How can you ensure that you and your loved ones are kept safe?
Ontario is a safe place to drive, yet accidents happen. Ontario is the 2nd safest place to drive in North America but continues to have the highest premiums in Canada. More than 160,000 Canadians were injured in a motor vehicle collision in 2016. Of this number, just under 116,000 were categorized as a being a “personal injury collision” wherein at least one non-fatal injury occurred within 30 days of the initial accident.
So what can you do to reduce your chances of being in a car accident? Well, there is no one size fits all answer for such a vast question; however, there are a few steps that you can take to help decrease your risk of being in a car accident. Firstly, when you are driving a motor vehicle, be mindful of the state of your vehicle. Check your brakes, headlights, and wheels [1]. By checking these critical components, you decrease the risk of a mechanically induced accident; moreover, you will have a better idea of when your vehicle needs to be serviced. While you can decrease your chances of being in an accident, you cannot completely eliminate such an event from occurring.
What happens if you do find yourself in an accident? Focusing on a collision where someone is injured, the very first thing you should do is to call for help. If you are not able to directly make that call, ask for the help of an individual who is close by. Next consider calling the police. A car accident should be reported to the police if any of these conditions apply [2]:
- A person is injured;
- Another driver has potentially committed a criminal offence Driving under the influence;
- There is suspicion of a staged collision;
- The vehicle is not able to be driven and/or the vehicle/property damage exceeds that of $2,000.
So, the accident has happened. Someone has been injured. Now what? Well, if you are the person who was injured you will want to be aware of your options. You should make sure that you are checked out by a medical professional. After all, with adrenaline and shock that may set in, be aware that some injuries may not be apparent right away. Follow up if you continue to experience symptoms.
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Sources
[1] “Dealing with Emergencies” Ontario Government(July 6, 2017), online: https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/dealing-emergencies
[2] “Car Crash” IBC, online: http://www.ibc.ca/on/auto/crisis-management/crash
