Being only a teen, driving is a major accomplishment, not to mention a major responsibility. And even though no teen wants to wreck their parents’ car, accidents happen. Getting into an accident is a very scary ordeal, and many teens don’t know how to handle the situation. My friend and I actually got hit by another car on our way home from the beach last Wednesday and I realized how many teens don’t know what to do.
The first thing you always do is call the police. Make sure you know your exact location so it is easier for them to respond to the call. If it is unsafe to stay in your car, get out of it immediately. Do this before you call the police. If there were other cars involved in the accident try to make sure everyone is OK. But don’t put yourself in danger doing so. Once you know that you are safe and police are on the way, call your parents or legal guardian. Stay calm when talking to them and make sure they know where you are, what happened, and that police are on the way. If your car is undriveable have one of them start out to pick you up. Then, tell them you will call them back after you have spoken with the police. The police will want to get as much information about the crash as possible. Try to stay calm and remember as much as you can. Being underage the police will understand that you are very stressed out and may not know how to react.
If the accident was your fault, you are in a difficult situation. As much as it is best to tell the truth, some states have laws about car accidents that decide whose fault it was depending on what type of accident it was. A lot of times the best thing to do in that situation is to stay in the car if you can and ask if you can not speak to anyone until your parents arrive.
There are ways to be prepared for this situation at all times. There is no way to avoid an accident at times, but sometimes there is. Always be aware of your surroundings and the cars around you. If it seems like one car is not paying attention to the road, get as much space between you and them as possible. Besides this there really isn’t much you can do to avoid accidents. As the saying goes, “Accidents happen.” But you can be prepared for one. Always have some form of I.D on you. If your parents allow you to know it, have your social security number memorized, as the police may ask you for it. Also, have “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) contacts in your phone. If something were to happen to you where you were unable to speak or unconscious, the police need to know who to call. If you have these in your phone they can click on the ICE button in your contacts and find the numbers.