What to do after you've been in a collision

- Published: Sept. 8, 2009

While the majority of collisions can be prevented with proactive driving, the fact is, they can still happen. If you are in a collision, minimize the consequences by following some simple guidelines.

Immediately after the collision

If it's a minor crash with no serious injuries, the driver should move the vehicle and occupants safely to the side of the road, out of the way of traffic. If a vehicle can't be moved, turn on hazard lights and, if it's safe to do so, place cones, flares, or warning triangles.

Check to see if there are injuries

Drivers should call for help for the injured. They should also get the names of any injured parties, the nature and extent of their injuries, and whether they were taken from the scene to a hospital. Also note whether the injured parties were occupants of vehicles or pedestrians.

Don't admit fault

Don't discuss specific details of the collision with anyone except the police. Be polite, do not argue or accuse anyone, but don't admit fault to the other driver or police, even if you think your actions led to the crash. It's important to engage the subrogation experts, who will complete a thorough review process to determine fault.

Drivers should never to agree to 'forget' about the collision, they should let their company know whether a police report was taken and, if so, provide the full officer and department information, including phone number. 

Don't apologize

It is necessary for fleet managers to tell their drivers not to offer any apologies. It is almost natural for kind-hearted individuals, even if that individual is not at fault, to offer some sort of remorse for the collision. If a third-party or witness hears the apology it could be used against the company driver.

Promptly report the collision to proper authorities

Did you know? Legislation in Alberta requires a traffic collision be immediately reported to the police if it results in death, injury or property damage of $1000 or more. The $1,000 means the combined damages to all vehicles and property. Also, every driver involved in a collision must remain at the scene.

When drivers are involved in a crash, they should be instructed to call their company fleet manager, collision management company representative, or, if appropriate, insurance company as soon as possible. If mandated by fleet policy, file a collision report. A police report often helps insurance companies speed up the claims process. Also, drivers should tell their employers whether the crash occurred in the course of doing company business. Drivers should also notate the date and time the crash was reported to the company.

Don't talk when distraught

When there are any injuries (or worse), drivers become deeply disturbed. They must be cautious about what they ask and what they say. Law enforcement is well trained to control crash event conversations.

Follow fleet policy guidelines 

When a driver is under the emotional stress of being involved in a collision, it is important to provide, in advance, a checklist that drivers keep in the glove compartment. Otherwise, you're leaving the recording of potentially critical information to chance.

Consult with your company collision review committee

All companies should implement a crash investigation process. An in-depth review of all crashes helps companies get to the true root cause of each crash, monitor trends, enforce accountability, and drive down the frequency and severity of collisions. It also helps drivers revisit their actions and choices pre-crash to ensure they are complying with company policies and procedures while demonstrating acceptable proactive defensive driving best practices.

The best precaution is to plan in advance

The best way for a fleet manager to be sure a driver collects the right information is to hand out a crash investigation kit with a pre-printed form the driver can keep in the vehicle as a checklist to use at the crash scene.