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It is important to stay calm during an accident.

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What to do in a vehicle accident?

By Samuel Cheng

Published 11:27 PST, Fri January 19, 2024

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The winter season is upon us once again with a chance of snow and ice. It is important to drive safe and to operate your motor vehicle with extra caution under extreme weather conditions.

However, accidents can happen and it is important to know what to do if one were to be unfortunate enough to be caught up in one.

In case of an accident, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Do not panic. When accidents happen, most people will panic and go into shock. However, it is important to stay calm and hold your composure.

2. Check for injuries. Injuries and wounds, whether that’s on you or your passengers, may be overlooked as our attention is diverted towards the accident itself. Contact the emergency services if any individual requires any immediate medical assistance.

3. Move your vehicle to a safe spot if possible. The side of the road or the sidewalk are a good example of this. Standing in the middle of the road with traffic passing by you is dangerous and not ideal.

• Call 911. Accidents, big or small, are still accidents. It is important to document the incident on file to avoid any finger pointing or blames when it comes to the determination of faults.

Upon waiting for medical staff and police’s arrival, there are couple of things that you can do in the meantime.

1. Turn on your vehicle hazard lights and place cones, warning triangles or even flairs around the scene of the accident to warn and alert other drivers on the road.

2. Exchange the following information with the other parties involved in the accident:

• License plate number

• Driver license number

• Insurance information (Insurance company, policy number etc.)

• Contact information (Full name, address, phone number etc.)

• Vehicle information (Make, model, color, year etc.)

• Location of the accident

3. Take photos of the scene of the accident and the people that were involved.

4. Scout and look for potential witnesses and obtain their contact information.

5. Do not discuss who is at fault at the scene of accident. Let ICBC be the one to assess and determine the final verdict of the collision.

After the police have arrived and document all the necessary information, both parties would be free to go once approval of the police.

After an accident, here are a couple of things you can do:

1. Call and report the incident to your insurance company.

2. Report and submit your claim to ICBC.

• Online: icbc.com/claims/report-view/Report-a-claim-online

• Phone:

604-520-8222 (Vancouver)

1-800-910-4222 (Toll-free)

3. If you’re feeling unwell after the incident, contact your family doctor or visit a nearby clinic for a checkup.

4. Keep an eye out for phone calls or emails from ICBC and your insurance company. Be sure to follow-up and respond promptly.

Accidents can be troublesome and hectic to deal with. However, by staying calm and knowing what to do in this situation, the process of dealing with an accident can be simple and straight forward. As always, drive safely and responsibly whenever you’re out on the road.

“The only safe amount of alcohol when you are mixing driving and drinking is zero—double zeros, no alcohol.” – Tina Pasco, affiliate executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).