What To Do When You Witness A Road Accident
Road accidents are common. Worldwide, it’s estimated that car crashes claim 1.3 million lives annually while up to 50 million individuals suffer from minor and major injuries. These collisions happen for many reasons such as unsafe and poor road structures, unroadworthy vehicles, and traffic violations, among others.
If you’ve witnessed a road crash, you’re not obliged to stay unless you’re the one who caused it. But seeing a collision, you’d want to do the right thing by doing these:
- Stay Safe
Your safety is paramount in all types of accidents. No matter how tempting it may be, resist the urge to run toward the scene to start saving lives. When you do this, you risk losing your life to an explosion or a road rage driver who may run you over. Pull over to the side of the road to make sure you’re not putting your life or that of others in jeopardy.
- Don’t Pursue The Perpetrator
Don’t be eager to solve the issue on your own. If you’ve just witnessed a hit-and-run, don’t put the law in your hands and pursue the driver at fault. They might have a handgun tucked somewhere, ready to fire at you if you try to intervene.
What you can do is to jot down the plate number or take a photo of the vehicle. If you’re a passenger in one of the cars involved in the mishap, you may call an accident attorney for advice on which pieces of evidence are important.
- Check On The Victims
Approach the scene but only look at the collision victims. Never touch or move them. Try to engage them in a conversation to keep them calm and conscious until professional help arrives.
If you’re a medical professional or a trained first aider, assess the scene and determine if you can do something. Again, you’re only allowed to move injured persons if the vehicle catches fire or is at risk of exploding.
- Call Emergency Services
Call 911 and get in touch with an emergency responder right away. Follow the instructions given to you by the dispatcher. Provide all the details and your observations to the person on the other line to make their work easier.
Remember that if you touch or move injured motorists, you may be held liable if they suffered further harm as a result of your actions. For instance, a whiplash may turn into a serious neck injury if you try to do things your way.
- Stay Until The Traffic Investigator Arrives
A witness is essential in filing a police report or for insurance claims. You may be interviewed by the police to ask about what you saw. Don’t take sides and be objective in explaining what took place. Leave your contact details with the police for further reference. Also, be prepared to be contacted by a car accident lawyer or an insurance company adjuster to be asked the same, if not more probing questions.
- Be Objective And Avoid Speculating
At this point, it helps to leave your judgments behind. Don’t assign blame to anyone unless you’re sure about what happened, which is often not the case. If you’re involved in the accident, for instance, never apologize as this may be misconstrued to admitting liability.
At the same time, don’t be pressured to answer all the questions thrown at you by the police. If you don’t know the answer, be honest rather than make up stories. Don’t withhold any information as well.
- Take Care Of Yourself
It can be frazzling for a person to witness a serious road accident. If you’ve seen a fatal car crash, it doesn’t hurt to tell the investigators you need time to process everything. Again, don’t be pressured to answer all the questions.
While you can leave the scene once the police say so, make sure you’ve regained your senses and ability to drive before hitting the road. You don’t want to be leaving an accident as a witness only to find yourself involved in a mishap a few miles farther, so be cautious when driving. Also, seek mental help if you still find the images disturbing after a few days or if you think you’ve experienced trauma.
Final Thoughts
As a witness to a road accident, you could save a life by staying calm and calling 911 or the police. Similarly, your statements will be invaluable to all parties involved, especially if the case becomes a full-blown lawsuit. At the onset, it can become distressing, especially if it’s a fatal car crash. So, if you’re severely affected by what you saw, consider seeking professional help.
