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Regardless if you’re a new driver or if you’ve been on the road for forty years, you’re only accountable for your own car safety – you have no control over what other drivers on the road do. Because of this, accidents are never impossible. You should always be prepared for the eventuality of an accident occurring. Read on to learn what you should always do where possible.

Stop the car

As soon as you’re able to do so, you need to stop the car. This is to prevent further potential damage to yourself and the other driver, as well as any passengers between the two cars.

Turn the engine off

After stopping the car, turn the engine off. This prevents the accident from being exacerbated if there are any oil or fuel leakages, which could lead to a fire and potential escalation quickly.

Turn your hazard lights on

Particularly critical if your vehicle is stranded in the middle of the road still, you need to turn your hazard lights on to alert other drivers to the situation.

Check for injuries

Now that the car is stationary, everything is turned off, and surrounding drivers are aware of the accident, you’ll need to check yourself and any passengers over for injuries. Remain calm while doing so; if there are no injuries as it was a minor collision, make a note of this for your own safeguarding against potential lawsuits. If it was a major accident and there are injuries, try and get out of the car unless you feel incapacitated to do so – particularly if there are neck or back pain.

Call for help

If your car is a write-off and you have no way of leaving the scene, call a pick-up to help you out. If there are injuries, be safe and call 000 – even if you think someone else has done it, it’s better to be certain. If it was a minor accident, exchange details with the other driver(s) and make extensive notes on the conditions and time of the accident. It may be worth notifying the police too, in case any follow-up is needed.

Hire a replacement vehicle

While your car is written off and under repair, it’s wise to hire an accident replacement vehicle. For not at fault car hire, look no further than Not My Fault. We provide replacement courtesy cars for those who had an accident that wasn’t their fault. Get in touch today to find out more.