Travel Tips

Steps To Do For Individuals Who Get Into A Minor Car Accident

Many people have been in a minor auto accident or ‘fender bender’ at some point in their driving lives. This is very common. It is best to have auto insurance so a minor accident does not become a major deal.

You have to make sure you know what to do and what not to do after an accident, though. You can get stressed after you’ve had an accident and say or do the wrong thing. You can also forget to get the needed information and cause yourself trouble that way. It’s important to know what to do before you find yourself in that situation.

The first thing to remember is to move the vehicles off of the road, so long as no one is injured. This is especially important if the accident happened at a busy intersection.

If you leave your cars in the intersection, you may actually cause more accidents or even injuries. Make sure to turn on your car’s hazard lights before you move the vehicle, though, to warn other drivers.

The second thing to remember is that you need to call the police. In some areas, police will show at even minor accidents and write up an accident report, while in other areas there must be injuries for police to come to the scene. Regardless, call the police and see if they will send someone. Having an accident report can make filing a claim with your auto insurance much easier.

Here is the most vital step to remember: you must exchange information with the other driver. Each of you needs the other party’s name, phone number, insurance carrier, policy number driver’s license number, and license plate number. It is also a good idea to get some details on the other vehicle, such as make, model, year and color.

While you are exchanging information don’t make small talk. It’s too easy to say the wrong thing. Don’t apologize for anything or admit fault in any way. Let the police determine who is at fault.

Take pictures if you can. Some people keep a disposable camera in their glove box for this reason. Many people now have camera phones, and the camera on a cell phone works just fine for this purpose as well. Take pictures of both vehicles, details of damage, and also shots of where the cars are in relation to one another if possible. As soon as you leave the scene, call your auto insurance company and report the accident.

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