What Should You Do After a Car Crash? – Traffic Safety Tips with Sgt. John Perrine – Episode 02

May 31, 2017

[TRANSCRIPT]:

If you find yourself involved in a crash, there are some important things that are going to not only keep you safe, but keep others around you safe as well.

First and foremost, you need to be aware of your surroundings. If you’re involved in a minor fender-bender, the first thing you should be thinking about is moving your vehicle from the roadway. You don’t want to stop in the middle of the road and get out of your car to check your damage. You can drive forward; you can leave the actual impact area and go to the side of the road, go to the next exit. You can go to a parking lot—you can go to a gas station—you can move from that scene. That makes it safer for everybody.

Recently, the state of Indiana has passed a law requiring you to move crashed vehicles from the roadway if there are no injuries and if the vehicles are movable. So if you’re involved in a minor crash, the first thing you should do is be thinking about moving your car.

If the other party is refusing to move, go ahead and move your car out of the roadway, then call the police, and we will come. By leaving your car in the roadway, you are committing an infraction.

If you’re involved in a crash and your car is no longer drivable but you’re still in the middle of the road, it is safer to stay in your vehicle. Your ruined car in the middle of the road has now become a substantial hazard for other drivers. By getting out of your car, you put yourself at a substantial risk of being run over or hit by a passing car that is reacting to your hazard at the last second. The safest place is to stay in your car.

If somebody is injured, then obviously you can leave your cars where they are and think about safety, think about blocking yourself from traffic. Do not get out in the middle of traffic and try to direct traffic yourself. Call police, call for an ambulance, call for a tow truck. We’ll get there, and we’ll take care of it.

[END TRANSCRIPT]

Music: Jazzy French – Bensound.com
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sound Effects:
Blop – Mark DiAngelo on Soundbible
Button Press 3 – Marianne Gagnon on Soundbible
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/