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5 ways to ease traffic around a car crash

Posted at 7:47 AM, Jun 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-13 10:47:24-04

One of the best ways to protect yourself on the roads is to use caution when approaching a car accident. You never know how the driver next you or a few cars away may react to seeing the accident.

Curiosity and rubbernecking in particular is a behavior that can worsen traffic conditions and, in turn, put you in greater danger of being in a car accident too.

That is why our Phoenix car accident attorneys put together the following list of five ways to help ease traffic conditions after an accident and to protect yourself from being injured in a secondary accident.

1. Do not stop

By stopping, you could actually be contributing to the problem. In reality, unless you are absolutely positive that you can provide valuable assistance (i.e. you are a doctor or nurse), don’t stop. If emergency personnel are already on the scene, there isn’t a legitimate reason for you to pull over or get out of your car.

2. Leave room for emergency services to get through

It is critical that you pull over or move out of the way of emergency services so that they can do their jobs and assist those involved in the accident. In fact, interfering with their efforts is illegal and you could be cited for getting in their way intentionally.

3. Turn on your hazard lights

As soon as you approach an accident, it is a wise precaution to turn your hazard lights on so that other cars approaching can be alerted to the accident and slow down. This simple step could significantly prevent additional accidents from piling up.

4. Do not slow down to spectate

Slowing down to act as a spectator is not only insensitive it is dangerous and could contribute to a pile up accident. It also slows down traffic a great deal and leads to traffic jams.

5. If you do stop, take necessary safety precautions

If you do feel compelled to stop and help, it is important to take all necessary safety precautions such as pulling your car to a safe spot off the road, turning on your hazard lights, and putting out flares to alert oncoming traffic of the accident.

 

 

What to do if you are in a car accident in Phoenix

If you are driving in the Phoenix area and become involved in a car accident:

  1. Check for injuries and call for if necessary.
  2. Move vehicle to the side of the road out of traffic, if possible.
  3. Exchange information with the other driver(s) involved and with any witnesses.
  4. Take photos of the accident scene and physical injuries to document what took place.
  5. Call a local personal injury law firm.

At Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, you can hire our experienced car accident lawyers with no out-of-pocket costs, as we don’t get paid until you get paid. We also offer free consultations, after which you will know what options are available to you and what to expect throughout your case. It is the goal of our legal team to provide you with excellent legal assistance and to seek the highest amount of compensation possible for injuries, losses and other damages.

For your convenience, you can contact our Phoenix car accident lawyers 24/7 on your phone or online. Make one call to (602)977-1900 or click on the Live Chat feature at lernerandrowe.com to connect with a representative day or night.