Many people are unsure of what to do when they are involved in a road traffic collision. Here are the essential details to remember should you experience a road traffic collision.
If you are involved in a crash or stop to give assistance
- Use your hazard lights to warn other drivers.
- Ask drivers to switch off their engines and stop smoking.
- Arrange for the emergency services to be called immediately with full details of incident location and casualties (see below on how to identify your location on a motorway).
- Move uninjured people away from vehicles to safety. On a motorway, this should, if possible, be well away from traffic, the hard shoulder and the central reservation.
- Do not move injured people from their vehicles unless they are in immediate danger from fire or explosion.
- Never remove a motorcyclist’s helmet unless it is essential to do so.
- Be prepared to give first aid if possible.
- Stay at the scene until the emergency services arrive.
When calling the emergency services, R.E.A.C.T.
- R Ring 999
- E Exact location
- A All vehicles involved
- C Casualty numbers
- T Anybody trapped
How to identify your location on a motorway
You will see signs like the example above when you travel along the motorway. These are important when notifying the emergency services of a collision or calling for assistance if you have broken down.
If you have to call for help, provide all this information to the phone operator so they can co-ordinate a quicker response to the situation.
Information you need to record
In minor collisions when nobody is injured, ensure that you take and record the following information before leaving the scene:
- The name, contact number and address of all drivers involved.
- The details of any witnesses to the incident.
- Details of all vehicles involved – make, colour and registration number.
- Take details of the other driver’s insurance and provide details of your own, including policy number if possible.
- If you have a camera, then take a photo of the scene and any damage to the cars.
Notify your insurance company as soon as possible of the collision.