WHAT
DRIVERS SHOULD DO
IF
THEY ARE INVOLVED IN AN
AUTOMOBILE
ACCIDENT
Information provided in brochure from the National Association
of Chiefs of Police.
According to the latest statistics by the National
Safety Council, one in eight licensed drivers is involved in an automobile accident each
year. Whether or not you become one of those unfortunate drivers involved in an
collision, the following information can help prevent auto accidents or lessen the expense
and aggravation when they do occur.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION
Every day, accidents occur that could have been prevented. Taking the following
simple steps can help save your life and the lives of others.
- Use your seat belt and buckle up all passengers before you drive.
- Keep your eyes moving. Check your side and rear mirrors frequently.
- Anticipate the actions of others and keep a safe driving distance from
other vehicles. Keep a longer stopping distance when driving on wet surfaces.
- Drive more slowly at night and in wet or foggy conditions.
- Keep low beams on in fog. Pull over and stop if the fog is too thick.
Leave your lights on at all times.
- Don't panic when skidding. Take your foot off of the accelerator, but DO
NOT hit the brakes. Gently turn your steering wheel in the direction of the skid.
IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT
If you are involved in an auto accident, the National Association of
Chiefs of Police (NACOP) advises the following:
- Don't leave the scene. If vehicles are operable, move them to the
shoulder, out of the way of oncoming traffic.
- Call for medical assistance if there are any injuries. Provide basic first aid,
but do not move an injured person unless you possess medical or lifesaving expertise.
- Call a law enforcement officer if needed. In many areas, they must be called.
Inform the officer if anyone is injured.
- Get the officer's name, badge number, police station address and phone number.
Ask when the accident report will be filed, its case and report number and how you can get
a copy.
- Be an information gatherer. Take careful notes on the following:
- Date and time of the accident.
- Street and city.
- Weather and road conditions.
- Direction and speed you and other drivers were going.
- Brief description of how the accident occurred.
WHEN POLICE AREN'T PRESENT
In some locations, police do not respond to property damage crashes,
unless the damage is severe or an injury occurs. If an officer does not respond, exchange
the following information in order to complete "self-reporting" crash
information:
- Date, time and location - include the closest address.
- People Involved. Get the names and phone numbers of all occupants of the vehicles
involved and any witnesses.
- All Insurance Card Information. If the driver's name is different from the name
of the insured, find out the relationship, e.g. spouse, child, etc.
- Driver's License Information. Should include issuing state, expiration date, name
of driver, and license number.
- License Plates. Obtain and give license plate and vehicle identification numbers
(VIN). If VIN is not on the insurance card, you can find it on the small plate just inside
the car's windshield on the driver's side as seen from the outside of the car.
- Make notes. Describe the accident, the vehicles involved, their approximate
speeds, the setting, the weather, the traffic signs and signals, and the road conditions.
- Take photographs or draw simple diagrams of the accident scene. An inexpensive
disposable camera with flash can be kept in your glove compartment for this purpose.
GLOVE COMPARTMENT ESSENTIALS
To be prepared in case of an auto accident, you should keep the following information
in the glove compartment of your car(s):
- Always carry your insurance card and vehicle registration. Most insurance
companies provide you with two sets of cards. Carry one with you and place the other in
your glove compartment.
- Keep a list of emergency numbers in the glove compartment at all times. Such
information should include your insurance agent, neighbors and family members, your
child's school office, a local towing company and a local rental car company.
- Keep a medical card with you if you have allergies to any medicine, or you have a
condition that requires special attention. Remember if you are injured in a crash, you may
not be conscious to relay this information to paramedics.
KNOW YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE
You should periodically review your insurance coverage to see if it meets your
needs. Many people don't notice their lack of certain types of coverage until it is
too late. Examine your auto insurance policy to see what is covered by your
insurance company. Contact your insurer if you want to consider coverage above and
beyond the basics. Common options include:
- Bodily Injury Liability: Pays your legal defense costs and claims against you if
your car kills or injures someone. Covers family members living with you and others
driving with your permission.
- Rental Car Reimbursement: Pays for your rental car while your car is being
repaired.
- Collision: Pays for repairs of damage to your car caused by a collision with
another vehicle or any other object, regardless of who was responsible.
- Comprehensive Physical Damage: Pays for damage to your car resulting from theft,
fire, hail, vandalism, or a variety of other causes.
- Medical Payments: Pays medical expenses resulting from a collision for you and
others riding in your car. Also pays for you or your family members injured while riding
in another's car or while working.
GET A RENTAL CAR AT LITTLE OR NO COST
A car damaged in an auto accident is in the repair shop an average of 12 days.
Most drivers wouldn't want to go this long without transportation so it is a good idea to
prepare for this possibility ahead of time.
- Check your insurance policy or call your agent to see if you have rental car
reimbursement coverage. For a few dollars a month, you can purchase coverage that will pay
for your rental car while your car is being repaired. if you have this insurance, be sure
to remind your insurance company or agent when you file a claim.
- If you are involved in an accident that is not your fault, the other driver's insurance
company may provide a rental car for you.
- Some companies will provide transportation to the rental car office.
- If an insurance company is paying for the rental car, find out if the rental car company
can bill the insurance company for you so you don't have to pay out-of-pocket before being
reimbursed.
DID YOU KNOW?
- An auto accident occurs every 1.09 seconds in the United States.
- Each year, nearly 35 million drivers in the United States will be involved in an auto
accident.
LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION ON
AUTO ACCIDENT TOPICS
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
Better Business Bureau
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Association of Chiefs of Police
The Online Guide to Accident Preparedness
Consumer Insurance Information
National Safety Council
U.S. Consumer Information Center
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