Over six million car accidents occur each year in the United States. Fortunately, most of them involve only property damage - damage to the vehicle as opposed to the occupants. But one in three accidents involve personal injury to the driver or passengers and out of that number, two out of every ten accidents lead to fatal injuries.
If you are involved in an automobile accident, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself and your interests. The following is a list of the top ten things you should do if you are in an automobile accident:

1. STOP.
Never drive away from the scene of an accident, even a minor one.

2. PROTECT THE SCENE.
You can prevent further accidents by setting up flares, or keeping your flashers on. If it is dark and your lights don't work, you should have a flashlight to keep you safe while you wait in your disabled car or by the side of the road.

3. CALL THE POLICE.
Even if there are no serious injuries, it is a good idea to call the police. You may need a police report to file a claim with your insurance company, even if it is just to make a claim for damage to your vehicle. The vehicles involved in the accident should remain where they are, unless they interfere with traffic.

4. MAKE AN ACCURATE RECORD.
When the police arrive, make sure you tell the investigating officer(s) exactly what happened, to the best of your ability. If you do not know certain facts, tell that to the officer. Do not speculate, guess or misstate any of the facts. If you are asked if you are injured and you are not sure, say you are not sure, rather than no. Often, the pain and injuries from motor vehicle accidents become apparent hours after the actual collision. You should also make sure statements made by other persons involved in the accident are accurate as well.

5. TAKE PICTURES.
If you happen to have a camera in your vehicle, or a cell phone equipped with a camera, you should take pictures of the vehicles if there is visible damage. If you have visible injuries, you should photograph them as well. However, you should in no way interfere with the on-going police investigation. If you cannot take pictures at the scene of the accident, take them as soon as possible after the accident.

6. EXCHANGE INFORMATION.
Typically, the investigating police officer obtains this information. However, if the police do not respond to the accident, you should obtain the name, address and telephone number of all persons involved in the accident, drivers and passengers alike. You should also obtain information about insurance by asking to see the insurance card for all vehicles involved in the accident. If there are witnesses, you should get information from them as well so that you or your attorney can contact them in the future. If police respond to the accident, the investigating officer usually will provide all drivers with a police report number. You can use that number later to obtain the police report. If the accident occurs on a state highway, you must request the report from the state police.

7. REPORT THE ACCIDENT.
Notify your insurance company as soon as possible. Many policies require immediate reporting and full cooperation. Find out if you have medical benefits as part of your insurance coverage. You pay extra for that type of coverage - known as "medpay" - so you should use it. In fact, if you have medpay coverage, you are required to submit your accident-related medical bills to your insurance company. Medpay coverage is primary for accident-related medical bills. Once medpay benefits are exhausted, private health insurance becomes your primary insurer. Medpay benefits are available to all the occupants of the vehicle. Your insurance rates should not increase as a result of submitting claims for medpay coverage.

8. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. Often, injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents are not immediately apparent. Most of our clients report feeling the most pain a day or two following an automobile accident. Unless you are absolutely certain you were not injured, you should seek medical attention at your local emergency room or by seeing your family physician. Even in accidents involving minor impact, you can sustain a serious and permanent injury to your spinal cord. If you lost consciousness or were dazed for even a short period of time following the collision, you may have suffered a concussion or closed head injury. This can cause cognitive and behavioral changes if left untreated.

9. KEEP A FILE. Keep all your accident-related documents and information together. This information should include a claim number, the claim's adjuster who is handling the claim, names and phone numbers of all contacts, receipts for a rental car and other expenses incurred as a result of the accident.

10. PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. Perhaps the most important thing you should do after an accident is to consult your attorney. Your attorney can protect your rights and make sure valuable evidence is not destroyed. Often, insurance companies want to take statements immediately after an accident. It is important that you have received legal advice before providing such a statement. Your attorney can advise you on issues ranging from how to make sure you are fully compensated for your vehicle to how to make sure you are getting the best medical treatment available. Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means there is no legal fee unless the attorney recovers compensation for your injuries.

1. Panic stops

Imagine a situation where a vehicle suddenly runs out of fuel in the middle of the freeway. The only solution is to brake hard.

You can make panic stops in very short distance if your car has an antilock braking system, ABS. All vehicle models of 2012 and later should have ABS. With this system, all you need is to press the brake pads to the floor and keep it that way until the vehicle stops. There is no harm if you rest all your energy on the leg.

Perfecting the art of panic stops takes practice on how to use the ABS. But first, get it installed in your vehicle. Finally, remember that when you have to make an emergency braking, the person behind is not a concern, the one in front is. You will get a ticket for hitting the guy in front. If the guy behind bumps on your, he will get a ticket.

2. Running off the road

According to the National Highway Transport and Safety Authority, 25% of fatal accidents are single vehicle accidents. Even more, 70% of the accidents occur when drivers run two wheels off the road, panic and lose control.

If you find yourself running off the road, the first step is to remain calm. It gives you time to do the next steps correctly. Release the accelerator; allow the vehicle to slow down while keeping the steering wheel straight. Smoothly wheel back the vehicle to the road once it has gained enough control.

Do not use the brakes unless all the four wheels are off the road or when you are about to hit something such a tree or rail. The ABS will come in handy in this situation.

3. Tire blow out

The shotgun blast of a tire burst can send even the most experienced driver into a panic attack, and most of them end up worsening the situation. The first instinct is to step on the brakes and drive out of the road. However, trying to turn at high speed with a burst rear tire will most likely result in a spin or a deadly crash.

First, remember to remain calm. Then press the accelerator for a moment to collect your wits. Do not step on the brakes, instead, drive straight and let the car slow down before turning off the road.

4. Stuck throttle

It will cause the vehicle to start accelerating uncontrollably. You must stop the car immediately to avoid a fatal crash. Release the brake pedals if the car began accelerating when you stepped on them. If that does not work, shift the transmission to neutral and switch off the ignition. You may try the brakes, but it will only contain the engine’s power for a short time.

5. Rear tire slide

It happens when the rear tire loses grip. It is almost impossible to handle this type of emergency even in an all-wheel driving mode. You cannot use the brake as you will be asking the tires to do more than they can. The only proper solution is to anticipate the problem and solve it.

Even if your car has Electronic Stability Control, ESC, the system still has no power over the laws of physics. Ensure your tires are properly inflated, and the tread depths are adequate.

6. Front tire slide

There is more hope for you when the front wheels lose traction than with the rear wheel skid. Most drivers handle this emergency situation right all the time. Let go of the gas pedal and do not touch the brake pedal either. Keep on steering straight ahead and pray that your vehicle regains its grip before you hit an obstruction.

7. Failed power steering

A failed power steering makes it difficult to control the wheels. First, turn emergency flashers on to warn other road users. Remember that in such a situation, you will have to use a lot of force to make sharp turns. So avoid them as much as possible. Your next call should be a steering expert.

8. Wet brakes

It is the result of driving through deep water. First, test the brakes by pressing them lightly. The brakes will shift to one side or not hold if they are wet. The easiest way of drying your brakes is to drive slowly in low gear while applying pressure to the brakes. Keep your hazard lights on when driving with wet brakes.

9. Brake failure

First, test your brakes when you begin descending a winding steep. If your brake fails, do not panic. Step off the accelerator, start shifting to lower gears as you stomp on the brake. Try controlling the car using the parking brake if possible.

Find something to rub against such a wall, shrubs or a guardrail. In desperate situations, hit something that will give way to minimize damaging your car. Do not drive the car again until you have the brakes repaired.

Be Ready For An Emergency at All Times

Stay calm is the ruling principle when handling driving emergencies. It will help you stay clear of the gas and brake pedals when you should. Practice also is essential at ensuring that making right decisions during an emergency comes in naturally.

You can call AAd towing for emergence assistance in orlando and around. Call Us: 407-461-7506

Essential Tool #1 – Spare Key

All car owners have at some point experienced the anxiety caused by misplaced, stolen or forgotten car keys. It's inevitable.
Store a spare key on the body of your vehicle.
It might seem like an unnecessary precaution, until that fateful moment when you realize you've locked yourself out of your vehicle.
Hide-a-key is at the top of the list because misplaced car keys is a phenomenon that even the most organized person cannot escape.
My children are quite capable of locking themselves in the car, but this one precaution saves me the hassle of breaking open the window if that situation ever occurs.
Your key runs on batteries? Having a spare will be a godsend on the day the battery runs out on the original key. Keeping a copy of the key at home is a prudent measure, but in times of emergencies, the ease of accessing a key from the car will save time, potentially money and frustration.

Essential Tool #2 – Spare Tire
Ensure your spare tire is ready for use.
In an age of rapid-response motor-assistance, why waste the time changing your own flat tire? What if your moment of need arises in an area that is not easily accessible?
Instead of waiting on roadside assistance, get accustomed to the jack in your car. A jack is used to elevate the body of the car, primarily to facilitate a tire change.

Follow these steps for safe use of the jack:

• Park your vehicle on level ground, ensure the handbrake is secured and put your car in Park (or first, for manual transmission).
  
• Place the jack under the part of the car that needs to be raised. Refer to the owner's manual to find the proper place to position the jack.
  
• If you have a scissor jack – insert the wrench over the knob and raise the car by cranking. For hydraulic jacks, pump the handle all the way up and down using smooth even strokes.
  
• Use jack stands to hold your vehicle up. Lock them in place and lower the jack. Avoid using stones, bricks or boxes as a substitute, they are likely to break under the weight of the car.
  
• Ensure the vehicle is securely resting on the jack stands. Change your tire(s).
  
• Replace the jack and remove the stands. Finally – lower the car to the ground. Crank the wrench in the opposite direction for a scissor jack or use the handle on a hydraulic jack to turn the pressure release valve.

Essential Tool #3 – First-Aid Kit

You can create your own first-aid kit for around $10 or you can Click Here to Buy Your First Aid Kit

Things to consider when assembling a first aid kit:

• Family – Princess bandages work wonders for young girls and comic book heroes magically make the pain go away for young boys. Consider who else, apart from you, may require first-aid.
  
• Specific risks – Going camping or bushwalking? You might need to include ointments and bug sprays too.
  
• Special medical needs – Do you or someone in your family have allergies or specific medical issues? Ensure the kit contains the right materials to address your needs.

Include a booklet or download an app on your phone that explains how to use the first-aid kit. As a parent, preparing your kids for emergencies will ensure they are better protected. Train them on basic first-aid skills.

• Bandages – assorted bandages, athletic tape, gauze pads, butterfly bandages, ACE bandages.
  
• Medication and ointments – prescription medication, Ibuprofen and antibiotic ointments.
  
• Tools – tweezers, scissors, pocket knife and a small mirror.
  
• Miscellaneous – antiseptic towelettes, ointment to treat burns/bee-stings, tick remover.
  
• Additional tools – basic splint, forceps, ice pack, thermometer and a sling.

Essential Tool #4 – Jumper Cables

Knowing how to use and owning a working set of quality jumper cables is a must for drivers. Expect that your battery will fail to fire up at some point in your driving life.
If the winters are frigid where you live, jumper cables are going to save the day for you more often than you would expect.
When you connect jumper cables, electrical power is temporarily borrowed from a charged battery to get a dead engine started. Once the engine starts running, it should generate enough power to recharge the dead battery.

Essential Tool #5 – Bright Jacket

At night and on occasions when the visibility is poor on the road, a reflective jacket alerts other drivers from a distance if you have a breakdown and need to stop by the roadside.
When you need to change tires by the roadside, a reflective jacket keeps you safe by alerting other motorists of your presence.
The jacket also protects you from the cold and can be used as a blanket for your kids.
Ensure that the jacket is water-resistant.
Store it someplace in the car that is easy to access so that you can put it on without having to get out of the car.

Essential Tool #6 – Tool Kit

A tool kit in your vehicle is handy for quick fixes or repair work, just in case you need to make a few tweaks under the hood.
Or in the unfortunate event of a collision with a deer.
The Stanley kit has all the basics: measuring tape, hammer, screwdriver set, ratchet set, hex keys, and more.
A great starter set at a great price.

Essential Tool #7 – Water & Food

Nobody hops into their car expecting to be deprived of either food or water for too long. For regular trips, store a bottle of water in your car – prevent dehydration if you get stuck somewhere and have to wait for a while.
In the case of an emergency, you can last a day and a half without water and maybe a week without food.
Store a packet of emergency MREs (the instant food that heats up with just water) in the car. To cover your water requirement, store pre-packaged bottles to satisfy your thirst for a few days – a gallon of water is recommended daily.

Essential Tool #8 – Flash Light

A large flashlight can be dropped, run over, used as a hammer, used to pound tent stakes into the ground and constantly take on road trips.
It also doubles as weapon when required.
If you have a smaller flashlight, remove the batteries and store in a small bag.

Essential Tool #9 – Extra Wallet

It's just as easy to accidentally leave your wallet behind along with your car keys. In the event of a theft, having a backup option for your wallet will keep you going temporarily.
My emergency wallet holds a few notes, an expired license and a credit card. If you store a spare credit card in your car, ensure it has a low spending limit and use it at least once in 6 months to keep it valid.
You could also make a photocopy of your current driver’s license and store it in the wallet. Just in case your need to show some form of id.

Essential Tool #10 – Map

There are places your signal coverage is going to let you down. Instead of getting frustrated, pack a map in our vehicle. A physical map, not your GPS.
Why? Because when you are on the road, you quickly realize how many areas are either out of network coverage or lack the resources to connect you to an online map.

 

There are plenty of ingredients for a bad summer road trip in addition to rain and cranky kids. You could be driving along when the engine stalls (the reason for GM’s recent recall of 1.6 million cars) or the car accelerates suddenly and unintentionally (the reason for Toyota’s recalls in 2009 and 2010) or a tire blows out. Here’s what to do in those situations:

Stalled engine. A car can lose power for many reasons, from running out of gas to having a faulty fuel pump or alternator. (In the recalled GM cars, the problem was an ignition switch that was flimsily made and easy to switch off inadvertently.) If you’re driving and the ignition key moves to the accessory position accidentally, try shifting into neutral and restarting the engine. Then shift back into drive and you’re good to go. If the engine won’t restart or has stalled for another reason, apply the brakes and steer gradually to the side of the road. You’ll lose power steering, so steering will feel heavier, but it will still be possible. Expect the power boost for brakes to disappear after one or two applications, so try to stop as soon as you can, using the emergency brake if necessary.

Sudden acceleration. Our tests have shown that brakes may not be enough to stop a car with a stuck throttle while traveling at highway speeds. Brake firmly, but don’t pump the brakes. And don’t turn off the engine, because doing so disables the power assist for your steering and brakes. Shift into neutral. Some modern gear selectors are unconventional enough to cause confusion about where neutral is; if yours is one of them, you can practice sliding your gear lever into neutral while driving in an empty parking lot at low speed. Don’t worry if the engine revs up alarmingly—most modern cars have rev-limiters, and that will keep the engine under control. Steer to a safe location and come to a full stop. Shut off the engine with the transmission still in neutral. Lastly, shift the transmission into park or, with a manual transmission, set the emergency brake.

Blown tire. Don’t stop in the travel lane; take a firm grip on the wheel and limp the car to a safe location. A new wheel is less important than your safety. Do what you can to prevent flats from happening in the first place by keeping all tires, even the spare, properly inflated to the automaker’s recommended pressure. Check air pressure at least monthly—many tire problems result from underinflated tires that overheat—and inspect the sidewalls for bulges or cracks.

For any of those emergencies, once you’re safe take a deep breath, then turn on the hazard flashers and summon help.
We provide complete ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE throughout the Orlando Metro area. Alvin can quickly open most locked vehicles, fix a flat tire in a jiffy, or jump start any vehicle with a dead battery. Alvin is your friend indeed, when it’s roadside help you need!