While you might feel lucky when you narrowly avoid being in a car accident, many people around the world aren’t so lucky. So when you’re one of the people who’s been able to avoid a car accident but have seen the accident take place, you may feel some responsibility to stop and help those who’ve had a worse fate than you.
To help you know what you can and should do in a situation like this, here are three things to do if you witness a car accident.
Make Sure The Police Are Called
The very first thing you should do if you see a car accident take place, according to Jon Tracy, a contributor to ThePrepared.com, is to contact emergency services. By calling 911 immediately after a car accident has taken place, you can ensure that paramedics will get there quickly to help those who may have been injured as well as informing the police so they can start an accident report.
When you’re on the phone with 911, try your best to stay calm and so you can ensure that emergency services are able to get to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible and be prepared for whatever type of injuries or property damage may have been done. The operator may also give you some guidance on further ways you can help as the scene before emergency responders arrive.
Remember That Safety Is The Top Priority
Although people have just been in a car accident and there might be those who have been injured, it’s important that you remember that the safety of the scene should be a top priority.
As a part of this, iDriveSafely.com advises that you take caution when approaching the scene and be sure to park your own car at a safe distance from the accident. Additionally, you should do what you can to signal the accident to other drivers on the road so they can safely stop or avoid the wreckage as they drive by on their way. This might include moving vehicles out of the roadway in certain situations.
Be Prepared To Answer Questions For The Report
Once things at the accident have calmed down a bit, you’ll likely be approached with some questions since you were a witness to what happened.
According to Nolo.com, some of the questions you might be asked could include commenting on the location of the accident, speaking to the weather conditions at the time of the accident, anything you remember about the seconds before and after the accident took place, and any other details that you might remember that could be relevant to the accident report or other documentation.
If you’re unsure what to do if you witness a car accident, consider using the information presented above to help you know what steps should be taken in this type of situation.
