Accidents. They happen. Still, knowing how to react to these is essential. This can help reduce the risks of further damage or accidents happening.
If you’re caught out in a car accident, there are several steps you should follow to ensure you stay safe. This can also help protect everyone else around you.
First of all, stopping the car at the first opportunity is vital. Indeed, keeping the car running after an accident could be incredibly dangerous. Pulling over somewhere safe - that won’t put other road users at risk - is a must.
Secondly, it’s next important to turn the engine off completely. Pull over at the first safe opportunity, put the handbrake on, and turn the engine off. Once you have done so, it’s next important to put the hazards on so other road users know the danger.
With the car secured, it’s time to look for any signs of injury, both for yourself and other passengers in the car. Just because someone is quiet doesn’t necessarily mean they are safe, of course. Naturally, if you have any concerns about the safety of you or your passengers, call 999 immediately. The emergency services will hopefully arrive shortly to help, if needed.
Hopefully, you and your passengers are safe and uninjured. Once you’ve verified this, it’s also important to check anyone else who may have been involved in the accident. Be aware that they may also need medical support or help from emergency services. Only do this if it’s safe to do so, of course; if not, call out the emergency services immediately instead. Never put yourself in further danger.
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, it’s easy to feel stressed. This can potentially also lead to guilt and feelings of responsibility. However, this may not necessarily be true. As a result, never admit liability at the time, even if you feel like it might be your fault. This could just be your stress talking, and it may not actually be your fault at all.
Most car accidents are simply mistakes. However, sometimes, they are the result of a car being dangerous. And, naturally, driving a dodgy car on the road can put you in a lot of hot water.
Of course, this may not always be on purpose. If you’ve recently purchased a second-hand one, for example, you may have been told the car was clean. Reality… It could be a write off or have major faults you didn’t know about. As a result, checking that your chosen vehicle is safe is crucial before handing over any money, which is where car history checks could help.
Our car checker tool allows you to rapidly determine whether a vehicle has any extra “baggage” you didn’t know about. In turn, this could inform your decision on whether or not to buy. And, since it only takes a few moments to run a check, it’s critical that you don’t miss this crucial step.
