Car Accident Etiquette 101: Key Steps to Follow
Finding yourself involved in a car accident can be a scary experience, especially if you have never been in one before. In fact, the experience can be so jarring that it can be easy to forget what you should do in the immediate moments following the car accident. By ensuring you follow the proper etiquette after being involved in a car accident, you can also ensure that the entire process is handled smoothly, legally, and without incident.
How Common are Car Accidents?
The idea of being involved in a car accident can sometimes feel abstract as it doesn’t happen to everyone. Some people may go their entire lives without being in a car crash, but this doesn’t mean that they do not occur. In fact, recent estimates determined that around 13 car accidents happen every minute, amounting to millions of crashes over the course of a year. While not every single one of these crashes will be devastating, a car crash is still a car crash regardless of how minor it may be.
What are the Leading Causes of Car Accidents?
Considering just how common car crashes are on roadways, it’s helpful to understand what the common causes for all of these accidents actually are. Below are four of the most common reasons accidents occur on roadways around the world:
Distracted Driving
In the modern age, there are far more potential distractions on the road as compared to prior years. Specifically, smartphones have become the culprit for many accidents on the road as drivers become distracted by them while operating their vehicle. Whether it’s checking a text, changing the music, or just taking a phone call, drivers becoming distracted behind the wheel can lead to many different types of car accidents.
Driving Under the Influence
While it is taught to drivers and instilled in people of all ages, some drivers still choose to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is extremely dangerous as it impacts their ability to operate a vehicle through impacting their motor capabilities, decision-making skills, reaction time, and more. There is a reason driving under the influence is illegal, and the fact that it can lead to serious car wrecks is the primary reason.
Driving in Poor Weather Conditions
An often overlooked common cause of car accidents on the road is poor weather conditions. Drivers who are unfamiliar with certain conditions such as heavy snow or torrential rainfall may not be good at driving in those conditions. This can lead to the driver making a poor decision behind the wheel or simply losing control of the vehicle since they were not prepared for that weather. Regardless, weather conditions lead to a large number of accidents on a yearly basis.
Driving Recklessly
Finally, pure reckless driving often leads to a number of car accidents on the road during a year. Whether it is refusing to obey traffic laws, speeding on the road, or simply making dangerous decisions while driving, reckless driving shows a disregard for others on the road and can come with serious legal charges if a person causes an accident due to this behavior.
5 Steps to Take When a Car Accident Occurs
With the common causes for car accidents on the road outlined, it’s important to look at what to do in the event you are ever involved in a car crash yourself. The following five tips are some of the most important to follow:
1. Inspect yourself and others for injuries
First and foremost, it’s important to make sure you weren’t injured after your car accident occurred. Inspect yourself and under your clothes to be sure that you feel completely alright, and then inspect the others in your vehicle if there was anyone. After this, check the other driver(s) involved in the crash to figure out if you need to call emergency services.
2. Get any impacted vehicles to the side of the road if possible
Assuming the vehicles involved in the crash are still operational, try to get them out of the road as soon as possible. Oncoming drivers may not be able to see the crash site until they are too close to stop in time, which can lead to a secondary accident.
3. Exchange information with the other driver(s)
Once all vehicles are out of the road and you are certain that there are no injuries, speak with the other driver(s) and exchange key information. This information should include your insurance card for the vehicle along with your contact information if the other person should need to contact you for any reason following the incident. Be sure to grab their information as well, rather than just handing yours over which some people fail to do in the heat of the moment.
4. Take photos of any damage to the vehicles
After exchanging information, take the time to photograph the vehicles that were involved in the crash. This is important as it will show proof of any damage that may have occurred solely from the accident. While everyone wants to believe others are honest, having proof of what happened in the form of a photo is simply smart.
5. Contact your insurance company
Finally, it’s important to contact your insurance company following an accident to inform them that you were involved in an accident. You may need to file a claim with them depending on who was at-fault in the accident which will require giving them certain details about what occurred.
The Bottom Line
Being involved in a car accident is a very serious matter and even small accidents can lead to debilitating injuries. Remember that above all else, you should first inspect yourself and others for injury to be sure that emergency services are not required for the accident. Also try to remember that depending on the state you are living in, contacting the police may be required depending on the details of the accident. Research your own specific state laws to be sure you aren’t accidentally violating this rule following your accident.