We discussed the importance of an automobile emergency kit in a previous blog post and getting into an accident is one reason why. Ideal Automotive hopes you never get into an accident, but it can happen to the best of us. Should you get into a fender-bender, here are some steps to take to protect you, your vehicle, your automobile insurance coverage, and all others involved in the incident.
Are You Okay?
Before you do anything else, check to make sure you and your passengers are okay. If anyone is injured or it appears that your vehicle might catch on fire, call 9-1-1 immediately. If everyone seems to be okay, call the police or highway patrol. Even if the accident is minor, the authorities should be involved.
Move Your Car
Move your car, truck, or SUV to safety if you can. It’s better to get out of the flow of traffic than sit in it. If you keep your car stationary, another vehicle might hit you. Whether you can move your vehicle or not, turn on your hazard lights right away to signal there’s a danger to other drivers.
Alert Oncoming Traffic
Aside from your hazard lights, only exit your vehicle when it’s safe to do so and then grab the reflective triangles we talked about in our previous post. Set them up behind and around your vehicle. Once everyone is safe or you’ve secured the scene. It’s time to gather information.
Stay Calm and Get Information
Keep calm and don’t lose your cool with the other driver, even if he or she was at fault. Who’s at fault doesn’t matter right now. What matters is getting all the information your insurance company will need to process your claim. Write down
- All drivers and passengers names, addresses, and telephone numbers
- All drivers license numbers belonging to the drivers involved
- All vehicle information, including license plate and registration numbers
- Insurance information, including policy numbers
- Contact information for all witnesses
You should also get the names of the officers who helped you at the scene and their badge numbers. While you can, write down your recollection of the accident, as well. Your memory is best right after the incident. Document the accident by taking photos or videos of the vehicles and accident scene and send all of this information to your insurance company.
Ideal Automotive is located in Blaine, MN, and while we don’t do bodywork, we’d be happy to inspect your vehicle after an accident.
