By H&H Admin
Whether it’s a mild fender bender or something more serious, these are the six things you need to avoid at all costs.
1. Do not lose your cool
Regardless of who is at fault try to maintain your cool. Do not scream, make accusations or derogatory remarks which could further inflame the situation. Instead, take deep breaths and work towards diffusing the situation by asking the other party if they are ok. Remember, everyone is under enormous pressure and neither you nor the other party needed the added stress regardless of who was in the wrong.
2. Do not leave your car in the middle of the road
Unless the damage is such that the vehicles cannot be moved it would good and considerate of you to move your vehicle out of the way. In order not to cause further incidents, your first priority is to pull your vehicle off to the side of the road to a safe distance from traffic. After turning on your hazard lights simply exit your car and approach the other driver in a non-threatening manner. “
3. Do not delay to contact the police
You must report the accident within 24-hours. No matter how minor the situation, you must report the accident and obtain an accident number for reference. Sorting things out yourself could lead to expensive repairs and mis-communication further down the line.
4. Do not delay to contact your insurance provider
Your insurance agent should always be called after you’ve exchanged the following information with the other driver: name, address, phone number, insurance company name, license plate number, name of the vehicle owner and car year/make/model/color. The police accident report will also be required which will give details of the accident such as the location, the time of the crash and a summary of what happened. Pictures of the damage done to your vehicle will also come in handy so make sure you take as many as possible including road markings and damage to all vehicles involved.
5. Do not accept cash to keep it quiet
Some drivers—if they’re at fault and face possible legal and/or insurance issues because of their record—might offer what looks like a sufficient amount of cash to “fix the problem without contacting police or insurance companies.” This is a bad idea. “Even if it doesn’t look like it will cost that much to fix your vehicle because you have no way of knowing how expensive it may actually get. There’ could also be damage that you can’t see. Contacting police and your insurer is absolutely essential.