If you’re from the state of Arizona, Phoenix in particular you might already know that car accidents seem to happen around here a lot.

According to the department of transportation, the year 2018 has already seen an excess of 300 fatal accidents. It stands to reason that there would be just as many if not more minor or non-fatal accidents that have occurred.

The question that remains is, if you are a licensed driver, have attended driving school either in Phoenix or elsewhere and are still unfortunate enough to find yourself involved in an accident, what do you do?

Accident Etiquette

So you messed up, or maybe the person in the other car did. Whoever might have been at fault, the result is a collision between two or more vehicles. Here are some things we would advise you do after getting into a minor accident.

Check Yourself and your Passengers  

The first thing to do when you get into a road accident even a minor one is to check yourself and those in the car with you for any serious injuries. If everyone is okay proceed to the next step. If not, the first thing you should do is dial 911 for emergency services.

Move if you can

If your vehicle is obstructing an entrance/exit, road or any other pass way, you should move it to maybe a curb side or someplace where you won’t be in the way. Of course if the accident has left your car immobile you might not have a choice.

If your car is immobile and on a high speed road, it might be best to have all passengers exit the vehicle and wait on the side. Again, if this is so, call for emergency services.

Check with the Others

Once you and those with you are safe and your car is out of the way, the decent thing to do is; step off and check on those who collided with you or vice versa. Even if they were completely at fault, checking in to see if they are okay and uninjured is the humane way to go about things. If they are injured, call services at once. If not, proceed to the next step.

Civility

Getting into an altercation post an accident is a terrible idea. You’re already likely high on adrenaline post impact so you want to take extra care to dial down any aggression you feel. Be cool and stay civil even if the other person comes off as difficult.

Information

It might be clear who was at fault in some cases and in others not so much. Regardless of what the situation may be, it is important to exchange details. These could include contact numbers as well as registration and license details. This is important as you or the other person might need to come to a financial settlement to pay for damages.

Law Enforcement

Last but not least, if a law enforcement professional has not showed up at the scene by this time, call for one. It always helps to settle such disputes while having a legal officer moderate and make sure that whatever claims and demands are being made are justified in the eyes of the law.

Bottom Line

An accident is stressful to go through even if it is a minor one but by following the steps above, you can seriously mitigate any needless unpleasantness and make your life a lot simpler. It also helps to know your rights as well as traffic rules when negotiating such situations, which is why we recommend taking a course or two at a driving school near you.

If you’re from Phoenix and want to learn about defensive driving as well as brush up on your skills to reduce the chances of an accident, give us a shout!

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