What To Do If You're Involved In A Road Traffic Accident

What To Do If You’re Involved In A Road Traffic Accident

It’s everybody’s worst fear stepping into their car that they’ll be unfortunate enough to be involved in a crash or an accident. Most of us are confident enough in our own driving, but we can’t account for the millions of other road users that we could encounter. When we’re sitting at traffic lights watching the approaching car in our rear view mirror, we’re always hesitant to relax in case they don’t stop in time. If you’re lucky, you’ll only ever encounter a bump or a slight shunt on the road. You may even be lucky enough to never be involved in an accident, but no matter the severity of a road traffic accident (RTA) one must know the procedures to carry out.

Assess The Situation
Every incident on the road is different and you must be able to react to the situation. You need to try and make a swift judgement of the severity of the incident.  Is anyone injured? Is there danger of fire? Are other road users in danger also? If there is a chance of further danger, you must ensure that you can do all you can to minimise it without abject risk to yourself.

Taking Details
Be sure to get the name, address, telephone number and registration details of anybody involved. If it was a six car pile-up, you will still need to try and gather this information. If there were any witnesses, you will want to get hold of their contact details also for verification as to what happened.

Assess Your Car
A write-off will be instantly noticeable, but you must be sure that your car is safe to drive before you carry on your journey or return home. Even the slightest of bumps can cause damage to a car, making it dangerous to continue driving. If you’re in any doubt, call out your breakdown cover and they can assess it for you.

More Dangerous Accidents
If you’re involved in a more dangerous incident, your first priority should always be safety. Try and get yourself and your passengers to a place of safety before calling the emergency services. If possible, try and secure the well-being of anybody else in the vicinity also. Always maintain a calm demeanour, it will help you deal with the small details.

Byline: This article has been written by Thompsons Scotland, professional solicitors specialising in personal injuries and claims. Trust Thompsons Scotland to find justice and compensation for you.