First Stop: Pay Your Mechanic a Visit

If you are planning a significant trip, it’s a good idea to take your vehicle to a qualified mechanic for a pre-trip inspection well in advance of your departure date. Some service facilities have pre-trip inspection packages. If so, be sure to ask what is included. Typically, this should encompass checking the vehicle’s fluids, belts, hoses, brakes, lights, wipers and tires. Additionally, if your vehicle is soon due for an oil change, it would be a good idea to have this performed before you start your journey.

If you are suspicious or aware of any problems, be sure to specifically explain these to the mechanic. Remember that compared to you, the mechanic is only exposed to your vehicle for a short time. So, much like you would proactively communicate your personal health concerns to your doctor, informing your mechanic of any vehicle trouble is vital to identifying the problem and obtaining the appropriate help. You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t.

But what tasks might you want to handle yourself?

Before the day of departure, remember to:

• check/top-up windshield washer fluid;
• visually inspect wiper blades and replace if necessary;
• get a friend to help you test all of your lights, including each stage of your headlights, the fog lights, all signal lights (including any that may be located on the side or side mirrors) and brake lights (including the auxiliary light located in the rear window or trunk lid);
• check tire pressure in all four tires and the spare and adjust to meet the suggested optimal pressure (usually listed on a label inside the driver’s door); and
• ensure you have a jack, lug wrench and any other equipment needed to change a tire.

When leaving, ensure you have your:

• driver’s license;
• vehicle ownership/registration;
• insurance slips;
• roadside assistance contact information;
• emergency kit;
• spare set of vehicle keys;
• owner’s manual; and
• HerCar.ca Accident Information Worksheet .

Also, perform a final walk-around of the vehicle, making sure that there are no visible issues and that nothing is hanging from or caught underneath the vehicle.

Now You’re Off!

With good preparation, you are on your way to a “worry-free” trip. Of course, for a truly great adventure you’ll need friendly company, happy driving music and a beautiful route.

Wondering where to go? For travel ideas within Canada, check out the following Web sites by region:
Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Or for something totally unique, make the unforgettable journey to the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Where are you going this spring and summer?

Please comment on what you think of it, if you’re using it and of any additions that I might make.

UPDATE: Please note that this form is two pages.

I found that the provincial government’s, collision association’s and insurance companies’ Web sites all had helpful and fairly consistent information. And so for today, I have bumped the topic I planned to write about to share with you a comprehensive summary of my findings.

STEP 1: Stop

If you are involved, you must stop. If you do not, you will be considered legally negligent and a poor human being in general. Force yourself to stay calm. Don’t make accusations or accept any liability for what happened.

STEP 2: Assess the Damage

After you stop, take a minute to assess injuries for yourself and others travelling in your car. If other vehicles are involved, give attention to the people in the other car and the overall safety of the scene. If anyone requires immediate attention, call 911. No matter the damage to property or how upset you may feel, the well-being of all persons involved must always come first. Do not attempt to move injured persons yourself, as this may aggravate their injuries.

Once everyone has been given the proper attention, you should make a quick assessment of the damage to each vehicle involved.

STEP 3: Call the Police

This is the part some people leave out, but it is important to contact the authorities to inform them of what has happened, regardless of the extent of the damage or the circumstances. Why?

First, it is required of you by law to call police (or 911) so they can attend the scene:

• if anyone is injured;
• if the total damage to all the vehicles involved appears to exceed $1000; or
• if you suspect that any of the other drivers involved are guilty of a Criminal Code offence (such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol). Read original source.

Even if neither of the above criteria suits your situation, it is still advisable to call the police’s non-emergency telephone number and await their instructions for many practical reasons. First, the damage value threshold is meant as a guide, not to force average people to make an accurate collision repair assessment on the spot. Generally, if you have more than paint scratches, you’ve probably exceeded the $1000 threshold anyways. Additionally, even if the accident seems minor, this may not be the case. Certain injuries may become apparent later on, the damage to vehicles and property may be more extensive than it first appears, or who was responsible may eventually be debated. Your contacting the police — even if others who are involved try to pressure you not to — will mean you will have done your part to initiate having the incident properly managed and documented. Indeed, unless you are a fugitive on the run, it would be foolish not to involve the police, since they have the authority and experience to tell you what is best to do next and you are no longer going it alone.

Having received your call, they will determine if it is necessary for them to attend the scene, or if they will instead require you to report to a Collision Reporting Centre within 24 hours. Where I live, once the police have documented a collision, they will apply a sticker to the vehicle to prove that the damage has been properly investigated before it is repaired.

STEP 4: Take Action to Stay Safe

Having just come through a collision, you don’t want to cause or end up in another one. If your vehicle can be driven and if it is safe to do so, move your vehicle out of the way of traffic. If your accident occurs on a multi-lane highway, it is safer for you to stay in the vehicle rather than getting out and walking around. For women travelling alone at night or in isolated or unsafe areas, it may be advisable to stay in the vehicle until authorities arrive.

If your vehicle cannot be driven, turn on your hazard lights and/or use cones or warning triangles to try to alert other drivers to your presence well before they come upon the scene. In such cases, be alert to potential risks. When visibility is poor (such as at night, in bad weather, or when your vehicle is over the crest of a hill) or when it may be difficult for other drivers to go around your vehicle (such as when the road is slippery, very busy, has narrow shoulders or is on a bridge) you may have to use your own judgment to decide if you should leave your vehicle to seek safety. If you choose to do this, make sure you remain alert and move as far away from the vehicle and all oncoming traffic as possible.

STEP 5: Obtain and Exchange Information

You will need to record information about the other persons involved, and also provide them with your information. It is a good idea to carry paper (or an accident worksheet) and pen in your automobile for just such an occasion.

Write down about the other driver(s):

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers
• Driver’s License Number

Write down about the other vehicle(s):

• License plate number
• Names of the vehicle’s registered owners
• Addresses of the vehicle’s registered owners
• Insurance company and policy number

Write down about any passengers and witnesses:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers

Also, write down any observations or details about the scene of the accident. If you have a digital camera with you and it is safe and tasteful to do so, you may wish to take photos of the scene. However, remember that the police will conduct the real investigation.

STEP 6: Contact Your Insurance Agent

As soon as possible afterward, report the accident to your insurance broker, agent or company.

When it comes to towing your vehicle, there is something of which you should be aware. You have the right to have your vehicle repaired where you want, no matter where your insurance company may prefer or what may seem convenient at the time. Also, you should know that there are unsavory or unlicensed tow truck operators who may seem to “appear” on the scene, pressuring you to tow your vehicle, insisting on a specific repair facility or demanding immediate payment. If you feel uneasy about what is happening, talk to your insurance agent about it or ask the police for the name of an authorized tow truck operator.

Ideally, you will never have a collision. But in case you do, I hope these steps make a traumatic event a little smoother. I think I should also create an emergency kit list and one of those accident information worksheets for you HerCar.ca readers.

Do you think the steps I’ve outlined here are practical? From your own experience, do you have any accident wisdom or blunders from which others could benefit in the future?