Surviving a car crash can be a harrowing experience, even if you have relatively few injuries. A collision in any way will likely lead to some soreness, whiplash, or bruising. However, a more serious crash could result in more serious or even life-threatening injuries. If you find yourself in a situation where you believe you’re going to crash, try to slow down in any way you can. If possible, steer your car away from the greatest impact. If it’s inevitable that you’ll hit something, try to position your body as best as possible to avoid injuries. And finally, after the collision, it’s important to be able to assess yourself for injuries and help out anybody else at the scene safely. Hopefully, you won’t have to use these tips, but in an emergency, just having some knowledge about car collisions can help you avoid serious injury.
Surviving a Car Crash: Tips to Lessen the Damage
Try to Slow Down
Surviving a car crash is easier the slower your vehicle is traveling. If you believe that you are headed for a collision, attempt to slow down as best you can. You only have seconds to react to this situation, but controlled braking is the best way to slow yourself if possible. Slamming on the brakes can lead to skidding. And on ice, it can cause your car to lose control entirely.
Avoiding Impact
Another thing that can help with surviving a car crash is lessening the way that you collide with another object. Try to avoid impact if at all possible. For example, if you are traveling too fast and see brake lights too close ahead of you, try to move over to the side shoulder instead of rear-ending the car in front of you. Additionally, if it’s possible, try to redirect your car to an object that will cause less damage—for example, a bush instead of another car.
Preparing for Impact
If an impact is inevitable, how you collide with an object is important for surviving a car crash. If possible, try to steer so that you hit something from the side rather than head-on. Before impact, put your hands at 4 and 8’clock positions so that the airbag has a clear path out. Try to relax your muscles instead of bracing for impact, and put your head against the headrest.
Assessing for Damage
After your make impact, it’s important to assess the damage. Take a few deep breaths and try to remain calm. Check yourself over for any external injuries and take a moment to feel for any neck or back pain. If you have any spinal pain, do not move and wait for help to arrive. If you seem unharmed, exit the vehicle safely and call 911. Then, assess anybody else involved in the crash. If necessary, move your vehicle to a safe location and wait for the police to arrive.
Surviving a car crash is easier if you remain calm and try to remember these basic tips. A collision can be incredibly dangerous for everybody involved. Anything you can do to mitigate that risk might be the difference between minor injuries and life-threatening ones. If possible, attempt to slow your vehicle as much as you can before impact. Try to steer into something softer, or attempt to hit side-on instead of head-on. If the impact is inevitable, try to relax your body and ensure nothing is blocking the airbag. And finally, after the crash, assess yourself and anybody else involved for injuries. Call the police and document the collision with photos and witness testimonies. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use these tips. But just in case, it’s always best to be prepared for any situation.