Photo courtesy of Nikita Starichenko / Shutterstock.com.
Being a truck driver, you witness more than your fair share of accidents out on the road. But what should you do if it’s more than just a fender bender and you’re the first one on the scene? Here are 6 things to do if you witness an accident.
1. Pull completely off of the roadway, but keep a safe distance – about 100 feet between your truck and the accident. You’ll also want to turn on the emergency flashers to alert not only oncoming traffic, but also to help law enforcement officers and emergency personnel to locate the scene of the accident more easily.
2. Check on the occupants of the involved vehicles to see if there are any injuries. When you’re doing this, you’ll still want to keep a safe distance from both the vehicles and the individuals involved in the accident. Try to assess what has happened, and see if emergency assistance is going to be needed.
3. Call 9-1-1, before you’ve made the call you’re going to want to have the necessary information together. Location is going to be the main thing, check roadsigns for cross streets, on/off ramps, or mile markers. How many people are involved? Does anyone need help? Are any of the occupants of the vehicles bleeding, unconscious, or possibly deceased?
4. If any of the involved parties aren’t walking or talking, do your best to help them. Don’t move injured parties unless the vehicle is burning (or they are in immediate danger) to keep from worsening any injuries.
5. If it’s possible, and safe to do so, help to remove vehicles from traffic lanes. Keep in mind that you should never drive someone else’s wrecked vehicle unless instructed to by a police officer or emergency worker.
6. If you’ve got a camera, snap a few photos of the accident to help out the drivers involved in the accident – but only if it’s safe for you to do so.
Have you ever been the first to stumble upon an accident and help out the parties involved? What did you do to help? Would you do anything differently?
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