Being involved in a road accident is a scenario every motorist wants to avoid, but with hundreds of thousands of collisions taking place every year, it is almost inevitable that you’ll experience this at least once in your driving career.
But for those fortunate enough to have evaded being involved in a crash thus far, do you know what to do if the worst was to happen?
It turns out most drivers don’t, according to research by Confused.com, which found that almost one in five drivers have no idea how they should react immediately after being in a shunt.
Despite four in five saying they feel confident they would know what steps to take, the research found they would miss key parts of the process. And this is before taking into account they’d likely be shaken, emotional and running on adrenaline at the time.
The study of 2,000 drivers flagged up multiple areas people went wrong when responding to an accident, with some even at risk of invalidating their insurance or impacting their claims.
Almost half (45 per cent) of those involved in an accident in the past admitted to not taking details of the other driver, while 61 per cent of respondents didn’t take photographic or video graphic evidence of the scene.
Half also failed to alert their insurance company at the time of event, and almost a third who’d been in an accident admitted to apologising at the scene, risking their insurance claims.
So if those are all things you shouldn’t do, what should you do in the moments taking place just after having a road accident?
18% of drivers don’t know what to do if they get in a car accident with some even at risk of invalidating their insurance or impacting their claims because of the steps they take
The six steps to follow if you get in an accident
Rhydian Jones, motoring expert at Confused.com says: ‘Being involved in an accident on the roads isn’t something pleasant to think about, but it’s important that motorists are prepared and know what to do if this happens.’
1. Stop at the scene and switch off your engines, and put your hazards on
You’re legally required to stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries
If there are injuries immediately call the police and ambulance. Try to remain as calm as possible – you’ll be in shock. If everyone’s unharmed then make a note of this anyway for later claims.
Stop as soon as it is safe to do and then check if anyone is injured. If they are call 999 immediately
3. Don’t apologise – what NOT to do
Although it’s a natural and very British reaction to apologise, don’t.
This is because apologising or admitting responsibility can make you liable even if it wasn’t your fault.
Confused found that a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds apologised despite not being at fault.
However, drivers aged 25 – 34 are the most likely to apologise for an accident on the roads, with three in five admitting to apologising – 22 per cent of which were not at fault. That’s compared to just 14 per cent of 55 – 64 year olds and 18 per cent of over 65’s.
Unless you’re completely certain it was your fault, refrain from saying sorry. The other party can use it against you at a later date.
And even if you do think you’re at fault for the crash, there could be other external mitigating factors that also led to the collision taking place that were outside of your control.
4. Exchange details with anyone involved
Make sure you get the name, address and car registration number of anyone involved.
Provide insurance details if requested.
5. Take pictures
It’s important to take photos and videos of the scene as evidence with claims or police reports.
Take multiple angles and close ups.
It’s important to take photos of the incident , and video, as this can help with claims later
6. Report it to your insurance company
Confused found that 49 per cent of drivers don’t realise road accidents should be reported to their insurance company. Not doing so can void policies, increase insurance prices, and risk future coverage refusals.
Even if an accident isn’t your fault, drivers could still see an increase in premium costs because any claim associated with the vehicle could be seen as a risk.
But if drivers don’t inform their insurance provider about an accident, it could be seen as a non-disclosure. This could invalidate your policy or result in it being cancelled entirely.
Almost one in four drivers admit to having a small bump and not reporting this to their insurer. It’s best to be upfront in these situations.
Disclosing all information could benefit you in the long run and make the aftermath of a road accident easier to navigate.
