A Girls Guide to Cars

Cars. On Your Terms.

  • About
    • Become a Contributor!
    • Contributors
    • Our Privacy Policy and How to Advertise on the Best Car Site for Women
  • Subscribe
  • Work With Us
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Navigation
  • Luxury
  • Style
    • Automotive Design
    • Personal Style
  • Technology
    • Apps
    • Connected Cars
    • Green Tech
    • In Car Entertainment
    • Safety Innovations
    • Spotify Playlists
  • Travel
    • Destinations
    • Road Trip!
    • Travel Tips
  • Car Buying
    • Costco’s Car Buying Program
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Recalls
    • Safety
    • Events
    • Buying a Car
    • Finance
    • Maintenance
    • Parts and Gear
    • Canada
  • News & Opinion
    • What Drives Her
    • Her Stories
    • Editorial
    • Ask Us Anything
    • Twitter Parties

A 7 Step Guide of What to Do (and Not to Do) After an Accident

July 7, 2019 by Jenn Greene 1 Comment

What to do after an accident-stay at the scene.

Photo: Pixabay

A car accident is never ideal, but it is especially unnerving for a new driver.

Last month, my 17-year-old cut off a driver and got sideswiped. She called us immediately and had no idea what to do. That’s when it occurred to me, we never told her what to do after an accident.

This 7-step guide from the Insurance Information Institute can help make the moments after an accident less stressful — and the claims process a lot smoother.

What to do after an accident: Move your car to a safe area, if you can.

Move your car to a safe area, if you can. Photo: Pixabay

1. Move to a safe area (if you can)

If it’s safe to do so and you aren’t seriously injured, move your car out of further harm’s way, like to the shoulder of the road. When moving your car just isn’t possible, flip on your hazards to warn other drivers. If you are in a place where you don’t feel safe and the car is driveable, drive to a well-lit safe area, or directly to the nearest police station. This is especially true if you were bumped from behind and think you might be the intended victim of a carjacking, the Insurance Institute says.

2. Stop your car and get out 

Make sure your car is no longer moving, turn off the engine, shift into park, or set the hand brake if you drive a manual. Check to make sure it’s safe to get out of your car before opening the door. If you have flares or similar road safety items, put them out. Again, only leave the vehicle if you feel safe doing that. If not, stay in the car and call the police.

Related: Why Correct Driving Position Matters: Driving Safety Lessons From Fiat and Skip Barber Racing School

What to do after an accident: Move your car to a safe area, if you can.

Move your car to a safe area, if you can. Photo: Pixabay

3. Check on others involved

Check on all the other parties involved, including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, to make sure no one is hurt. Call 911 if anyone may be injured. If the airbags were deployed, definitely call.

4. Call the police to the scene

Even in minor accidents, a police accident report can prove invaluable when dealing with your car insurance company and other drivers. Cooperate fully, but avoid admitting fault or blaming others while at the scene. Let the police objectively judge events and determine who, if anyone, is at fault in the crash.

If the police can’t make it to the scene (which is likely if there are no injuries), you can file an accident report through your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

Don’t be tempted to forego a police report just because the guilty party doesn’t want the accident on his or record. One new driver, after being hit by a kindly farmer in a minor fender bender, agreed to his request that they do not call the police. The young driver then spent two weeks wrangling with the guilty driver who balked at paying the price the body shop said it would charge to fix her car. If there had been a police report and the accident was reported to the insurance companies, she could have sat back and let the companies fight over the settlement.

Do You Have a Teen Driver? Check Out the 10 Things We Learned When Our Teens Started Driving.

What to do after an accident: Get as much information as possible.

Get as much information as possible. Photo: Pixabay

5. Gather info

Try to write down as much info as possible in the accident aftermath, including:

  • Driver and passenger names
  • License plate numbers
  • Car registration
  • Insurance info
  • Makes and models of all vehicles involved
  • Contact info for any eyewitnesses
  • Location of the accident
  • Time of day
  • Weather conditions
  • The name and badge number of any responding police officers

Smartphones are a great way to record driver and car documentation. Just snap photos of everything.

6. Document the scene

Also, use your phone to snap photos of the accident scene. They’ll come in handy during the claim process. Make sure to not only take photos of your car but the other car as well. If you have a car camera installed, be sure to save the footage.

Related: Safety, Good Driving, Speed: What My Mom Taught Me About Cars

7. Call Your Insurance Company

These are just basic tips in the event of an accident, as each accident will be different. Once you get home, be sure to call your insurance company and file your claim.

 

This guide will tell you want to do--and what NOT to do--after a car accident. Pay special attention to top number 2. #caraccident #caraccidenttips #thingsyouneedtoknowaftercaraccident #thingstoknowcaraccident #caraccidentfacts

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
Jenn Greene

Jenn Greene

Mom, Wife, Writer and Avid Traveler Jenn wears many hats. She grew up in the car industry and has a love for cars of every kind. She couldn't get her license without learning to drive stick shift, she is now teaching her teen driver the same lessons. A red 67 Mustang GT is her dream but she totes the family around in a SUV--one day she will get that muscle car. She is an shares her journey through life discovering new destinations at JourneyswithJenn.com
Jenn Greene

Latest posts by Jenn Greene (see all)

  • Spring Car Care: 7 Ways To Prepare for Warmer Temperatures - April 1, 2022
  • USED: 2017 KIA Niro EX Hybrid Crossover Review: Looks and MPG That’ll Turn Heads - February 21, 2022
  • Easy Winter Windshield Tricks to End Your Fight With Ice - December 3, 2021

Filed Under: Safety & Driving Tagged With: car accident, driving, safety

« Just the Facts: What You Need to Know about 2019 Mazda CX-9
2019 Cadillac XT4: Luxury Keeps Everyone Happy. And That Matters »

Comments

  1. Hailey says

    September 27, 2017 at 7:22 am

    Great post! I’m always surprised at how many people don’t know what to do after an accident. It would be a great idea if you wrote a blog post about what to do after an accident in a foreign country or in common tourist countries. Keep up the great posts!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Reviews Header
View from our Cabin in Maine with the Forester where it belongs!

9 Tips for a Romantic Road Trip – and What to Bring Along to Set the Mood

Want to Test Drive a Wild and Unusual Car? Try Hagerty’s DriveShare

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress