Seeing a traffic accident in Infront of your eyes is a horrific and startling scene to witness. You may see people injured or worse, car debris flying everywhere. It’s common to be in a state of shock after seeing something like this. However, what do you do? Should you do anything? These are the questions we must ask ourselves and in order to answer them, we need to look at safe driving courses to understand what to do.
So, here is a step-by-step analysis of what to do after you see a traffic accident.
Step 1: Assure That You’re Safe
Before trying to do anything, you want to make sure that the scene of the accident is safe. Although those involved in the accident might be injured, if you get injured you will only make things worse.
So, if you can make sure you pull over at an appropriate and safe distance, and once you do make sure that it’s safe to get out. You don’t want to get out of your car while there is oncoming traffic.
Never stop in the middle of the road or right next to the scene of the accident. If the accident happens on a busy road then you should stay in your car and not get out.
Step 2: Call
After you pulled over and made sure you’re safe, you can call the authorities or 911 using your phone. The faster the first responders come to assist the accident, the better it is for everyone.
When calling 911 be aware of your location and give the 911 dispatch any relevant information such as the closest address, highway exit, how many were involved in the accident, and the direction in which you were traveling.
All this information will be useful for the first responders.
Step 3: Assist if You Can
While being on the phone with the 911 dispatch representative do not walk over to the accident unless it is completely safe to do so.
If you see that they are hurt, or you see any injuries then you must report it to the dispatcher.
If you’re not a trained medical professional then do not perform any first aid. Always wait until authorities arrive.
Step 4: Stay on The Scene
You should remain on the scene in case any officers want a statement of what happened. Giving your testimony will help get a better understanding of what happened.
You can also take pictures of the crash site and show them to any law enforcement personnel.
By following these steps listed and using the defensive driving teaching from Connecticut that you learned. You may be able to save a life.
