What should you do if you’re in a crash?

At one time or another most of us have found ourselves in a bad situation that we have never experienced before; so what do you do in those situations? Keeping calm and safe is the best advice I have for you.

So, if you ever experience a crash, try to keep calm. Check on your passengers to see if they are OK, and then check on the occupants of the other vehicle if there is one involved.

A lot of times people feel they need to exit the vehicle immediately. You have just had a very traumatic situation happen and you may not be thinking clearly. Before you exit the vehicle, check your surroundings. Is it safe to do so? Is there traffic going by? Are there power lines down? Look to see if there is anything in the area that can cause you additional injury.

There are times when exiting the vehicle is paramount. The vehicle is on fire. The vehicle is in peril of sliding down a large embankment, or the vehicle is in deep water. But these are situations that don’t happen as often as the other concerns.

Once you’ve done that, see if your vehicle is in a safe place. Is it on a blind curve or hill that other traffic may not see until it’s too late? If there are no injuries or impairment involved and if both vehicles are drivable, then safely drive them to a shoulder, off-ramp or side street, or the best spot to relocate to is a parking lot. If that is not an option, then look at the possibility that staying in the vehicle is better than being outside and being hit by a passing car.

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