If you are traveling abroad for vacation and renting a car to get around, or even out of state simply on business with your vehicle, there are a few things you need to know. Car accidents are some of the most frequent types of accidents and can be problematic when you are not from that specific city, state or country. Here are some steps to keep in mind if you find yourself involved in a car accident where you are not from that area. Seven basic things that you should do if you ever get on a Car Accident Abroad.Take a look at this list of travel tips and advice.
7 Things to Do if You Get Involved in a Car Accident Abroad
1. Understand Local Traffic Laws
If you find yourself involved in a car accident while you are traveling abroad, it is important to understand and learn more of the different traffic laws in the area you are navigating within. Having this knowledge will help you understand who is at fault and as such who will be responsible for potential damages and injuries. Having a good handle on the traffic laws of the places you are not familiar with and traveling in is not only good to know in the event of an accident, but is also beneficial for you as the driver to help prevent you from getting into an accident in the first place.
2. Call the police
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, the first thing you want to do is call the local authorities. Being a foreigner or tourist in an area, you might not be familiar with the laws in place, who is right, who is going to be held responsible. Before making any accusations or taking any action, make sure to inform the local police and assure that they are on their way to the scene of the accident. Once they arrive, they’ll be able to best handle the situation
3. Lawyers
As soon as you are involved in an accident in a city that you are not familiar with, you should try and learn more about local lawyers who could help you. It is a good idea to connect with someone who will have a good understanding of the situation at hand. Although law enforcement will be able to mediate a situation, they won’t have your interests in mind. It is important to have people that you can trust and these lawyers will be able to assist you and help you figure out what is best for you. Regardless of who is at fault, accident lawyers will also know local laws and are best suited to provide you with the information you need and will be able to help if the situation is more serious and must be settled in court.
4. Exchange information
Once you have contacted the police regarding your accident, exchange information with the other driver involved. This information includes their insurance, their license plate, contact information, as well as vehicle information. If there are any witnesses at the scene, you can collect their names and phone numbers (or best means of contact) to have authorities or insurance companies contact them in the event of an investigation.
5. Document everything
Once you’ve exchanged the proper information, it is important to document everything that you need to in the accident. Take pictures of the accident scene, your vehicle as well as any other vehicles involved in the accident. This will be important evidence to help investigators determine the fault and responsibility of the accident but additionally will help determine the costs to cover damages as well.
6. Contact your insurance provider and rental agency
Once all the information has been collected and you have recorded the evidence that you need to, contact your insurance provider. This can either be the company you have your traveler’s insurance with or the insurance company for any rental vehicle you purchased the coverage from. This is who will be responsible for covering costs or investigating the fault of the accident and can save you from having to spend money while you are out of town. You can choose not to involve insurance companies if you don’t want your insurance costs to rise, but if you were driving a rental vehicle at the time of the accident, you need to contact the rental company and inform them of the incident. The rental company can also look into solutions for you to have transportation for the rest of your trip.
7. Injury
If you find yourself hurt, you want to make sure you go to a hospital immediately to get evaluated for any potential injuries. This will be important information to have if you have to make a claim and to file in your report. It is better to find any issues early on and deal with them as soon as possible.
Keeping these things in mind as you travel abroad should help you if you are ever to find yourself in a car accident. These steps should make the ordeal a lot easier to handle and hopefully gives you less to worry about for the rest of your trip
