Planning A Road Trip During The Holidays? 3 Steps To Take After A Late-Night Car Accident

The holiday season is underway. If you're like most people, you're busy planning your vacations. If your holiday plans include a road trip, don't forget to plan for emergencies. Holiday driving can be very dangerous. Some of the deadliest accidents happen during the holidays. Nighttime driving adds another layer of danger to the situation. Now that some states are emerging from COVID-19 shutdowns, there will be more people trying to visit their loved ones during the holidays. If you're one of those people, it's important that you know what to do in the event of an emergency. If you're going to be taking a road trip, and your travel plans include some night driving, you might need to react differently after a car accident. Here are three steps you should take to keep yourself safe after a middle-of-the-night car accident. 

Make Sure Your Car is Visible

If you're going to be driving in the middle of the night, your car might not be as visible to other motorists. That's one of the reasons why you may be at a heightened risk for a car accident. But it's also why you'll be at a heightened risk after a car accident, as well. If you're involved in a car accident during the night, take immediate steps to make sure your car is visible. As soon as you can, activate your emergency flashers. It's also important that you leave your lights on at low beam. That way, you'll increase your visibility to passing motorists. Be sure to leave the lights and flashers on, even after emergency personnel arrive on the scene. 

Call for Emergency Assistance

Once you've come to a stop, and you've activated your emergency flashers, you'll want to call for emergency assistance, even if you don't think it's a serious accident. This is especially important after a late-night accident. After a late-night car accident, there may be questions about liability. Law enforcement officials can help to sort out those questions. Also, law enforcement officials can shut down the road so that you can get the help you need for your injuries, and for your vehicle. While you're waiting for assistance to arrive, stay inside your vehicle. It can be especially dangerous to leave your car after a late-night car accident. First, passing motorists might not be able to see you. Second, you don't know if you're going to be entering a hostile environment once you leave your car, especially if your accident occurred on a darkened highway. 

Hire a Car Accident Attorney

Finally, if you're involved in a late-night accident, you'll need to contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible. This is especially important if your accident took place while you were out of town for the holidays. Unique accident situations, such as those that occur after dark, or out of town, require legal assistance.


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