What to do when… You crash your car.
by Matthew Cattin No matter how cautious you are on the roads, car accidents can, and statistically probably will, happen to you at some point in your life, whether it’s a 2km/h collision with a letterbox or a 50km/h pileup with a herd of cows. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those shitty things and no amount of road code revision, positive thinking or power of prayer can save you from this inevitable fact; people make mistakes. Learning to drive is an exciting time of course – the roads give you a brilliant sense of freedom and independence. However, while there is much emphasis on how to drive safely and not crash, there seems to be very little info on how to crash, and what to do when you’ve had an accident. So, being a sensible and responsible young lad, I thought I would assemble a few points and tips you may want to follow if you ever find yourself in such a position. 1. You’ve just had a collision with another vehicle. Faaaaaark! You screech to a halt on the road and let out a few expletives. Now, first thing’s first, check yourself and your passengers for injuries, enquire how they feel, and if everybody is all good, breathe a sigh of relief. While you’re sighing, breathe a few more times too and calm yourself down. Crashes can be terrifying and everything will run smoother if you’re cool as a cucumber. 2. If you’ve just had a collision, your car is likely still on the road and this isn’t all that safe. If your car is still in working order, it’s a good call to get it off the road before it causes any more trouble. Once safely parked up, get out and check up on the passengers of the other vehicle – do this before checking the damage to your car. Vehicles can be replaced, people cannot. If your car is too damaged to move safely, turn the vehicle off and if you have cones or warning triangles, place them on the road around the site. 3. With any luck, the occupants of the other vehicle are all good too. If they’re not however, call an ambulance ASAP. Not all injuries are external and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 4. Even if the accident is minor, you’re still required to report it to the police. So stop snapchatting pics of the crash and call the boys in blue. If it’s not a major accident, then your situation is not an emergency - call your local station, not 111. Either way, make sure the police are called. 5. Once the po-po have been informed and are on their way, sit tight, relax and try your best to console anybody who may be shaken up by the incident. Same goes for injuries – if the ambulance is on your way, do your best to keep those who are injured calm and comfortable. Unless there is imminent danger (like a fire), don’t try and move anybody – you can do more damage.
6. If everybody is okay but you’re flipping your lid, maybe call your family and get them to come down – it’s always nice to have a bit of support in times like these. As nice as it is to have your mum around though, if she is a worrier who is liable to break down and cause a scene in the sensitive situation, call somebody calm and collected instead. 7. When the police arrive, they’ll check your licenses, breath test the drivers, check vehicle damage and make both parties fill out an accident report. Be honest; everybody makes mistakes and being proven wrong in court will sting more than honestly facing the consequences. The police will then give you an incident report number which you can pass on to your insurance company. This number proves that police attended the scene and allows the insurance companies to verify facts and get details of the incident straight from the horse’s mouth. 8. Speaking of insurance, you’re going to want that. It can be a delicate situation, sure, but it’s never a bad idea to swap licenses with the other party to copy details. Grab their full name and license number, and then swap contact details too. If they’re upset or aggressive in any way, maybe let the police handle it for you – you don’t want any trouble. 9. After swapping your details, it’s a good idea to have a good look at the other vehicle involved. You’ll want to have a pretty good inspection of their ride so you know what’s broken and what ain’t as some sneaky buggers will try and blame you for dings and scratches that had nothing to do with the accident. Be a good dude and suggest the other party does the same with your car too. It’s a good idea to take photos too, if it’s not awkward, as these will help in the insurance aftermath. While you’re at it, take a photo or two of the accident from different angles and points of view. You can never have too many. 10. Once everything is sussed, the police have checked it out, and details have been swapped, you’re free to carry on with your life. Take it easy for the rest of the day, try your best to relax, and if you experience any aches, pains, headaches or bruising etc, check it out with a doctor. Like I said, not all injuries are externally visible and your health is your number one priority. 11. The aftermath might hurt your wallet, especially if the accident was your fault, but try your darndest to stay positive. Yes, car accidents are shitty, but if nobody was hurt, it really isn’t so bad – not everybody can be so lucky. If somebody was hurt (or worse) however, don’t feel like you have to handle it all on your own, seek help. Your injured feelings are just as important as physical ailments and there is no shame in reaching out. 23