people helping a woman after a car accident

What To Do If You Witness A Car Accident

Witnessing a car accident first-hand requires a calm, cool, and collected response under traumatic circumstances. Your course of action will largely depend on the severity of the crash and the extent of the injuries, but there are some general guidelines to keep in mind.  By following these tips, you’ll be better prepared to help your fellow drivers until the professional emergency responders arrive.

Ensure Your Safety First

If you are driving when you spot a car crash, pull over to the side of the road at least 100 feet from the scene and put on your hazard lights. You want to give enough distance so you don’t put yourself in danger of broken glass, leaked fuel, or flames.

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Call 911

Smartphone screen with the emergency number 911 dialed – Person calling the support service phone line asking for helpNever assume that someone else already called 911. Even if the wreck doesn’t appear severe, the authorities should be notified.  Let the 911 operator know you witnessed a car accident, the location, number of people involved, and any other pertinent details.

Check On The Victims

man helping a woman after a car accident

Once you’ve ensured that it’s safe to approach the scene, check on the condition of the crash victims to make sure they are okay and offer help, if you are able. While this can be an emotionally taxing time, try to stick to the facts and remember that this is not the time to assess who is at fault for the accident or make judgments on what the other driver must have been thinking. A good rule of thumb is to never admit fault at the scene. Unless there’s a risk of the vehicle catching fire, do not under any circumstances move an injured person. Despite your best intentions, you could accidentally make the injury worse. Let the trained medical professionals tend to the injuries, but you can provide comfort by reassuring victims that help is on the way.

Stabilize The Vehicles (If You Can)

If the accident is minor, ask the driver to put the impacted vehicle in “park” and turn off the ignition. This will eliminate the risk of fire, especially since chances are good that the crash has caused an oil, fuel or coolant leak.  If it’s safe to do so, enlist help to move the car out of further harm’s way and to leave space for other vehicles and emergency responders.  If that’s not possible, set up flares or traffic triangles to warn other drivers of the accident.

Give A Statement & Provide Your Contact Information

people looking at a car after an accidentWhen the police arrive, provide the relevant facts and your contact information.  In the days and weeks following the event, you may be contacted as a witness by legal and medical authorities and/or insurance claims agents.  Be honest, factual, and consistent with your statements.

Car accidents can be upsetting for the victim and the bystander alike. The best way to deal with an accident is to stay on the scene and report what you’ve seenOnly exit your vehicle to render aid if it is safe to do soYour clearheaded actions to safely assist or protect the victims until emergency assistance arrives can make an enormous difference in the overall outcome.

Being in an accident might be stressful, but GEICO Mobile makes the claims process easy. Download it today in the App Store or Google Play.

By Stephanie Levis

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    Leave a comment

  1. Edward P says,

    In bad weather, it is best to keep on driving, and give the report later from a safe parking lot. I once saw someone on an icy road pull over to help, and as she opened her car door to get out, another car slid off the road and took her door off.

  2. laurie says,

    I have a dashcam now as probably a lot of people do. So if an accident got filmed, I imagine I would stick around and tell the police and give them the video? Can they make on-the-spot copies as I wouldn’t want them walking away with the dashcam.

  3. Andrew Clay says,

    I witnessed an accident a few years ago. A car pulled out of a gas station right in front of a pickup truck. After the collision, the driver of the car jumped out and yelled “Why you hit me?”(sp) I knew I had to stay. It was on a busy road, so the pickup driver pulled into the gas station. He was able to dial 911. I walked over to him, stated that I was a witness and would remain until the police arrived. In less than 1/2 hour, a police car and tow truck arrived, the car was not operable. I stayed by my car until the police had taken both reports. After he was finished, I approached him and told him I was a witness. The policeman replied “I don’t need to talk to you.” I was a little miffed at his attitude and felt like I had wasted my time. I gave my name and phone number to the driver of the pickup truck, just in case. I never heard a word from anybody.

  4. Stuart Landau says,

    If you would to be a good citizen, write down what you saw, as soon as you are able. Things tend to become distorted with time. Also, everyone seems to have a camera in their phone. If can safely do so, take some photos as soon as possible and let the accident victims know that. I’ve done these things several times; it may be helpful to all involved.

  5. Drake Matovich says,

    In over 40 years of driving, I have witnessed and tried to help at many accident scenes. I always end up in court being badgered by some attorney trying to discredit myself and my testimony. I have lost time at work and have never been compensated or thanked for “doing the right thing.” Sorry folks, never again…..be careful out there.

  6. Marius says,

    It would have been good to be known and followed by the drivers who witnessed the hit and run my son was a victim of and by the drivers who have seen the carwreck and didn’t even call 911,
    In France for instance, there is a law that punishes anyone not giving assistance to a person in danger.

  7. Michael R Barbeau says,

    GREAT INFORMATION! Another good piece of ‘equipment’ for the vehicle would be the new vehicle cameras now offered. Some are quite cheap, $40 or so, and I do remember seeing some near the $100 mark, either way , if recording an accident, it would end ‘he did, she did’ talk, as it would be on ‘film’…….. just gotta get one now !

  8. Brent Carver says,

    Great advice! I wasn’t sure where I might overstep my bounds or how to avoid potential legal concerns.
    Thank you.

  9. Bruno says,

    Good information but, last I did this recently I was treated like a criminal by both insurance companies involved plus they tried to share my personal information with the offending idiot that caused the crash (not accident)! I will now think twice about doing this again it was a big hassle.

  10. Melissa Gallo says,

    Love this article. I’ve come across many accidents and have stopped to help. This article mentions things that I never thought of: making sure affected car is in park and turned off, etc. Thanks for including this.

  11. Daniel Callaway says,

    I stopped at an accident just over a year ago that nearly killed me because the car got hit by another car. I am a firefighter/EMT and did all the right steps for the initial subject but inattentive drivers are everywhere. Remind drivers to PLEASE be safe out there when stopping to render assistance on an accident scene while awaiting emergency vehicles to arrive. It could cost you your life!

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