Seven Top Tips For Keeping Calm In A Crash

While we all love to drive, safety is one of the most crucial aspects that none of us should ever ignore. Whether you are driving an ultra-luxury sedan, an off-road-ready 4x4, a 300 kph supercar, or a regular hatchback – safety is paramount. Many of us don’t go out driving thinking that we may end up in a car crash, even though that’s a statistical possibility.

Regardless, in the unfortunate event that you end up finding yourself in a crash, what should you do? There are some vital tips and suggestions that might keep you alive till first responders and emergency services reach you. No matter how traumatic or stressful a crash might be, one has to keep one’s calm and stay focused on staying positive. Even in these times, there are those that think more about their vehicle than themselves or those around them.

Bring the vehicle to a stop

If the accident is such that your vehicle is still moving and you’re in the condition to do something about it, bring it to a complete stop. Depending on the region, if you’re involved in a crash, it can be considered a criminal offense if you do not stop your car and turn off its engine. Anyway, if you’re fine post a crash, stop your car and conditions permitting, check on those who might be injured.

Safety

Just after an accident, the body goes into a high-stress situation. This leads to a release of adrenaline and endorphins within the body which usually has a calming effect. However, there are many that end up feeling confused, which can lead to occupants not understanding what to do. One of the first priorities is to make sure that all the occupants on-board are safe and secure. Even if most/all appear to be fine, keep a keen eye since some conditions only present themselves much after the initial impact.

Make a call

If your car doesn’t already come with an automatic SOS system, it will be up to you to get in touch with emergency services as soon as possible. Of course, ensure that your surroundings are safe enough for you to place a call post a crash. Once you’ve contacted emergency services, you may then call your family members and/or friends.

Keep cool

Whether you do this before or after calling emergency services, ensure that you walk away from the immediate crash scene – ideally to the side of the road which is away from other vehicles or dangers. Of course, you need to keep yourself in a calm and collected state of mind regardless of the severity of the accident. Only if you’re calm, can you help those that might have been part of the whole event.

Save apologies

Coming to an aspect of a crash that has nothing to do with one’s manners, save your apologies. While it’s humane to make sure the other parties involved in the crash are fine, it’s wise move to not start apologizing right away. There are times when we might not be confident of what exactly happened. In such cases, you might as well ensure your safety and that of the other involved parties. After all, police (and the courts) will inevitably be involved in many cases.

Exchange details

While you can keep the apologies for later, be sure to note down the details of the other vehicle/s driver – name, address, and insurance details. Also, if you can recollect any information pertinent to the accident, note those down as well. This will likely include the make & model of the other car/s, driver behavior before and during the accident, and details regarding the witnesses around the scene. Of course, first follow the humane aspects before proceeding with this part of the post-crash checklist.

Don’t wait to claim

Finally, get in touch with your insurance company as soon as practicable. The company will mostly ask for some important details: policy number, your address, registration numbers of the cars involved and the other driver’s details.