Staying Safe On The Roads And What Not To Do If You’re Involved In A Collision
Staying safe on the roads to avoid getting into an accident is very important. While you might think that most impacts are minor, thousands of road users are hospitalized each year because of them. Many people suffer very serious injuries, and some ultimately prove fatal.
For this article, we delve into how to stay safer when driving and what you should (and shouldn’t) do if you get into an accident.
Avoiding Accidents
Not every accident is avoidable or even your fault should it occur. Sometimes, there’s a careless driver who pulls out unexpectedly or someone rear-ends you. However, in other cases, you can avoid them altogether.
By driving at the speed limit, it takes less time to slow down or come to an emergency stop. Also, staying alert to problems and moving to avoid a driver who’s inexperienced or possibly inebriated does much to avoid them or reduce the impact to a nudge and not a significant collision.
Exchanging Details After an Accident
Due to the fact that we never expect to get into an accident and might not have been in one before, knowing what to do is confusing. We’re often injured and disoriented, making it harder to do the right thing.
One problem that can result when giving away too much information is identity theft. Interestingly, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently addressed this very issue because they’ve seen an alarming increase in identity theft occurring through the exchange of information after an accident.
What Details Should (and Should Not) Be Given Out?
Providing your full name and your insurance information is sufficient. This protects against giving away too much information that risks identify theft. Indeed, the Pearce Law Firm covers the various risks to drivers from accidents and potential identity theft in a blog post which is worth reviewing.
It’s not necessary to provide a personal contact number, which might surprise you! People commonly will ask for it, but giving your insurance details is enough. The insurers will discuss things among themselves and inquiries can be routed through them too.
Similarly, it’s unnecessary to supply your social security number. In fact, only relevant authorities require this and otherwise, it should be kept private. Also, your home address should never be supplied.
What Should You Do Next?
It’s required that you contact the police to notify them of the accident. The report can later be confirmed by the relevant insurers which is helpful for them too.
Next, contact your insurance company to let them know about the accident and to file an insurance claim.
Once this is done, it’s not a bad idea to consider hiring a car accident lawyer. They impartially represent claimants who’ve been in an accident and seek appropriate compensation on behalf of their clients.
While we all wish that we don’t suffer an accident, it pays to be prepared if it happens to you. Supply just enough information to satisfy the requirements while not giving away anything that could lead to problems in the future.