It depends mainly on how badly it is damaged and how confident you are with your analysis of the damage. Unless a vehicle is too damaged to drive, bent wheels, no tail lights, etc., law enforcement will not advise to drive or not drive it. There is too big of a liability issue if they say it is ok to drive and something fails and causes another accident.
Every situation of accident may vary., that is exactly what we are here for to provide you with guidelines regarding when it is generally safe to drive your car and when it is not.
When Not to Drive Your Vehicle After an Accident
There are various types of situations where it will not be a good idea to drive after an accident. These are as follows:
1.You have a flat tire. If one or more of your tires are flat or damaged, driving your vehicle is dangerous. Having a flat tire will make your car lose its control and may possible you won’t even be able to brake. The safest thing to do in this case is to call a tow truck to have your vehicle transported to an auto body shop.
2. Smoke is coming from the Engine: Once smoke is seen coming from the engine, it is a bad indication. Further, driving can result in causing more damage, including fire. Switch off the vehicle immediately and ask for immediate help.
3. Your Vehicle Handles differently: If your vehicle handles differently after the accident, then better to get it checked by any professional. Your car may pull to one side, and the steering wheel starts vibrating, or maybe your brakes do not feel right, either way, it is not safe to drive.
When Is It Safe to Drive Your Vehicle After an Accident?
In case your car can still run after an accident, here are a few factors as you drive it away:
1. Firstly check for visible damages or leakage. If something does not seem right to you, get it checked by someone competent before you drive off in your vehicle.
2. Then check for the working lights, signals, and brakes. Also, get to the road with your car to make sure it is being handled properly. Unless you have an extremely minor bump and your vehicle is in good condition to drive, then in most cases, it’s quite safe to drive your car after an accident. Since there’s no damage to the critical parts of the vehicle, like the headlights, turn signals, and brakes, and the car seems to be handling properly, it is usually worth continuing to drive.
Necessary steps to be taken after an accident
Apart from the legal requirements after an accident, a driver who has been involved in an accident should:
1. Ask anyone who witnessed to accident for their name, address, and telephone number.
2. Do not argue about whose fault it was.
3. Do not accept any blame for causing the accident.
4. If you can do so, sketch what happened, and on the sketch plan mark any measurements, for example, the length of skid marks or the distance of your vehicle from the curb.
5. Make notes of any damage to any of the vehicles.
6. If possible take photographs of the damage and the accident scene.
7. You should inform your insurance company immediately if you have insurance covering damage to your vehicle or Third party property damage. F you do not plan to claim your insurance company, notify them of the fact you have been involved in a crash. There is no need to be concerned that notifying the insurance company about an accident will cause you to lose your no-claim bonus.
You can drive your car after an accident if it is safe to do so, you have obeyed the legal requirements and you have contacted your insurance company also. On the other hand, in case of safety concerns or major damage, this requires that you have your vehicle inspected and repaired before you can drive again.
