If you spend a decent amount of time driving, there’s a chance that you’ll see some kind of car accident at one point or another. In fact, you might even be involved in a car accident sometime in your life. These situations can be very scary, both for the people in the accident and those who witness it. Especially if the accident is a bad one, it can be hard to know what you should do or how you can help. So to give you some guidance if you should ever find yourself in this situation, here are three things to remember if you come upon a car accident.
Make The Situation Known
When you see a car accident or drive up to an accident that’s already taken place, the best thing you can do is ensure that no further harm comes to those in the accident or others in the area. According to esurance.com, this can best be done by having you keep your car a reasonable distance away from the scene and calling the police. Additionally, try your best to make the situation known to those around you, enabling other cars in the area to avoid the accident themselves. You can do this by placing flares or traffic triangles if you have them. If you don’t have these items, at least turn on your hazard lights so cars coming into the area are aware that something’s not right.
Help Clear The Scene of Debris
In some instances, the accident may be blocking the road and stopping the traffic from flowing normally. When this happens, and if the situation is safe to do so, Josh Max, a contributor to NYDailyNews.com, suggests that you help you clear the scene by moving debris out of the road. If it’s possible, try to get the vehicles as far to the side as you can. If the cars can start and move out of the way on their own, make sure you then immediately turn the vehicles off in case there’s any kind of leaking taking place.
Know If And When To Move Victims
Bad car accidents often leave the occupants of the vehicles in physical harm or danger. As the first person to get to the scene, you may wonder what you should do to help those who are injured or in pain. While there are Good Samaritan laws, Road and Travel Magazine recommends that you don’t try to move anyone who isn’t moving themselves on their own. Unless that person is in immediate danger, like their car is about to catch on fire, it’s going to be best for them if you leave them as they are until medical assistance gets there. If there’s bleeding, you can try your best to staunch it if at all possible. Also, let the victims know that you’ve called 911 and help is on the way.
A car accident can be a very traumatic experience for everyone involved. To help you keep a clear head if you ever come across one, consider keeping the tips mentioned above in your mind as you travel.
