Teen Driving - You Just Got In a Car Accident, Now What?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents are the No. 1 leading cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19. Chalk it up to driving inexperience, chalk it up to an increased chance of distracted driving (i.e. texting while driving, eating while driving, etc.) and also credit a more aggressive driving mindset for this trend - the fact is that teens are about three times more likely to be in a fatal car crash, let alone any car crash, than drivers 20 and older.

Knowing these fatal car crash statistics, it should also come as no surprise that teens are more likely to be involved in any type of accident for the reasons we mentioned above, specifically in the summer months and on weekend evenings. Getting in an accident can also be scary and alarming, so with that being said, if you're a new driver, do you know what to do and how to act if you've been involved in a car accident, no matter how minor?

Here's a quick how-to guide of what you should do and what you should absolutely not do:

WHAT TO DO:

Assess the situation: The first thing you should do after a car accident is assess the situation. Make sure that you and any other passengers in your vehicle are OK. If you are, then follow the same procedure for any other cars involved in the accident. The first priority should be safety. If there's any hint of any serious or life-threatening injury, the first thing you should do is call 911.Call the police/get names of witnesses: After you've assessed the situation, then call the police. A police report is crucial toward officially documenting the accident and eventually assigning fault to the driver deemed responsible for causing it if you reside in a state that follows the "tort" auto insurance system. At the same time, you should get the names of any witnesses who can help relay what they saw and help the police assign fault. In tort states, the at-fault driver is responsible for all damages incurred in an accident, so it's important to get the fault part of things correctly.Examine the damage: Finally, analyze your damage. Take pictures with your smartphone of the damage. This acts as a sort of evidence in a situation like this, which can help in filing the police report as well as in filing insurance claims.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Blame the other driver: Don't play the blame game. Act cool, calmly and collectively - at least to the best of your ability - in dealing with the situation. Pointing fingers and screaming at the other driver about things isn't going to get you nowhere, except for maybe in a fight. So be cooperative, both with others who were involved in the accident and with the police after they arrive.Accept fault/blame: If you live in a state that operates under the "tort," or at-fault, auto insurance system, never, ever, ever accept blame or fault at the scene of the accident. The police will sort this part out and you immediately accepting blame or fault will more than likely end with you being deemed guilty of causing the accident, meaning that all damages will be paid for by your insurance company.As one of the leading car dealers in Oklahoma City, David Stanley Dodge strongly encourages that all drivers, especially teens, to drive safely. Rate this Article

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Gina A Jennings has published 2 articles. Article submitted on June 04, 2013. Word count: 544