1. Keep a Kit Carry a cell phone, as well as pen and paper for taking notes, a disposable camera to take photos of the vehicles at the scene, and a card with information about medical allergies or conditions that may require special attention if there are serious injuries.
2. Keep Safety First Move cars to the side of the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic if there are no serious injuries. If a car cannot be moved, drivers and passengers should remain in the cars with seatbelts fastened for everyone's safety until help arrives. Make sure to turn on hazard lights and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if possible.
3. Call the authorities Even if it's a minor accident, you want the police there and you want a report on file.
4. Exchange Information Get the other driver's name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number. If the driver's name is different from the name of the insured, establish what the relationship is and take down the name and address for each individual. Also make a written description of each car, including year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Finally, be polite but don't tell the other drivers or the police that the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.
5. Photograph and Document the Accident Document damage to all vehicles. Keep in mind that you want your photos to show the overall context of the accident so that you can make your case to a claims adjuster. If there were witnesses, try to get their contact information; they may be able to help you if the other drivers dispute your version of what happened.
6. File An Accident Report If law enforcement officers don't respond because there are no injuries, file a state vehicle accident report anyway. These are available at police stations and often on your state's Department of Motor Vehicles Web site. A police report often helps insurance companies speed up the claims process.
7. Know What Your Insurance Covers The whole insurance process will be easier following your accident if you know the details of your coverage. For example, don't wait until after an accident to find out that your policy doesn't automatically cover costs for towing or a replacement rental car.
Please print out this page and keep it in your glove compartment
Clark has been trying to cut down his cell phone usage. In the last month alone he's managed to go from 5000 to 232 minutes, and he hopes to do even better next month. This initiative came about after almost getting hit on his scooter by a driver who was chatting on her cell. Cell phone distraction has become a real problem today. He notices that most people go into a "zone" and just don't pay enough attention to the road when driving and talking. Wireless bluetooth headsets don't really help, either, since it's not the phone but the conversation itself that's causing the distraction.
And there are other ways to lose focus. Clark says he now pulls over if he has to dial a number that's not on his speed dial. Young people, in particular, blast music so loud that they can't hear what's going on around them. The bottom line? You have to be extra aware on the road these days. Keep your eye out for "cell phone drivers" who might run a stop sign or change lanes without signalling because they're too distracted on the phone. If you find yourself so focused on a conversation that you've forgotten what you're doing, or can't recall how you got from Point A to Point B, you know it's time to pull over.
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Clark and his wife have had some serious discussions about their middle child and her booster seat in the car. Their daughter was upset because at the age of 5 she was still using one while all her friends being dropped off at school were not.
The booster seat issue is one that's really been taken up by the states. Nearly 20 states have instituted new rules about the age that children have to stay in their boosters after they get out of the infant car seat. Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan are among those with laws going on the books this summer.
Many states require children to remain in them up to their 8th birthday, or until they meet certain height and weight requirements -- usually 57 inches and 65 pounds.
Seatbelt design is such that a child may be killed or seriously injured in an accident that wouldn't greatly harm someone taller and heavier. In a panic stop, the shoulder part of a belt would hit a child directly across the neck. Enough said.
Is Clark trying to guilt you about booster seats? No, you have to make a decision for yourself. There's a certain expectation that childhood comes with a lot of bumps and bruises, but what we're talking about here is much worse than a bump or a bruise.
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Clark has long been a fan of the Smart Car, a Mercedes Benz-produced 2-seater that gets great fuel economy. He was all set to buy one, but then he saw the crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It's perfectly safe for the driver and received the highest rating of 5 stars. But it isn't safe for passengers, earning only 3 out of 5 stars. As a parent of 2 small kids, there's no way that Clark is going to compromise the safety of his children in a Smart Car now.
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Editor's note: The day after Clark spoke about this, the highly respected Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Smart Car its highest rating. Clark says he'll defer to the findings of the IIHS on this one.)
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