It’s something none of us ever hope to have happen but an all-too-common occurrence: road accidents can affect almost anyone. Official figures show that, in the year 2022, the UK saw over 136,000 casualties – of severity ranging from mild injury to death – from accidents on the roads.
Should you ever find yourself in a crash, collision or other accident, shock and worry are perfectly understandable reactions. But knowing more about what to do if it happens – both immediately and later down the line – should hopefully empower you to keep calm in the moment and respond in the best way possible.
Take steps to ensure safety
The first thing to do immediately at the scene of an accident is to prioritise your safety and that of everyone else involved. If it is possible to do so, move your vehicle to a safe place and switch on your hazard lights; if your car isn’t operational, move away from traffic as quickly as possible.
It’s vital to check for any injuries to those involved in the accident straight away and contact emergency services urgently if necessary. All other considerations should wait until you’ve established the medical situation.
If you don’t already, it’s worth keeping a well-stocked first aid kit in your car in case you find yourself in a situation where one is needed.
Gather essential information
Once immediate safety concerns have been addressed, you should turn your attention to gathering information about the accident. Make sure to exchange contact information with any other parties involved, as well as insurance details and information on each vehicle like manufacturer, model and licence plate. If any other eyewitnesses are present, ask for their contact details as well so that they can report back objectively on what happened.
This is also your best opportunity to take photographs of the scene, to reduce the opportunity for a dispute of the facts later down the line. If it is safe to do so, take pictures of any damage to the vehicles and the scene in general, including any relevant road signs or signals.
Report the accident and notify insurance providers
You’ll need to report the accident to the police regardless of its severity. If you haven’t already called emergency services due to a medical necessity, you should still do so if the other driver is unable to provide insurance details or is otherwise impaired. Otherwise, if it’s not necessary to dial 999, you can report after the fact by going online or to your local police station, or by calling 101. Make sure to do this within 24 hours of the accident, as well as to ask for a copy of the report for your records – this may be helpful when making an insurance claim!
It’s also important to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to inform them of the situation and evaluate the next steps. Depending on the circumstances of the accident and the damage it does or the injuries you may have suffered, you may wish to explore a claim for compensation. It’s commonplace for legal firms to offer services on a ‘no win no fee’ basis that may make it easier and more comfortable for you to pursue such claims if, for example, there is clear evidence of it being someone else’s fault or poor maintenance of roads that made accidents more likely.
