Getting Ready For an Accident

Getting Ready For an Accident, Accidents are by definition unexpected, but it's still a good idea to make some preparations ahead of time - just in case.

* Prepare your car - Keep a notepad and pencil (not a pen; they dry up) in the glovebox so you'll have something to write details about the accident on - instead of an old Taco Bell chalupa wrapper. If there are injuries or major damage involved, it may help you in court (or with your insurance company) to have precise details you can refer back to.

Use your cell phone's video camera (or keep a disposable digital camera in the car someplace) to record things such as skid marks or a tree that obscured a stop sign. It's a good idea to carry a couple of flares in the trunk. These can help avoid a secondary accident - another car piling into your damaged vehicle, because the driver didn't see it in time to slow down or move over.

A flashlight (with good batteries) and a blanket in the trunk are good to have, too.

if you're one of the few people (like me) who doesn't have a cell phone, consider buying one of those inexpensive, for-emergency-use only phones to keep in the car. They're made to call 911 only, so there's no monthly plan.

* Prepare yourself - Every time you get behind the wheel, assume you'll be involved in an accident. Wear you seat belt. And even more importantly, drive distrustfully. Don't enter an intersection without looking left and right - even if you have a green light. Red light running is epidemic and the fact that you have the legal right-of-way won't protect you from being T-boned.

Be on the lookout for addled/oblivious drivers - the ones who are so busy talking on their cell or scarfing down a meal they don't notice you are in their blind spot. Scan your mirrors constantly - especially your rear view mirror when stopped in traffic. You may notice that a huge SUV is barreling toward your rear end in time to take evasive action - or at least brace for the impact and lessen the chances of a disabling whiplash-type neck injury.

Practice emergency braking in order to become familiar with how your vehicle reacts - and how long it takes to come to a complete stop. If your vehicle has ABS - and most cars built since about 2005 do - find an open stretch of road without much traffic on it and mash the pedal all the way to floor as hard as you can. (The ABS system will keep the wheels from locking up and you will still be able to steer the car.) This will give you a feel for how quickly your car can stop in a maximum-effort. emergency situation. Think about where you'd try to point the car if you had to swerve suddenly. Notice things like big trees - so you can at least try to avoid piling into them head on. Look for "soft landings" - or at least, softer landings.

* Follow post-accident protocol - If you do wind up involved in an accident (especially a fender-bender) the first thing to do is get yourself out of the way of further possible harm by moving out of and away from your vehicle. Some people understandably don't want to move their cars before the police arrive so that it's easier to determine fault (for insurance/court purposes) and that's fine - but don't mill around in traffic waiting for the police to show up. It's a good way to get killed by an oblivious rubber necked.

Exchange information with the other driver - name, address, driver's license number/state of issue; phone number(s) and all insurance information. Be sure the name of the driver matches the name of the listed insured on the insurance card. You should also write down on your pad the year, make and model of the other vehicle and its license plate number - as well as its overall condition and the areas where it was damaged. If you have your cell phone/disposable camera, take pictures of both vehicles, including areas not damaged. This is a good way to protect yourself against being charged with doing damage you didn't do. A photograph is worth a thousand words - especially in court.

If the other driver refuses to show you his driver's license or insurance information and you have a cell phone, immediately call the police. While it's not a legal requirement in many areas to wait for police after a minor fender-bender, it is a legal requirement to exchange driver's license and insurance information - and a major violation to drive without a valid license or insurance coverage. If something like this happens to you and the other driver looks like he's going to flee the scene, memorize the plate number of his car and a physical description of him - and get on the phone, call the cops. Hit and run is an even bigger deal than driving without a valid license or insurance coverage.

* Call your insurance company - Do this as soon as possible after the accident. Give them all the details you jotted down on your pad. Use your notes to help reconstruct what happened. If the accident was your fault - and you want to do the right thing - admit it. If it wasn't - or you don't know whose fault it was - leave it up to the insurance company to sort out.

If the accident involved personal injury, major damage and/or tickets, your insurer may provide legal counsel for your court date (depending on the type of coverage you have). There is one case where you may not want to call the insurance company - a minor accident, especially one involving just you (no other car). In this case, paying for the damages "out of pocket" will be a relatively small, one-time hit to your wallet - as opposed to the very real possibility of several years of higher insurance premiums based on your filing a claim and the fact that you now have an accident on record. As a general rule, if the cost to fix the damage is about the same as your deductible, it might be a better deal to just cut a check - and live and learn.