The best way to avoid a car wreck is to avoid it altogether but there are situations where you’re just not going to be able to do anything to pull out of a wreck in time. The first, and most important, survival strategy you have is to always wear your seatbelt. If you have airbags, that’s even better, but your seatbelt will prevent you from being thrown through the windshield or bouncing off of the dash, either of which can easily be fatal.
If you’re in a wreck, here are some things you can do in the aftermath.
1: Get off the Road
If you can move the vehicles to the side of the road, this is usually the best thing to do. This assumes that nobody is hurt so badly that they cannot be moved. Right away, this indicates the value of planning ahead. If you have first aid training, you’ll have a better idea of how to help people if they’re seriously injured.
2: Triangles
It’s a good idea to carry accident triangles in your vehicle. You can put these out on the road to warn incoming drivers that there is an obstacle ahead. You’ll have to lay these out in the way that is most helpful for your situation, concentrating on flagging vehicles or debris that is too heavy to be moved off of the roadway.
3: Hazard Lights
If your vehicle is still functional, turning on the hazard lights is a very good idea. People know to slow down when they see these and they can save your life if you turn them on right away. If your car is drivable but considerably slowed down because of the wreck, be sure to turn these on so that your fellow drivers know that you have a slow-moving vehicle.
Lawyers
Contacting an accident lawyer is an option in cases where someone hit or hit and injured you out of their own negligence. A car wreck lawyer will take a look at the situation and determine if there’s an option for you to sue and, if there is, they may take your case on contingency so you can pursue it without paying legal fees upfront. This helps you to get your day in court and, if you lose, you won’t have to pay them anything at all. This is sometimes the best option for drivers that are the victims of negligence.