What To Do When Icy Roads Cause A Car Accident

Icy conditions can make for white-knuckled driving even for the experienced driver. You’ve got to slow down and drive for the conditions even if it’s rush hour; but you’ve got places to be, things to do, people to see! Well, unless you want to slide into a pole or get into a collision with another driver, it’s best to take your time around icy roads.

Even heeding that advice isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be safe. If you’ve been in a crash or your car’s been damaged after sliding on ice, here’s how you should proceed:

Immediately After A Minor Accident

Minor accidents usually have little car or property damage and no one is injured. Because people are usually driving much slower in sleet, snow and ice, it’s more likely you’ll get into these small crashes. But just because it’s minor doesn’t mean the accident shouldn’t be taken seriously. In fact, winter weather makes it especially dangerous to follow the normal post-accident inspection.

If you have an auto accident on an icy road, gather your bearings and don’t panic. Look around you and make sure you and any passengers are okay. If no one is hurt and you don’t see sparks, smell gas or any smoke, you’re probably safe to stay in or around your vehicle.

Don’t get out of your car to assess the damage unless it and you are out of harm’s way. It’s icy out. You don’t want to block traffic, but you don’t want anyone sliding into you either. You’re probably a little shaky after the accident, too, and standing on slippery ice can cause you to fall.

If You’ve Hit Another Vehicle

After making sure everyone’s unhurt and the damage is minor, stay calm and exchange insurance information with the other driver. This information will include:

• Name
• Phone numbers
• Email address
• Insurance information

Most drivers carry a mobile device these days. It’s perfectly acceptable to take a picture of the license plate of the car involved as well as a picture of the insurance card. It sure beats looking over hastily scrawled information and realizing that you can’t read what you wrote.

If there’s any doubt that the accident has more than minor damage or that someone may claim injury, call 911 while everything is fresh in the minds of both parties. The 911 dispatcher may call emergency services to come out and assess for possible injury.

A police report protects you both. Don’t promise anything to the other driver, admit fault, or leave the scene.

Contact your insurance company. Often your rates won’t go up for a minor accident.

If There’s Property Damage

Sometimes you’re the only vehicle involved in an icy spin-out into someone else’s property. How do you proceed when no one’s around?

• Again, call 911 to ensure a police record is made. The police will alert you to the next steps.
• If you’re still in sight of other vehicles, make sure to put on your flashers so they can see you. It can’t be stressed enough – don’t get out of your vehicle unless there’s an emergency, like the smell of gasoline or in the event of a fire. If you’ve run off the road, another driver can, too, and you don’t want to be hit by another vehicle while assessing the damage.
• When possible, leave a note for the property owner. If you hit a parked vehicle, a note on their windshield is sometimes the best you can do; include all pertinent information, like your name, phone number, insurance policy number and license plate. Don’t admit fault, even if you’re the only one in the accident to blame.
• If you’ve struck a fence, mailbox or piece of residential property, knock and leave a note. It’s a good idea to speak with neighbors, as well; they may be able to get you in contact with the property owner to come to a more immediate resolution.
• Comprehensive and collision insurance should cover you if your accident involved minor property damage. You will be held at-fault for the purposes of filing your claim, but at least no one was injured.

Icy Driving Safety Tips

It’s scary to lose control of your car on ice, especially black ice. Unfortunately, you can’t always see black ice until it’s too late.

It’s best to follow these general safety tips if there’s even the remote possibility that black ice is on the road:

• Slow down.
• Don’t use cruise control.
• Your tires should have good treads for the winter weather season. Less tread, less traction.
• If your vehicle is a front-wheel drive, steer in the direction of the skid. Don’t brake.
• If your vehicle is a rear-wheel drive, steer where you want your vehicle to go and accelerate slowly through the patch.
• Steer slowly out of the skid across the black ice. Brake normally if you’ve anti-lock brakes. If you don’t have antilock brakes, pump your brakes very gently while steering slowly off the ice.
• The 2-second rule doesn’t apply during icy driving. Slow down! It takes nine or ten times the braking distance to stop your car during icy conditions.
• Make sure your car’s road-worthy with good tires.
• It’s a great idea to have a winter emergency kit handy.

If you do have an icy car accident, work with your insurance company and choose a body shop that will best handle your claim. For Kansas City collision repair after a winter crash, come to McCarthy Collision Centers. We have body shops throughout the Kansas City region, including Olathe, Overland Park, KS, and Blue Springs, Sedalia and Lee’s Summit, MO.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on What To Do When Icy Roads Cause A Car Accident