After the Event: What to do Following a Minibus Accident
Accidents are a sad fact of life; they happen and there’s an end to it. Is this true? Inasmuch as accidents do happen, it is but there are procedures the minibus driver can follow that can lessen the dangers after an accident and make the outcome far easier to handle. What are these procedures? Read on and learn.
The minibus driver’s first responsibility here the safety of his passengers, and of anyone else involved. So, his or her first action should be to ensure that the minibus is in a safe location. Park the vehicle off the carriageway (if possible) and apply the handbrake. Then switch on the minibus’s hazard lights; if a warning triangle is carried, it can be placed no less than 50 metres from the vehicle. This can be done later and a triangle shouldn’t be used on a motorway, for the sake of the driver’s own safety.
The passengers come next in the post-accident checklist. Regardless of the severity of the impact, the minibus driver should find out if anyone on board is injured. Passengers may be in varying states of distress but it’s essential to establish that anyone who has been injured is made a comfortable, applying simple first aid if necessary. Obviously, anyone with apparently severe injuries should not be moved. Should the emergency services be required, make the relevant call(s) as quickly as possible. Give as much information as you can about the vehicle’s location and the number and status of any injured passengers, and do not leave the scene before the services arrive.
Keeping calm is important, as is keeping everyone inside the minibus. Human nature dictates that panic spreads and that people will try to get away from what they see as a dangerous situation. In fact, it’s far more dangerous to have panicked passengers exiting a vehicle on to a busy carriageway. So, assuming there is no evidence of further danger, such as fire, the minibus should remain fully occupied. Should there be any such danger, or should parking off the road be impossible, have the passengers assemble well away from the minibus, and from traffic.
The subsequent steps are all about legalities and insurance. As such, they aren’t as engaging as the above but are at least equally as important. They consist of the following points:-
1. Take details of all vehicles involved, jotting down the make, model and registration number of each. Take the names, addresses and insurance details of all drivers concerned. You must, by law, give your name, address, contact number and insurer details to other parties involved.
2. Make a simple sketch of the accident, noting down details such as date, time, estimated speed, location and circumstances. Using a mobile phone’s camera or a digital camera to record the scene could prove invaluable. Remember to ask any attending police officer for an incident number.
3. After a minor incident, or one where nobody else is involved, you may continue after you’ve ensured that no-one is injured and that the minibus remains roadworthy.
4. After a serious accident, the minibus driver must report any injuries to the police.
5. Never admit liability, apologise or offer payment at the scene. Doing so may affect any claim against you.
6. Finally, take the name and contact details from any witnesses.
Being armed with the above advice means the minibus driver will be able to minimise the immediate dangers and deal with the outcome of an accident relatively easily. Conversely, not following this advice can lead to all manner of problems, especially where an insurance claim ensues.
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Tags: minibus, minibus advice, minibus insurance