Driver Safety: What to do when involved in a car crash
Car crashes can be stressful, but they can be even more stressful for yourself and for drivers around you, if you don’t follow advice from police and your insurance company.
With ongoing construction in several parts of El Paso, there are limited ways to get around town. Car crashes and fender benders undoubtedly slow down traffic even more, when cars block lanes on the road.
On Wednesday, traffic was backed up on I-10 West near Cotton after a small crash. Drivers like Genie Karam were stuck in the mess.
“It kind of sucks, driving all the way from the westside to the eastside for work. You have to leave a lot earlier, and you never know who is going to wreck,” Karam said.
State Farm Insurance Agent Crystal Martinez says the most important thing to remember is to pull over, to avoid more crashes.
“As soon as you find out that everyone is okay, if the car is moveable, start moving a little bit away. I know a lot of people have their cell phones, take pictures so that way that’s documentation for insurance, for police,” Martinez said.
Sgt. Enrique Carrillo with the El Paso Police Department says drivers have two responsibilities when involved in crashes.
“One, that you stop and check on the welfare of the drivers, make sure there aren’t any injuries, but if there are that you provide some kind of assistance. That assistance may be as simple as a phone call to 911. The other requirement is the exchange of information. That information being drivers license information and insurance information,” Sgt. Carillo said.
The El Paso Police Department tweeted a reminder to drivers Wednesday morning, “If involved in a crash, pull into a parking lot to exchange information. Do not remain stopped on roadway to exchange information.” Police also tweeted, “Unless able to drive, due to injuries or vehicle damage do not remain on road. Dangerous and interferes with flow of traffic.”
Sgt. Carrillo says he tweeted the reminder because he rain into a similar situation early Wednesday morning.
“This morning, an accident I happened to roll up on, it was two vehicles, the damage was minor and neither one of the drivers was injured. In that case, if there aren’t any injuries or if the vehicles can be moved safely, there’s no reason to remain on the roadway. The drivers in this case, and that’s not to embarrass anybody, decided to remain there and exchange the information,” Sgt. Carrillo said.
Sgt. Carillo says traffic was backed up for miles as the two drivers worked to exchange information. He urges drivers involved in crashes, to motion the other driver and clear the road. He says if it isn’t major, you can pull off to the side of the road or into a nearby and parking lot.
“If you remain on the roadway, you’re creating a traffic jam unnecessarily,” Sgt. Carrillo said.
Per Texas transportation code, you can face a fine of $200 if you don’t pull out of the roadway. Sgt. Carrillo adds it creates a hazard to other drivers traveling. Sgt. Carrillo says you’re also not required to call police to file a report. If the crash isn’t as serious, you can instead drive to a regional command center and file a police report within 10 days. TXDot requires drives to file a crash report if the damage is more than $1,000.
“People often believe that the police have to go out there and see the positions of the vehicles involved, and possible we’re going to take measurements. That’s not going to happen. The only time we’re going to reconstruct an accident is in the case of fatal injuries or near fatal injuries, in which case we’ll call STI but by then the road will be closed,” Sgt. Carrillo said.
Martinez reiterates Sgt. Carrillo’s point, telling ABC-7 a person’s claim isn’t hindered if cars are moved from where the crash happened.
“They do their investigation, that’s what our claims department is trained to do so they actually find out how everything happened, if you take pictures, get as much information as possible. That’s why they want the police report, they get that documentation as to what happened,” Martinez said.
State Farm has also posted some helpful information for drivers if ever involved in a crash:
Take a deep breath and stay calm. Check for injuries; call an ambulance when in doubt. If accident is minor, move cars to a safe place, out of traffic. Turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights and use cones, warning triangles or flares for safety. Call the police, even if the accident is minor. immediately.
