What To Do If You Get Into A Small Car Accident

In an ideal world, we’d drive our whole lives and never end up in any form of accident. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. I’ve got friends who have only been driving a few years and are already on their fourth little crash (don't let them be your inspo). But in the event that you give another car a little love tap, knowing what to do will help make the situation far less stressful. 
 

Stay Calm

First things first - take a deep breath. Stressing isn’t going to help a thing. What’s done is done, and while it’s not ideal, it really isn’t a disaster. Everything will be okay. So, stay calm and avoid an argument with the other driver/s at all costs. If you think you were at fault, be apologetic. If you weren't, stay calm and be forgiving. 

Assess Injuries

After an accident, the most important thing is that everyone involved is okay. If it’s a small accident, hopefully the only damage is to your vehicles. But if you, or anyone in either car is injured, you should call emergency services ASAP - even if it seems like something small. 
 

Move To A Safe Location

Once you've made sure everyone is alright, head to a spot away from other cars to make exchanging details so much easier (and less dangerous). If your vehicle is too damaged to move, find somewhere safe where you can stand and leave your car where it is, with the hazard lights on.

Make sure you at least have a photo of their license plate before moving your vehicles in case they try to pull a fast one on you (this is very unlikely but it’s better to be safe than sorry).
 

Exchange Contact Details

The next part is important, whether you’re at fault or not. Get contact details from everyone involved in the accident. This is super important for your insurance. 

If the other driver refuses to share their contact details, make sure you take note of their registration details and get a photo if possible. This will be super helpful if you need to make a claim with the police down the track. 

If you’re driving someone else’s car, make sure you let the other driver know and provide both your contact details and the car owner’s details. 
 

Take Some Pics

While you're in a safe spot, take photos of the damage to both cars so you can send them through with your claim for your insurance company to assess. Take photos of the area where the accident happened as well so you can give context to the way the accident occurred.
 

Let Your Insurance Company Know

Once you're back home, make a claim with the insurance company you're with. You might want to ask your parents/guardian for help doing this to make sure you cover all bases. 

Include all the details you have, but don’t admit fault even if you think you might have been responsible for the accident, or the other people/person involved have blamed you for the accident. It’s up to the insurance company to determine who is at fault for the accident. Simply send them the facts and photos and let them do the rest.
 

Follow Up

Once you’ve sent your insurance company the initial claim, make sure you follow up with them and ask if they need any additional information. Provide any extra information they ask for and attend all the appointments scheduled to help to process run smoothly. 
 

If You Hit A Parked Car

If you bump into a parked car without anyone in it, your first instinct is probably, “Quick get out of here before anyone sees me.” But while it might seem easy, it’s NEVER the right thing to do. 

Instead, make an effort to locate the owner of the vehicle if you can. Otherwise, write a note with your contact information underneath their windscreen wiper so they can contact you when they return to the vehicle. If you don’t leave your details, you’ll cop an additional $349 fine and 3 demerit points on top of the insurance excess you need to pay.
 

Even small accidents can have big consequences, but they are nothing you can’t deal with. Remember to stay calm and follow each of these steps to make the admin process run as smoothly as possible and make things a lot easier for yourself!