Crashes
If you have a crash, remain calm. Think twice before admitting fault, and handle the situation by following the procedures required in your state.
Pull over to the side of the road as far as you can from traffic and be careful where you stand. Each year there are people who survive the initial crash only to be hit afterwards, often by a “rubber necker”. Try not to panic, as it often makes the situation worse. Call the police and provide them with all the necessary information about the crash, exchange insurance information with the other people involved in the crash, have the car towed to a trusted repair shop to start the insurance process. Here's a checklist to keep in your car:
- Always have the emergency numbers with you
- Certificate of Registration
- Insurance ID Card
- Drivers License
In a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety/Better Business Bureau (BBB) poll, responded to by more than 4,400 individuals, 83% of respondents had been in a collision as either a passenger or driver. Almost a third of all respondents did not know what information they are required by law to give at the scene of a collision. Nearly half (48%) of all respondents did not know either their own insurance liability limits or the minimum insurance liability limits required by their state.
In response to the outcome of this poll, the AAA Foundation, in collaboration with the BBB, released a DVD/VHS entitled Crash Course: What to Know Before and After a Collision. This Video Series educates drivers by providing tips on how to avoid a collision and provides a detailed discussion of automobile insurance coverage. Crash Course also instructs drivers and car crash victims about steps to take at the scene after a crash has occurred, and how to effectively deal with insurance claim issues.
