Post-Crash Behavior Tips

There is no single driver out there who, at one point, didn't have to deal with the consequences of either a minor fender bender or a major pile-up. Of course, every one of us has his/her own way of reacting to such an unfortunate event but, basically, we should all know what are the very first things to do and, more importantly, NOT to do when involved in a car crash.

Of course, there are several types of crashes, but in this guide we will cover the basic things to do when you are involved in a more severe one, which goes beyond exchanging insurance data.

All accidents come unannounced. There is no warning, no hint, no way of knowing you are going to be involved in an accident. Even if you see the other car doing unnatural moves, to the very last minute your brain will tell you the accident can be avoided, thanks to your skillful and quick reactions. Usually, people keep calm when trying to avoid an accident and panic only after the event occurred.

After the hit, confusion will set in. The rocking motion of the accident itself will confuse you even more. Wait until the car comes to a stop before beginning to asses the situation.

Usually, a crash which wrecks the car will make smoke and fluids leak from all over. Don't panic. If you see smoke in the cabin, it usually comes from the airbag. Make sure other passengers, if any, are OK, and then unbuckle your seatbelt. Try and see if the the doors of the car still open. If one or more of them is blocked, use the other ones to exit the vehicle. If all are blocked, there's not much you can do but wait for assistance to arrive. In most cases and unlike in the movies, cars do not catch fire as a result of a crash.

Look to see if there are any sharp edges, pieces of glass or metal which may hurt you when trying to exit the vehicle. Only when you are sure exiting the vehicle will not do more harm then good, proceed.

Make sure all the passengers are out of the vehicle. It may sound cruel, but you should first make sure all of those who are with you are safe, before checking on the other car.

After all are out of the vehicle, make sure to tell them to retreat to a safe distance, if possible away from the road. Find a phone and contact the emergency services, even if other motorists on the road most definitely have called the accident in.

Than you can go, if you feel up to it, and check on the people in the other car. If the accident was not your fault, a sudden urge to beat some sense into the other drive may overwhelm you. Try not to and think that regardless of what he or she has done, it was not intentional and you both are now in the same situation.

Help the ones in the other car only if your are trained to do so. If they are trapped in the car, do not go and try setting them free on your own. You will only make things worse. Don't brake windows, force doors open or shake the car into releasing the prisoners.

If one or more passengers have been ejected from any of the cars, do not move them unless they are in a more immediate danger (eg. the car they're near is on fire). If you absolutely have to drag them away, try and keep them as still as possible and, if time permits, move them only after you've secured their necks. Otherwise, let them be.

The only intervention you can do on a wrecked car prior to the arrival of the emergency services is try putting the fire out, if there is any.

After you've helped, as much as you could, the other motorists, get back to your car and, if possible and safe, try and locate your ID, driver's license, insurance, registration and so on. Most of us keep such documents in the car and not in our pockets, so locating them is a must.

Do not go about clearing the road of debris. Leave the cars and all the pieces as they are to make police's job easier. If the accident is your fault, do not try to conceal evidence.

That's about all you can do after the crash occurred. Emergency services usually arrive to the scene extremely fast, but if they don't, all that's left to do is wait.