ACCIDENT BEHAVIOR

[Music] one out of every four of us will become involved in a serious automobile accident within the coming five years no two accidents and no two drivers are absolutely identical but there are certain common-sense rules we can all follow to help ourselves and also the other fellow the most important rule of all is to keep calm this is often extremely difficult due to shock and great emotional stress a calm person can more readily aid the injured can gather necessary facts to report the accident in a logical and straightforward manner quickly check the injured for severe bleeding a severed artery can cause death within 5 minutes unless the flow of blood is stopped the best thing you can do for severe bleeding if you are not a trained first aider is to fashion a compress out of clean material and apply it directly to the cut it must be held firmly in place until the bleeding stops a first aid kit of course should be standard equipment in every automobile fire is an ever-present menace at the scene of an accident the force of impact very often ruptures a gasoline tank or a car may be overturned spilling gasoline on the roadway injured persons trapped in a vehicle have been cremated because others have been careless there are no burning cigarettes in the car remove lighted cigars of cigarettes and snuff them out immediately warn others not to smoke near the accident keep the accident from getting worse someone should be sent in each direction to flag down approaching motorists this is especially true if the accident is on a winding or hilly road where visibility is impaired on highways where the speed limit is high warnings should be at least four 400 feet from the accident a good method of measuring a safe distance is to count off 150 paces be sure Yunus brings additional hazards even on a straight road it is imperative that someone be dispatched in each direction to warn approaching motorists came to offer assistance at the scene of an accident be sure to park your car well off the roadway and far enough away to allow other automobiles to pass this will also prevent your car from being struck by an approaching automobile at night turn your car in such a manner that the wrecked cars are illuminated by your headlights this illumination will help approaching motorists to see the accident it will also assist in caring for the injured if you are requested to send for the police or an ambulance be sure to get all of the information before you start how many are injured do they all require an ambulance is a tow truck needed and how many cars are involved in the accident before starting out make a note of your own speedometer reading when you reach a place where you can phone again check your speedometer then you can give the exact very often you will find that people who operate roadside businesses are old hands at reporting accidents they will know exactly who and where to phone if they offer to phone the information for you give it to them concisely and more ways a good idea to send at least two motorists for help sending one in each direction one may reach a phone much sooner than the other all accidents are cleared through a central office so you don't have to worry about duplication of services although certain safety precautions have been previously covered the care and comfort of the injured is of utmost importance if you are not a trained first aider there are only a very few things that you yourself may do for the injured first aid training may be obtained without cost by contacting your local chapter of the American Red Cross do not move an injured person unless it is absolutely necessary to prevent further injury improper handling can cause serious ditional injury it very often results in the person being permanently crippled keep the injured person warm place a blanket newspapers or coats over and under him don't allow him to become chilled or overheated try to maintain a normal body temperature keep the injured person lying down in a comfortable position head level with the body shock of course always accompanies injuries keep the patient reassured and calm wait for an ambulance to transport the injured a station wagon or truck in which the patient can lie out straight could be used if an ambulance is not available an automobile should not be used for transporting the injured except as a last resort the backseat of an automobile can be removed and will serve as an emergency stretcher don't leave valuables in your car unattended beware of [ __ ] garages and towing services any towing service recommended by the police or by an automobile club can be relied upon to provide adequate service at fair prices in addition to safety precautions and the care of the injured you must fulfill certain legal requirements there are reports that must be filed with the proper authorities to aid in gathering necessary facts the National Safety Council and various insurance companies have prepared booklets setting forth all of the information you will need to make out your reports remember nothing is gained by roadside argument an exchange of vital information is all that is required the proper authorities will determine responsibility after the facts have been presented if the driver of a vehicle is unable to gather the necessary information because he is injured a passenger in his car should do it for him in some states he is legally required to do so if no one in the car is able to do it the police will get the required information and will file it for the injured driver the following information should be obtained first procure the license number of the other car or cars involved in the accident note the make year and model of the other car no damage to the other car describe it fully such as smashed left front wheel and fender frame bent windshield broken or any other visible damage get the name and address of the other driver and get the owner's name if someone other than the owner was driving get the driver's license number you are legally required to show your driver's license if so requested a driver involved in an accident who fails properly to establish his identity before leaving the scene of the accident can be charged with hip run driving keep your license up-to-date with your present address this will enable police to notify your family promptly if you are injured get the names and addresses of witnesses very seldom does a witness actually see the impact or the circumstances leading up to it however it is to your advantage to have verification as to the position of the cars length of skid marks and other pertinent facts markdown the exact time at which the accident occurred note the type of roadway how many lanes is a paved or unpaved if the surface is wet or icy enter these facts also make a sketch of the accident location show the position of your car and the other car or cars indicate in which direction each was proceeding if the accident occurred at an intersection mark the locations of stop signs or signals if you can do so without disturbing them get the names and addresses of the injured get the name of the doctor who accompanied the ambulance established to which hospital the injured are being taken procure the name of the officer in charge and his shield number sign no agreements on the spur of the moment invariably that leads to future trouble if you have a camera take pictures of the accident showing the extent of damage to both cars their position on the highway and the surrounding terrain after being involved in an accident in which someone is injured you must report to either the state or local police department within 24 hours even if injuries are only minor ones such as a cut finger or perhaps a bump head besides reporting to the police you must send a financial responsibility report to the State Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days on this form you must list the extent of injuries and their probable cost as well as any damage to property if only property damage is involved you need not report to the police but you must send in your financial responsibility report regardless of whether or not you are responsible for the accident you must still send in the required form if the accident damage is less than the state's minimum requirements which vary from $2,500 no report of any kind is necessary however it is a good idea to get the other drivers name and address and the facts concerning the accident in case of future developments remember a severed artery can cause death within 5 minutes unless the flow of blood is checked fire is an ever-present menace never both near the scene of an accident don't move an injured person unless it is absolutely necessary to prevent further injury keep the accident from getting worse take adequate precautions to warn approaching automobiles send for the police and medical care for the injured just as soon as possible get the facts concerning the accident names and addresses of all concern extent of damage location time and other pertinent facts notify the proper authorities of injury accidents within 24 hours send in your financial responsibility forms promptly if you are insured notify your insurance company at once if our present accident rate continues the odds are 50/50 that sooner or later you will be killed or injured in an automobile accident [Applause] [Music]