What should you do if you witness an accident?

6 things to do... and not to do

No one wishes an accident on anyone else, but we also don’t want to see one happen right in front of us. This being said, would you know how to react if you were to witness an accident? Here are a few things to take into account:

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Stay safe. Avoid doing anything that could prove dangerous to you or others. Stop your vehicle a safe distance from the accident and turn on your emergency flashers. Don’t get too close to the road. People driving by, being naturally curious, will stare at the scene of the accident rather than be on the lookout for persons on the side of the road.Call
• 911. If you have even a small doubt that someone could be hurt or in shock, call for help. Tell yourself that it’s best to call 911 even if unsure that it’s necessary than to do the opposite.
• Reassure the victims. If you can do so without putting yourself in harm’s way, go check out the victims. This will allow you to quickly assess their condition (hurt or not) and to relay this information to emergency services. You can also reassure them that help is on the way.
• Provide your contact information. When you witness an accident, your version of the facts could be important, either for emergency personnel or the insurance companies involved.

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T DO

• Stop at the scene of an accident when emergency services are already on site. Too many people at the scene of an accident can be more chaotic than necessary. Emergency responders already have enough to do without having to deal with curious bystanders. In such a case, keep driving (unless authorities ask you to pull over, of course).
• Slow down to a dangerous crawl or hinder the traffic to get a better view of the accident. Even worse is taking photos of the accident while driving! Especially when on a highway, as there are countless instances of curious drivers causing further accidents while they gawk at the initial accident site.

When in doubt, think about what would be best for everyone’s safety. While it’s true that one should come to the assistance of accident victims, you should only do so when it’s safe for you and everyone else in the vicinity.
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