In the event of an accident on the highway, it is not mandatory to call the police
You are on the way to an important business meeting or you are already looking forward to the family vacation ahead and you hurry to get to your destination. The thoughts drift, a moment of carelessness and it has already happened. A road user underestimates the speed, changes lanes and the braking distance is too short. To make matters worse, the driver behind has overlooked the brake lights and rear-ended the car. Now good advice is expensive, because the following applies to accidents on the highway slightly different rules of behavior than in the city or on country roads, as there are some changing factors which can be life threatening.
FAQ: accident on the freeway
Most accidents with personal injuries on the freeway are caused by insufficient following distance. But speeding is also a common cause of accidents.
Statistically, only about 7 percent of traffic accidents involving personal injury occur on the highway (most happen in built-up areas). But in return ca. 13 percent of traffic fatalities due to accidents on the highway.
As with any accident, the scene of the accident must be secured and, if necessary. Notify the police and emergency services.
Video: correct behavior in the event of an accident
Dangerous accidents on highways
Keep calm on the freeway. Especially in the case of an accident. The traffic accident is first of all for the other road users not necessarily recognizable as such if it is not yet secured, so few slow down when passing the scene of an accident. First of all, therefore, road users should get to safety and secure the scene of the accident. And there are a number of things to do in the event of a car accident on the freeway.
Checklist accident on freeway:
- Turn on the hazard warning lights and put on the vest
- Observe the following traffic and leave the vehicle quickly at a suitable time, using the side of the vehicle that is closer to the crash barrier
- Secure the accident site with a warning triangle, whereby a distance of up to 400 meters from the accident site is recommended. Hilltops and curves should be taken into account in this procedure
- If necessary, notify the police, ambulance and towing service
- Exchange data and insurance information and document accidents
Here you can find the checklist for free download
You are welcome to download this checklist for your own use. Below you will find the template in PDF format for download:
- Free download
- Sample as PDF document
- Print it& take away
- Avoid panic at the scene of an accident!
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to call the police or not?
Is if at least one person is injured, the police and the ambulance must be alerted, this is not necessary in the case of sheet metal damage. In the event of a fatal accident on the freeway, the authorities must of course also be informed. If it is a fatal accident on the freeway or a pile-up, drivers should act more cautiously and, if possible, provide first aid to the injured.
Bus accident or truck accident on the highway
Vehicles in a traffic jam after an accident on the freeway should form a middle lane
All the rules of conduct in the above checklist also apply to a truck or bus accident on the highway. However, there are some exceptions. If hazardous materials are involved in a truck accident on the highway, the accident site should be strictly avoided, even if there have been injuries.
In this case, only specially trained emergency services take action. A distance of at least 60 meters from the accident site must be maintained, more depending on wind direction and strength. The instructions of the emergency services must be followed.
Correct behavior in a traffic jam and avoidance of a new accident
People involved in a freeway accident must observe the same rules of conduct as road users in the following traffic jam. If you are driving toward the end of a traffic jam, you should call the turn on the hazard warning lights, to warn following motorists.
If everything is not yet at a standstill, nerves should be maintained and drive calmly and with foresight traffic jam, as stop-and-go driving increases the risk of a rear-end collision. Do not jump in the middle lane, as this behavior will increase the congestion. In the event of a standstill, in the middle of the freeway or on the emergency lane a Keeping the emergency lane clear to let the emergency services through.
It is generally forbidden to get out of the car, if the vehicle is stationary for long periods of time, the engine should be switched off. At the scene of the accident zipper procedure and pass through the bottleneck quickly.
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