What Should You Do If You Have an Accident on a Busy Motorway?

No matter how good a driver you are, you cannot account for other people's lack of attention. And if you drive a great deal each year, then you are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident. So that you can be as prepared as possible, you need to consider all types of scenario. What should you do, for example, if an accident takes place on a busy motorway?

Where to Go

Most motorways today have what is known as a 'hard shoulder' running along the interior edge. This is designed for emergencies and is certainly the first place to go if the vehicle breaks down. However, you cannot dictate where an accident takes place, and you may be hit by a larger vehicle when you are in the outside lane. In this case, you need to maintain as much control as you can and, if possible, try to avoid bringing the car to stop on an active lane.

Out of Traffic Lanes

It's best if you remove accident-damaged vehicles from the main part of the motorway itself and move over to the hard shoulder. This is not always possible if the damage is extreme, of course, but you want to ensure that all occupants of the car are safe, first and foremost.

Safety First

If your vehicle has come to a stop in an active lane, do not get out until you can assess what other road users are doing. Some vehicle drivers may approach the scene at speed, and they may lose control themselves and hit your car. In this case, you would be safer inside the vehicle until you know that everyone else is aware of the situation. Of course, if the car has caught fire as a consequence of the crash, then that is a different scenario, and you need to do the best thing while taking into account all factors.

What to Do Next

As long as nobody has been seriously injured, instruct your passengers to go to the verge and stand behind a safety guardrail. If need be, call in the emergency services including the police to make a formal report of the incident. You may need this for insurance claims and other matters.

Don't Drive

It's never a good idea to drive a heavily damaged car, even after you have sorted out all the paperwork. You may think that the vehicle will be okay, but there might be hidden damage, and you could get into a second accident elsewhere.

Better Solution

Instead of driving your vehicle to a local garage, call in an accident towing service. They will come to your assistance, load up the car and your passengers and remove you to a safer place.