Rollover car accidents are one of the scariest types of accidents. These are the accidents we all slow down to look at when we’re driving by, as they often look very bad. But however bad they look, they are even worse when you’re apart of them. Going through a car rollover is a scary experience, and there is a lot you’re going to need to deal with afterwards. To help you out, here is everything you need to know about going through this process.
During the Accident
For starters, we should talk about what to do when going through the roll. Often you can tell when your car is about to tip and rollover, and you’ll have a split second to make some decisions. The first thing you should do is pick up your feet off of the pedals, as this will help to reduce the chances of breaking an ankle. Next, remove your hands from the steering wheel, and cross your arms across your chest. Press yourself as best you can against the back of your seat and resist the urge to lean forward. Doing all of this will make it less likely that you’ll break an arm or receive brain damage.
Immediately After the Roll
Once you’re sure the car is done rolling, you can begin to assess the situation. First, take a deep breath, and start examining yourself for injuries. You may feel pain if something is broken or cut, but this is not always the case. Take a moment to run your hands over your body, looking for signs of injury.
After you’ve examined yourself, take a few more deep breathes to calm yourself down. If there are other people in the car with you, see if they are injured. Should they be injured, do not move them, and wait for help to arrive. During this time you should also shut off the engine by turning the key, especially if your car is upside down.
Now you need to plan your exit strategy. If the car is completely upside down, you’ll want to brace yourself against the ceiling with one of your hands while you undo your seatbelt. Be very cautious here, as this is where the majority of post-roll injuries occurs. Once you’re free from your seat, you can start looking for a way out. In some cases the car is still structurally sound, and you can simply open up the door. In other cases, you may need to roll down a window. If neither of these is an option, you’ll have to break some glass. Use caution when doing this, and make sure you’ve removed all broken glass from the window before you attempt to crawl out.
Once you’ve gotten out, you can begin helping out others in the car, provided they are not injured. With everyone out, get a safe distance away from the vehicle and call for help.
Dealing with Other Drivers
In some cases, a car rolling over involves another driver. When you’re out of the car, see if any other vehicles were involved with the crash. You may need to assist the other drivers and help them get out of their cars. Once everyone is safe, you can begin the standard car accident procedures. This includes sharing your name, address, insurance information, and car information. You’ll want to take pictures of the accident, along with anything that might have caused it.
The Aftermath
Unfortunately, getting out of your car and to safety is just the beginning of this process. There’s a lot of things you need to do after the accident in order to get your life back in order. You’ll need to have your car towed, and work with your insurance company to pay for the damages, or help afford a new car.
You may also have injuries from the accident, and you’ll need time to heal from these. In some cases, if you’re the victim of a rollover accident, you may need to work with a lawyer in order to receive money from other parties.
Preventing Future Rollovers
Finally, the last thing you want to do is learn how to keep this from happening again. Rollovers often occur when a driver is driving too fast, particularly around a corner. They are also likely to occur on rural roads with high speed limits, so you’ll want to be extra careful on these. The best thing you can do is examine what caused this rollover, learn from your mistakes, and keep these lessons in mind whenever you drive, so that you can avoid going through this ordeal again.
