What to do when accident

If you've been fortunate enough to never have been in an auto accident, you should consider yourself very lucky. For those of us that have, it is one of the most stressful and scary events you might ever experience in your life. With as frequent as everyone drives these days, chances are you're bound to get in an accident sooner or later. One of the best things you can do is to be prepared to handle the situation should you be unfortunate enough to get into an auto accident. Here are a few tips that will help you deal with this frightening, nerve wracking situation.

The very first thing you need immediately after getting into an accident is try to calm yourself down. Take a few deep breaths and try to release a bit of the tension. You may be feeling overwhelmed or in shock, but trying to calm yourself and relax will help settle you down and ensure the rest of the process goes smoothly. While still sitting in your car, it is a good idea to call the police so they can respond to the scene immediately. If you are unsure where you are at, try to find street signs or other markers that will help pinpoint your location. Depending on the severity of the accident, be sure to let the dispatcher know that an ambulance may be needed. Never leave the scene of an accident under any circumstances. You're going to need an official accident report completed by the police in most cases, especially if there is extensive vehicle damage or injury.

After calling the police, get out of your vehicle and assess any injuries or vehicle damage. If there is damage to any vehicles involved, you need to collect insurance and contact information from each driver. Make sure you get their full name, phone number, address, and any other pertinent info. Use a digital camera or your cell phone to take pictures of any damage to your car and others. This will help you with the next step, which is filing an insurance claim.

You want to report any damage to your insurer immediately. Provide the information of the other drivers involved as well as any information required from the accident report. You may need to fax a copy of the report to your insurer to have your claim processed.

Accidents are often unavoidable and will scare the crap out of you, but if you're prepared to handle the situation things will go much better for you.

Arturo T. Chuong is writing articles about car maintenance, and automotive performance parts. One of the most important part of a car is the tires, and if you need quality tires, check out Vredestein tires by DFW Performance Tires. If you're in the Dallas or Fort Worth metro, order from our website for discount tires Dallas.