Road Safety Week

Dealing with Road Traffic Accidents

Road Safety Week is the UK’s biggest road safety event. Every year, thousands of schools, organisations and communities get involved to raise awareness of how we can make safe and healthy journeys every day.

In conjunction with Road Safety Week 15-21 Nov 2021, we would like to offer advice on how to deal with Road Traffic Accidents, detailing how to protect yourself and your fellow passengers and what to do next.

We understand that you may be shocked and unsure of what to do should you ever find yourself in this predicament.

Accordingly, we have prepared an easy to follow guide to reduce the stress involved:

Safety

If you have been involved in an accident, the very first thing to do is ensure that you and any passengers are safe. You can alert other drivers by putting your hazard lights on if possible. 

Importantly, you may need to move away from the vehicle, and wait safely at the side of the road for assistance if you are in a tricky location where other drivers may not be able to see you

Report the incident to the PSNI 

Call the PSNI to report the accident once you have ensured your safety. If the accident is an emergency, you can call “999”. Don’t forget, you can reach the PSNI on the non-emergency number “101” if it is more appropriate.

If the accident is serious, causing major traffic issues, or someone is injured it is likely the PSNI will attend the scene to speak with you. However, if the accident is relatively minor they may simply take details over the phone and provide you with a Police Reference Number.

Exchange details with any other drivers involved

Check on any other vehicles involved in the accident. Are they hurt? Do they need medical attention?

Ideally, you should make a note of the;

• Driver’s name, address and contact details
• Make, model and colour of the vehicle
• The registration number of the vehicle
• Details of any witnesses

You can do this with pen and paper, but don’t forget, your mobile phone can be extremely helpful in this situation. You can make notes or take a recording of the details.

Take photographs of the accident scene & vehicles involved

Try not to get involved in any arguments over whose fault the accident was at the scene. This can increase tensions and make an already stressful situation worse. 

If you can, take photographs of the scene and the vehicles involved. These can be helpful should legal proceedings be pursued at a later date.

Report the accident to your Insurance Company

It is important that you report the accident to your Insurance Company as soon as possible after the accident, even if the accident was not your fault. 

If there is any dispute over liability, some insurance companies could potentially rescind your cover if you have failed to notify them of a claim, therefore it is certainly worth airing on the side of caution and letting them know straight away.

If you have been injured, seek medical attention

Evidently, if you have been injured as a result of a road traffic accident we would recommend that you seek medical advice from your GP or hospital as appropriate. 

Get in Touch

At Wilson Nesbitt, we have considerable experience acting on behalf of injured parties seeking compensation as a result of injuries sustained on the roads.

If you have been injured and would like to find out whether you are entitled to make a claim for compensation, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our litigation team at claims@wilson-nesbitt.co.uk. 

Did you know?

If you are in touch with our team regarding a personal injury sustained in a road traffic accident, Wilson Nesbitt can also offer to arrange the following services for you;

• Vehicle Recovery Services
• Vehicle Hire
• Vehicle Repairs

Our expert team will be happy to speak with you about these services in more detail.