We’re sorry things haven’t gone to plan. If you’ve witnessed a collision or your car has broken down, the following advice can help keep you safe:
- Use your hazards to warn other drivers and switch off your engine;
- Exit the vehicle by the nearside (left hand door) and use a warning triangle if you have one (except on a motorway);
- Call 999 and ask for ambulance if there are casualties; ask for fire if people are trapped;
- Move uninjured people away from vehicles to a safe place. Wait for recovery well away from the road and behind a crash barrier if there is one.
- Do not move injured people from their vehicles unless they are in immediate danger.
- Administer first aid to any casualties until help arrives and only if this does not put you in further danger.
Here are a few things you can do to help prepare you before you hit the road:
- Arrange breakdown cover – it’s often included with your car insurance/bank account or you may be covered by your partner’s or passengers’ policy. Check you have the details saved in your phone.
- Download the what3words app so you can be easily located. If you’ve broken down on the motorway, there are also blue, numbered location markers
- Keep your phone fully charged to make any emergency calls.
- Keep a warning triangle in your vehicle with anything that might help you in various conditions eg. torch, blanket, hi-vis tabard.