what happened.
Read: STAYING SAFE DURING A LONG CAR JOURNEY
- Notify Your Insurance Company
Notify your insurance company to tell them what happened. They may also require an inspection of the vehicle, submitted evidence, and a full statement regarding what happened and when. This will help them determine the scope of their coverage and help you pay for the repairs, sometimes covering them outright. It’s good to attend to this as quickly as you can, but make sure maintaining your health always serves as the main priority.
As your vehicle is repaired, you may need to replace certain fixtures or even whole parts. If your vehicle is still roadworthy, you have a great deal of wriggle room here. This also applies to motorcycles – installing renewed handles and a motorcycle windshield can be all it takes to get back up to speed, provided you’ve only experienced a light bump.
With this advice, you’re sure to take the wisest steps, even if you’ve suffered a road traffic collision.
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