Do you know post-crash steps?

With less than half of drivers unsure what information they need to collect after an accident, Gocompare.com has produced an ‘Accident Record’ to help them.

The Accident Record highlights what drivers need to do in the event of a collision, and what information they need to collate. It can be downloaded and printed out for drivers to keep in their cars if necessary.

Gocompare.com produced the record after it commissioned a survey which found only 42% of motorists who had been in a accident knew what action they needed to get.

The survey questioned 1,350 motorists, 18% of whom had been involved in an accident in the last five years.

Although 73% of those questioned were confident they’d know what to do in the event of a collision, only 42% of those who had actually had an accident knew what steps to take at the time.

While 80% remembered to exchange their name and contact details, only 53% assessed the damage to the other vehicle, 43% found out if anyone in the other vehicle was injured and only 27% collected details of witnesses.

Matt Oliver, Gocompare.com car insurance spokesman, said, ‘Accidents will always happen, but in the shock of the moment, it can be hard to know what to do. So, it’s sensible to be prepared and have a reasonable idea of the actions you need to take.

“If you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in a car accident, there are some steps you are legally required to take; you should stop, get help for anyone who is injured and exchange contact and insurance details with any other parties involved in the crash.

‘You should also make your own notes of what happened and make sure you have contact details for any witnesses to the accident. This will help your insurer assess your claim.

“Our ‘Accident Record’ is designed to help take some of the stress out of a road traffic accident. It outlines the key things drivers need to do and the information they need to gather about the accident to help with their car insurance claim.

‘Photographs of the crash scene are also very helpful when assessing an accident claim and nowadays most mobile phones have a camera. So, if you can safely do so, take pictures of the accident scene including the vehicles involved and their position in the road.’