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Last Updated: Jul 15th, 2008 - 09:12:22 |
What should you have in your car for emergencies? I have a flashlight, disposable camera, fire extinguisher, pencil and paper, and a jacket during winter in my vehicle. If you are ever involved in a car accident, you should take pictures of the scene and anyone who is involved or is a witness.
The camera will be a valuable asset if you need to document location, angle of impact, or the severity of the collision. Take as many pictures as you can of your car and the others involved. Get as many witnesses as you possibly can, and get a police report, even if it is a minor fender bender.
It is a good idea to have a flashlight on hand, and pen and paper to take names of witnesses. Do not leave the scene of the car accident until dismissed by the officer, and be proactive in seeking out witnesses. You should have the name and phone number to the towing service that your shop uses; call them as soon as you can.
You can usually tell the police to contact your towing service on their radio. The tow truck driver could be a good asset to have on your team at this point. They see car accidents all the time, and they might be able to assist you with the police or just give you some comfort in the situation.
If you have ever been in a serious car accident, you know what I mean...you will want some comfort. If you are injured and need to go to the hospital, tell the police (if you are able) that you want your towing company to remove your vehicle.
After that, don't worry about the car, go get well! People stress out about an accident a little too much when it comes to their car. Your car will usually sit in storage or an impound facility until your insurance company asks for it to be moved to a repair shop, or until they send someone to look at the damage. Don't worry about the storage bill or who is going to pay what at this point in the game. Once your car has been entered into the insurance company's computer system, they will tell you what to do next. Do not go out on your own and get the car out of storage without first telling your insurance company-unless you really know what you are doing.
Call your insurance agent now, don't wait till you have a car accident, and ask if you have rental car coverage. This type of coverage is usually very inexpensive, and is sometimes not automatically included in full coverage policies. Your car may be in the repair shop for weeks getting put back together, or while you and your insurance company negotiate the total loss value of your vehicle.
SIDE NOTE: Do not store gas in a container in your trunk or anywhere in the car. Duh! But, you'd be surprised. Don't waste your money on one of those glass breaking hammers that are suppose to save your life in the event you cannot open the door of your vehicle and you are forced to break the glass to exit. I mean think about this.
You are supposed to hide this little hammer somewhere in your car that will be accessible for you during a car accident . When you are overturned in a car accident and want to break the glass, that by some miracle has survived the crash in the first place, you will just open the glove box and take out this trusty hammer, break the window glass and save your life. Car accidents are not this orderly!
Or did you hide this hammer in the trunk, center console, under your seat (in that case due to the roll over, it is now on the roof and you are hanging upside down still strapped in to your seat belt) or did you leave it in the garage with the jumper cables you also needed last week?
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