How’d This Idiot Get A Driver’s License?

Each year, thousands of knuckleheads are involved in auto accidents!

The cause: blabbing on their cell-phone, forgetting to use turn signals, or a total disregard for anything they were supposed to learn while taking their driver’s exam. The effect: You, paying for their mistakes. Would you know what to do in the aftermath of a collision? If “yes”, good for you; if “no”, read this article in its entirety — the advice it contains will not only prevent further injuries and accelerate the clean-up and repair process, but it will save you dearly.

So, if you are involved in a collision, try to remain calm, and refrain from hitting this dumb punk! Take a breather, count to 10, and then check to make sure you’re all right. No injuries? Cool. Now make sure no one else is injured.

Stay prepared. Keep an emergency kit in your glove compartment, with a pen and paper for taking notes, a disposable camera to take photos, and a card with medical information in case it gets serious. Also, keep a set of cones, warning triangles or emergency flares in the trunk. You should know what your insurance covers beforehand, as it will make the whole process go much easier. For example: don’t wait until after an accident to find out that your policy doesn’t automatically cover costs for towing or a rental car. You’ll be mad at yourself if you did!

Right after the crash: If it’s a minor accident with no serious injuries, move the cars out of the way of oncoming traffic — this is a no-brainer. If a car cannot be moved, drivers and passengers should remain in the cars with seatbelts fastened for everyone’s safety until help arrives. Make sure to turn on hazard lights and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if possible, so other cars will have a fair warning. Also: be on the lookout for rubberneckers — these people are dangerous!

Exchange information. Get the other jackass’s (driver’s) name, address, insurance company and important numbers: phone, policy, driver’s license and license plate. If their name is different from the name of the owner, establish what the relationship is and take down the name and address for both. Also make a written description of each car, including year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and what happened. Finally: be polite, but don’t tell the other driver that the accident was your fault, even if you think it was. Keep your conversations brief and general!

Get the police involved. It is always best to call the police, to set things straight. You’ll be glad you did! They need to do an accident report anyways, and it will save you a trip to the police station (those places are scary). Plus, if you were not the “at fault” driver it also gives the police the opportunity to give the other driver a ticket. This will look good for your case — and bad for theirs!

Call your insurance agent. Do this as soon as possible. If you can call while you’re at the scene, have the police talk with your provider — it will save you lot of time waiting for a claim later on, and the information will also be more accurate. It’s also important to get a copy of the police report, pictures of the damages and injuries sustained. Also, get the names and numbers of any witnesses to the accident — they might be able to assist you in proving your claim later on. When dealing with the insurance companies write down everything they say or promise you. Get names and dates (it will keep you from getting the runaround)!

Call AAA. If your vehicle cannot be driven, know where the tow truck driver will be taking it. Get their card or write down the driver’s name, the garage’s name and its phone number. Remove any valuables from your vehicle before it’s towed away. Make sure this includes your insurance information and registration if you keep these items in your vehicle. Sometimes those guys are sleazy — beware!

Remember: you should NEVER, EVER admit liability! Simply state the facts and leave the rest to the insurance investigators, not only because it’s their job, but because they know it better than you. File your car insurance claim quickly, because there is a time limit after the accident within which you must do so, if you want your claim to be valid. If not, take your time!

Finally: do not clobber the “jerk”, as we all wear that hat from time to time. Also: always wait till you park to use your cell-phone (if not, people will hate you) and if you want to turn you need to tell the people behind you!