Collision and accident on the road how to behave
Collision and accident on the road – how to behave?
According to official statistics, there were more than 35,000 accidents on American roads in 2013. No driver knows the day or time. Sometimes even the steering virtuoso will make a mistake, but it is more likely that on the road or in the parking lot we will come across someone who passed the license the eleventh time and after buying a hundred additional training hours.
Some meetings with motorized boots overestimating their skills in driving dishevelled cars also end unpleasantly. What to do in such situations? First of all, don’t panic and don’t get carried away by emotions, even though the circumstances stimulate the body to produce increased amounts of adrenaline.
Accident is a concept that is much more frightening than crash. An accident is usually when people are injured by a road accident. Even the most expensive car straight from the living room does not exceed the value of human life. If you are involved in an accident or witness it, you must first take care of your life and health and the health of yourself and others. It is very important to call the appropriate services – ambulance, police and, if necessary, fire brigade – as soon as possible. It is often the car of the professional or voluntary fire brigade that gets to the scene of the accident the fastest. We do not move cars from where they are and we do not cover our tracks. We turn on the hazard lights and set warning triangles. Such situations are a practical test of knowledge of the principles of first aid, which everyone should know, but in practice it is different. If necessary, you should pull the victim of the accident out of the car, always assuming that he or she may have a damaged spine. Then, until the emergency services arrive, it is necessary to perform resuscitation activities or try to stop possible bleeding. This is not a gesture of goodwill, but a duty, for not fulfilling which there is a risk of legal liability!
A collision occurs when only vehicles are damaged. In the case of minor crashes, it is usually not necessary to call the police. Let us also bear in mind that a police car will go to an accident first, and not to a crash, and uniformed men have more serious duties. A call to the police is advisable especially in circumstances when someone gets nervous and threatens to forcefully settle the matter, the collision guilty stubbornly proves his innocence or is drunk or has caused significant material damage. As almost everyone now has a telephone with a camera, it is worthwhile to use it to document the damage caused by the crash, just in case. If no one has a hair on their head as a result of the collision, it would be good to remove vehicles from the road, so as not to unnecessarily obstruct traffic. In accordance with the regulations, it is also necessary to use a triangle to protect the place of the incident and to have the emergency lights on.
Motor vehicle insurance is compulsory in the USA. This means that collision losses should be covered by the policy of the perpetrator, who will also lose the discount on subsequent premiums. Drivers involved in a collision should exchange information such as personal data, vehicle data, policy numbers and insurance company names. If there is no disagreement as to the culprit of the situation, a statement should be written under which the perpetrator should sign. Templates of these declarations can be found on the Internet. If you have carefully taken out an insurance policy, it is worth taking advantage of it in case of more expensive damage. Unfortunately, it is a common practice of the insurance company to prolong the whole procedure of compensation payment, as well as to lower the amount of compensation. This water has a mill for many companies specializing in professional motor compensation claims. Is it worth using their services? The choice is up to the driver. A more problematic situation may be a crash in another country. The procedure in such situations is similar, but linguistic skills will be useful in order to communicate with a foreigner. It is also worth writing a statement in English. Another issue is the voluntary possession of insurance in force, e.g. in the whole European Union.