One of the greatest fears that parents have is getting a call from their son or daughter that they were in a car accident. CommunityToday reports that six teenagers are killed every day in auto accidents. It’s no surprise that parents often panic when they hear the words “car accident.”
What you say to them at that point in time is very important and can make all the difference in how well all parties weather the experience. While the shock of it all can make it hard to remain calm, you need to remember that your son or daughter is looking to you for guidance. How you handle the situation and what you say will have a lasting impact on them.
Get to a Safe Place Immediately
Before you call the car accident attorney or the police, calmly talk to your child and give them definite instructions about what to do. Tell them to turn their hazard lights on first before exiting the car. If your young driver is on the side of the road, instruct them to move to a safe place before they talk to anyone. If cars are whizzing by them, they could be hit. Your child is already upset and nervous so it is important to remain calm and not yell or cry if possible.
If your child is stuck in the car in a middle lane of a busy highway, they need to stay in the car and wait for help to arrive. Tell them you will call the police and ambulance if necessary to get help out as soon as possible so they can safely exit the car.
Call the Police
Your child should call the police once they are safely out of danger. Getting a detailed police report is critical and will help with filing a claim. Tell them not to discuss the accident with anyone at the scene. This will keep tempers from flaring and things from getting out of hand.
Get Contact Information
Instruct your child to get the other driver’s insurance information, driver’s license number and license plate numbers. If it is easier, tell them to take a picture of this information. They need to make sure it is a clear picture and that the numbers show up well. Remind them that they should also get names and contact numbers for all other drivers involved. If there are witnesses available, tell your child to get their contact information too.
Take Photos
If it is safe to do so, instruct your young driver to take pictures of the cars involved from as many angles as possible focusing on any damaged areas. This can speed up the claims process if the police report is held up for any reason.
Limit Conversation with the Other Drivers
Your child might feel the need to apologize to the other drivers if they feel it was their fault. Remind them not to do this and to not discuss the accident with the other drivers, beyond getting the basic information mentioned above.
Discuss the Accident Later with Your Child
Once your child is safely home, it is a good idea to go over the details of the accident to see how it might have been avoided. This can be a teachable moment that will help your child in the future. You can use this time to go over basic rules for safe driving, reminding your young driver about how dangerous driving can be. CDC reports that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teenage deaths. Remind them about the dangers of distracted driving.
Conclusion
While it is important to eventually get the details about what caused the car accident that your young driver was involved in, first you have to help them get through the situation safely and with as little backlash as possible.
