swimmermom3 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Consider this a PSA. :tongue_smilie: Yesterday, we had our first car accident involving one of our kids, our twenty-one year old daughter. She's okay, but very stiff and her car is drivable, but with a big crack in the front bumper. I thought we had prepared our kids well in the event of an accident, but yesterday brought out a few flaws. First, be sure that the cars have emergency equipment - like flares - in them! I know, that should go without saying, but we recently did a car shuffle and when we went through everyone's trunks, we found we were unprepared. I was the only one with flares. Dh bought a new-to him car in November and had not yet added an emergency kit. Dd's car is dh's old car and those flares had been offered up at the scene of another accident we weren't involved with and had never been replaced. Someone was kind enough to place theirs out for dd. My oldest son had just purchased a previously owned single owner car that had three kits in it that would ensure his survival in extreme conditions, but the one thing he was missing was flares. We are updating all of the cars kits and making sure that everyone has a can of the tire fix for flats. Sometimes you think you have what you need, but it may have been several years since you put it in your car. It's good to check. Everyone has an insurance card in their glove box that has the roadside assistance number. They also have the number for a towing company that works with our insurance company. Yesterday, we messed up the order in which to call everyone and called the tow truck company first. This really ticked off the national office of the company that handles the roadside assistance. My thinking was that the car was in a bad spot on a very treacherous road and it was in a position to cause further accidents. We wanted it out of there asap.When I called our local agent, they were more than fine with what we did and said there would be no issue for covering roadside assistance. My point is, check with whoever does your roadside assistance to find out the preferred protocol, explain it to your kids, and then talk about the possibility of why you might need to do something different as in our situation where the car's position was dangerous to others. Did the order matter? Yes. Our tow truck was there within 25 minutes max, while the RA tow truck was estimated to arrive 45 minutes after dd and car had been delivered to home and the auto body shop. For many young drivers, it will be important to follow the protocol because it can be the difference in possibly having to pay the tow truck operator on the spot and being reimbursed by the insurance company later. Also, be sure to tell your kids to leave the car if it's in a bad spot. Dd's legs were shaking and she made all of her calls from inside the car. She had to crawl out the passenger door into oncoming traffic as her door was smack up against the hillside. There was a turnout a few feet ahead that she could have safely stood in. The road is on a steep, forested hillside going into the city. Temperatures are usually 10-15 degrees lower than surrounding areas and the road has no straight stretches, just tight "s" curves. On one side is the hill and the other side is a steep embankment. Her car was in the ditch, against the hill, facing opposing traffic. You do not want to stay with the car. We watched driver after driver narrowly miss the flat bed tow truck in spite of the flares. Give your tow truck driver a hug or at least tell him you are grateful. It's a very risky job and I am glad someone does it. Oh, and "Steer into the skid" makes sense, but the human mind has a hard time processing that thought when you are a few feet from a cliff. Thank goodness for the kindness of all the strangers that stopped to offer aid. The things that seem obvious to us aren't necessarily evident to our young people. It's good to review accident scenarios. This one was a bit different than what we had talked about previously, involving other cars and drivers with suburban or urban conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thank you, this was a good review for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thanks for sharing this, Lisa. I'm so happy to hear that your daughter was shaken but not seriously injured. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Wow. glad she is alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Adding all this to my list to cover once ds wants to start learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna A. Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Bumping this because my oldest is getting her license soon, and I need the reminders. This is a scary thing to me since we went upside down on an exit ramp a couple of years ago, and all the kids were with me. :crying: So thankful your dd is okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I just found out that my 19 year old, and her roommate and a couple other friends, didn't realize that your hazard lights will work with the car turned off. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 My husband typed up a sheet of "what to do" regarding who to call, and put it in the glove box of the car. This was in addition to the talk you outline above. His thinking was that sometimes in the post-adrenaline-rush of the moment you forget, especially if you're new at driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thank you for the advice! I'm trying to sort out using flares. I have always thought if you are stopped on a freeway, you should stay put: inside your car, seatbelt buckled. If I keep flares in my trunk, I need to get out of the car. Then where do I toss the flares? Same lane, just a bit upstream? As far as I can hurl them? How many flares? I guess I just want to know how and when to use flares. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connections Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I am so glad your daughter is OK. How scary! Thanks for sharing this information- I need to check our car for flares! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claluck Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I agree with the list of what to do. I got in a car accident a couple years ago and was upset and crying (I was about 2 weeks before being due with my daughter and bit emotional lol) I was having a hard time pulling it together to do what I was supposed to. The other poor driver (whose fault it was) was freaking out thinking he had majorly injured this hugely pregnant woman (all I had was a jammed finger lol). I just needed something concrete in my hand to tell me what to do. I sat there staring at my phone forever before finally being able to focus my brain. After that I went home and typed up something to put in the glove box with an attached paper to hand the other driver for swapping information etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thank you for the advice...older daughter is learning to drive and I hadn't thought of all of this yet. I'm so glad your daughter is okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 DS was heading home from the university Friday. It's about 3 hours away. He called me shortly after he left (always calls to tell me when he leaves) and said he had gotten into an accident on the turnpike. He was OK, said the other car was stopped behind him, and he was wondering if he ought to take the exit and move off onto a side road. He indicated he was pulled off as far as possible and felt safe. The police were called but he had a hard time explaining to them exactly where he was. I guess it took about 45 minutes for one to show up. He had several stop to see if he had broken down :p The other party was a 16 year old young lady just learning to drive. Her mom was in the passenger seat. Apparently my ds was in the far left lane just cruising along when the young lady entered and decided to go over several lanes at once. She clipped his back fender and he said he almost lost control of his car. Thankfully he was able to pull over. The poor girl was sobbing and apologizing. Anyway, the damage isn't too bad and the police officer wanted them to just exchange information without a police report. However, we've always instructed the kids to get a police report especially when out of town. He called me to make sure that we really wanted a police report. Although I feel badly for the young lady, often there is further damage than what shows on the surface. In addition, a friend of ours did the "exchange information" and thought things would be fine. Apparently the the other party found out he was a physician, changed her story, and sued him. Oh, and he didn't have his current insurance card in the glove box because it had just expired a couple of days ago. Dh sent him a photo of the new one that had just arrived in the mail so that he could show that to the officer. He still got a warning for not having the card - obviously there can be a delay getting one to a kid at college. I'm so thankful that the accident was minor. It could have been so bad! If he had lost control who knows what kind of pile-up would have occurred. I'm grateful the lady stopped. But ds has learned a lot from the experience. He also learned that a small nudge when one is going 70 mph can cause big changes in control of a vehicle. Now he has to drive a minivan back to college LOL ! I'm so glad your daughter is OK! There is nothing scarier than hearing that your child has been in an accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thank you.. I'm glad your dd is alright; just reading about it gives me the shakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 swimmermom3 (somehow I missed this first post) and Miss Marple, I am so thankful that both of your children are ok. My ds (17) is still in the permit/learning stage and seems to be in no hurry to get his license. Unlike his sister (15) who wants hers tomorrow! Unfortunately, our weather has made it a bit precarious to get out and let him drive when he is still in the learning stages. This is a very timely post on the items to have in the car and the procedures to have in place in case of an emergency. It truly is amazing how everything that may have even been drilled into your head will go right out of the window when there is an accident. Thanks to everyone for the excellent recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 I just found out that my 19 year old, and her roommate and a couple other friends, didn't realize that your hazard lights will work with the car turned off. :huh: I am still dumb-founded at the little things that we as parents assume our kids know - and they don't. You know, like if you buy coffee beans at the store, they will need to be ground. The first person that came up to my dd's car after the accident asked her if she had "blinkers." Dd didn't realize what he meant and said "No." He told her "I think you do," and reached into the car and turned on her hazards for her. :tongue_smilie: She knew to do that, but in the upset of the moment had forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thank you for the advice! I'm trying to sort out using flares. I have always thought if you are stopped on a freeway, you should stay put: inside your car, seatbelt buckled. If I keep flares in my trunk, I need to get out of the car. Then where do I toss the flares? Same lane, just a bit upstream? As far as I can hurl them? How many flares? I guess I just want to know how and when to use flares. Thanks so much! This is a good question. I think the flares go just far enough from the accident to give drivers time to slow down or stop. You also need enough room for emergency vehicles to maneuver, if they are needed. I was surprised at how many drivers blew past the flares. I agree with the list of what to do. I got in a car accident a couple years ago and was upset and crying (I was about 2 weeks before being due with my daughter and bit emotional lol) I was having a hard time pulling it together to do what I was supposed to. The other poor driver (whose fault it was) was freaking out thinking he had majorly injured this hugely pregnant woman (all I had was a jammed finger lol). I just needed something concrete in my hand to tell me what to do. I sat there staring at my phone forever before finally being able to focus my brain. After that I went home and typed up something to put in the glove box with an attached paper to hand the other driver for swapping information etc. Thanks for posting this. It reminded me that our insurance company used to have a small, laminated sheet with instructions that you could keep in your glove box. I'll have to see if they have any more of those. Thank to everyone for the well wishes for my dd. She is doing fine, but decided not to drive while we've had a bunch of snow and ice, which is unusual for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 DS was heading home from the university Friday. It's about 3 hours away. He called me shortly after he left (always calls to tell me when he leaves) and said he had gotten into an accident on the turnpike. He was OK, said the other car was stopped behind him, and he was wondering if he ought to take the exit and move off onto a side road. He indicated he was pulled off as far as possible and felt safe. The police were called but he had a hard time explaining to them exactly where he was. I guess it took about 45 minutes for one to show up. He had several stop to see if he had broken down :p The other party was a 16 year old young lady just learning to drive. Her mom was in the passenger seat. Apparently my ds was in the far left lane just cruising along when the young lady entered and decided to go over several lanes at once. She clipped his back fender and he said he almost lost control of his car. Thankfully he was able to pull over. The poor girl was sobbing and apologizing. Anyway, the damage isn't too bad and the police officer wanted them to just exchange information without a police report. However, we've always instructed the kids to get a police report especially when out of town. He called me to make sure that we really wanted a police report. Although I feel badly for the young lady, often there is further damage than what shows on the surface. In addition, a friend of ours did the "exchange information" and thought things would be fine. Apparently the the other party found out he was a physician, changed her story, and sued him. Oh, and he didn't have his current insurance card in the glove box because it had just expired a couple of days ago. Dh sent him a photo of the new one that had just arrived in the mail so that he could show that to the officer. He still got a warning for not having the card - obviously there can be a delay getting one to a kid at college. I'm so thankful that the accident was minor. It could have been so bad! If he had lost control who knows what kind of pile-up would have occurred. I'm grateful the lady stopped. But ds has learned a lot from the experience. He also learned that a small nudge when one is going 70 mph can cause big changes in control of a vehicle. Now he has to drive a minivan back to college LOL ! I'm so glad your daughter is OK! There is nothing scarier than hearing that your child has been in an accident. Miss Marple, I am so glad your son is okay! His situation is another one that is kind of difficult to advise kids on what to do. It's not always easy to get to a safe place from the left lane so you can exchange information and you have to trust that the parties involved will move to a safe location with you. So will you have to deliver his car back to him and retrieve your minivan. My oldest son thought driving my minivan was fine until he bought his own car. Now he avoids the minivan at all costs. :D A couple of months ago I took dh to the airport early in the morning, but on the way back, there was the usual morning commuter traffic. I was in the far left lane out of three on the highway when the traffic slowed dramatically and then came to a dead stop. I avoided the car in front of me, but the car behind me pushed my car into the next car. I was car number six out of seven in the chain. Fortunately, everyone had slowed down so much that most of the impacts were only fender taps. The woman in front of me got out of her car and we started to exchange information, but frankly, the rest of the drivers were taking quick looks and jumping in their cars and taking off. We took pictures of bumpers with license plates and did the same. The "pile-up" was in such a horrible spot, uphill on a curve, in the city, on an interchange, that I think everyone made the decision that it wasn't worth the risk of spending more then a few minutes there. In talking about the incident with my kids later, I admitted to still not being sure what to do in a situation like that. I wasn't fast enough to get the license plate of the guy that hit me; I was focused on the car that mine had hit. Fortunately, my car wasn't damaged and I hadn't inflicted any damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yes, Lisa, we will be taking the Saab back to him in a couple of weeks. The boys have always laughed and joked about driving the mini-van (Honda) to college and how they just wouldn't do it, but I always thought they were just joking. I realized yesterday that there is some definite ego issue at play. This is my easiest, nerdiest son and he kept asking to take various other vehicles which for various reasons were not the best to take. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with getting a copy of the police report and contacting insurance since the accident occurred in another town. And we need a better method of getting the vehicle insurance verification form to the kids when they are out of town. And I/he needs to add the Honda to the list kept by campus police of the vehicles he can drive and use his parking permit on. I feel so lucky that this was our first accident. My boys and my dil have spent many hours over the years traveling this particular highway where few go the speed limit (75). And I've spent countless sleepless hours until I heard them walk through the door. This is, for me, the hardest part of sending the kids away to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnella Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Thanks for the great tips. I had thought my son was prepared until a U-Haul trick slammed into his car and drove off. Fortunately I was at home and nearby because he completely blanked out on what to do. I told him to call 911 but a witness had already called for him, and I was there in time to help him talk to the police officer. Random wasn't seriously injured and the police actually caught the thief. (The U-Haul was packed with stolen computers, and the driver went on to ram in to another car a few minutes later.) So it worked out, but I'm going to use your ideas to make sure he's prepped for next time, and my younger son is just starting driver's ed. I won't assume he knows anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.