You're driving on a dark street at night. You're only a couple of blocks from home. A deer runs across the road in front of your vehicle. You hit the brakes, but not soon enough. The accident shakes the car, and it stops. You have no idea what to do next. There is no simple solution, but you need to know what to do when you hit a deer.
Automobile accidents due to hitting a deer happens more often than you think, over a million times every year in America. If you have an automobile accident checklist in your vehicle, start here. What to Do When You a Hit a Deer: Steps to Being Safe
However, don't go near the deer. If the deer is still alive, it might kick its legs at you. Deer are mighty animals, and they could injure you when they're scared. Inspect Your Car Before You Leave the Scene If there is severe damage to your vehicle, it's smart to get it towed. Use a flashlight so you can examine your vehicle for damage. Also, look at the underside of the car for leaks. If your headlights are OK and there is no harm in driving it, you should be OK to leave after speaking with the police. It's beneficial to know what to do when you hit a deer, but the thing you don't want to do is drive away from the accident scene. First, it's inhumane to do so. The deer you hit could still be breathing and get struck by another car. Moreover, there won't be any details about the damage to your vehicle. With no documentation, your insurance claim might not go through. Just remember, don't panic. Remain on the scene and wait for the police. If you need a tow, call us at Buffalo Towing Service. It is always a pain when you have car trouble. What adds to your stress is when it happens at night. Darkness lessens visibility. This is why breaking down at night can be unsafe. Before getting in touch with a tow truck company, there are some provisions to staying safe if your car breaks down at night. Turn On Your Hazard Lights When having car problems, the first thing motorists usually do is start to slow down. While other drivers can gauge your speed in the daytime, it is tough to determine how fast your vehicle is going at night. This can cause an accident. Therefore, it is imperative that you turn on your hazard lights the minute you start to notice something about the way your vehicle is functioning. Your lights let others know that you aren’t driving at the speed limit and should approach your car with caution. Get On The Side Of The Road If your vehicle breaks down, get off the road and as far from the road as you can. Cars on the shoulder run the risk of being hit, particularly at night. By getting entirely off the road, you enhance your safety level. Memorize Your Location When driving at night, it’s hard to see close landmarks that could aid a tow truck finding where you are. Thankfully, today’s technology lets us have GPS so you can be located at your precise location. The right mile marker where you are can be discovered when you call 911, AAA, or a tow truck. Call 911 While you only have to call 911 if there’s an accident, you might still want to call the police. Being by yourself at night on the side of the highway is unsafe, and it’s a good idea to alert the police of your situation. Use The Passenger’s Side Visibility is low at night, make getting out of your vehicle dangerous. Even if the road appears deserted, exiting your vehicle on the driver’s side can be a deadly mistake. For instance, you could fall out of the car and not have enough time to steady yourself before another car comes flying by. The best thing is to stay in your vehicle until help arrives. Contact Buffalo Towing for all your towing needs. Rollover accidents are more complex than other auto accidents. This is partly because they’re severe. While there are less than 3% of rollover accidents every year, they account for more than 34% of automobile deaths. Rollovers are sometimes due to manufacturing defects in the tires or part. If you unfortunately involved in a rollover, here is what you need to know. Here’s what to do in a car rollover accident. Be Ready If your car starts to tip and you think you’re about to roll over, take your feet off the pedals to avoid breaking your ankles. Let go of the steering wheel, cross your arms over your chest and press your body tightly into the seat. Don’t lean forward when the car rolls. This increase the chances of injuring your head and your arms. Stay Calm When the car stops rolling, press your feet against the floor to steady your body. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries. Take some deep breaths to calm yourself. If someone is hurt, call 911 ASAP. Cut Off the Engine If your car is upside-down, cut off your engine ASAP and begin your exit plan. Getting Out the Vehicle If you’re upside-down and you’re not hurt, reach for the ceiling. Brace yourself with one hand while steadying your feet on the floor and unclasp your seat belt. Do it very cautiously. This is when the most injuries after a rollover accident happen. Examine your windows to see if you can exit and do so. If the structure of your vehicle is still in good condition, the door could open. If not, you will have to try to roll down your window or break it to make an escape route. Once you get out, help out the other people in your car. Get as far away from the vehicle as possible. There could be a gas leak which will cause an explosion. Stay Out of Traffic Many individuals have survived rollover accident and then have been injured or killed by walking into traffic afterward. Stay out of the street and road and far away from traffic. Wait on the shoulder until help arrives. If you’ve been in a rollover accident, contact a towing company. When you are in your automobile, you want to be as safe as you can be. You want to do all you can and anything necessary to avoid getting into accidents. However, there might be a time when it is inescapable. It’s an experience all drivers suffer at one time or another. But there are also ways to prevent accidents on the road. If drivers behaved the way they’re supposed to, plenty of accidents wouldn’t occur. When you are on the street, be sure you’re obeying all the rules of the road to avoid any issues, such as a car accident. You want to avoid being in a situation where a Buffalo Tow Truck needs to be called. Below are some tips to keep you out of a vehicle accident. Eyes front and center When you’re behind the wheel, you must be focused on that and nothing else. You don’t want to have to deal with calling a tow truck for your car if you can do something to avoid it. Don’t get distracted and forget your role as a motorist. Your car isn’t your office or home. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any multi-tasking going on. Putting on makeup, combing your beard, call all your friends and family members are no-nos. If you don’t wholly concentrate on driving, you run the risk of an accident. You aren’t prepared for anything that could happen in a second. Cell phones There is no valid reason to be on your cell phone while you’re driving. This is very diverting. If you don’t own a hands-free model, you will have to glance at your cell to dial. Even those with a hands-free are distracting with carrying on a conversation while driving. The best thing to do is to put the phone away and keep it off so you won’t be tempted to answer it if it rings. If you do need to call, wait until you’re parked to do so. Speed limits When you’re going too fast, you are at high risk of having an accident. If you have to stop suddenly, you probably won’t be able to do so. Could you stop ASAP if a child ran in front of your car? If you were doing the speed limit, this wouldn’t be an issue. Also, another motorist could be texting, run a stop sign and be coming right at you. You need to be going slow enough that you can swiftly react in any situation. Oh my God, I’m involved in a car crash, now what do I do? When you’re in a vehicle accident, there are a couple of things you have to do to ensure you’re protected. The first thing you want to do if you’re in an accident is to stop. You must stop even if you don’t believe there wasn’t any damage. This is your legal obligation. Also, it is best to call the police and make a report. Let the police be the mediator between you and the other party in case emotions get the best of either one of you. At the Car Accident Scene There are several things to do to avoid an accident. Though, once one occurs, it’s crucial to understand what to do before you have an accident, as well as what questions you should ask the other party to fill out your insurance papers. Below are some tips that can help you realize what to do when you’ve been involved in an accident. Clarify the Extent of Injuries or Damage Make sure no one needs emergency medical care. Don’t move the cars unless they’re causing a traffic problem. The best thing to do is to wait for the police to arrive. Call the Police Minor or major accident, it doesn’t matter. Having a legal accident report is imperative. Gather the Details of Your Accident This is the element that most folks realize to do, but somehow forget since an accident is a stressful situation. There's critical information you have to get off every individual entangled in the crash like names, addresses, license plate numbers, and phone numbers. A car description and license plate number are vital. However, don’t forget vehicle identification numbers and license plate numbers as well. Just a license plate number won’t be sufficient — the majority of insurance companies record vehicle ID numbers and vehicle types, not license plate numbers. After the police have taken the report and the information has been exchanged between all involved parties, contact a recovery towing company to move your car off the street. |
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