Tasmanian motorists are being told to keep a crash checklist in their glove box, with many unsure what to do when they or someone else prangs their car.
RACT has rolled out free ‘After a Crash’ cards to help drivers remember the crucial steps in the chaos that often follows a collision.
“When people are involved in a crash it’s a very stressful situation and quite often people aren’t quite clear on what they need to do,” RACT’s Stacey Pennicott said.
“It’s something that happens, you’re not expecting it and certainly you’re definitely not prepared to understand all of the information and all of the details.”
“People don’t plan to have a crash. So having that readily available in a glove box will make it much easier if the unfortunate occurs.”
The cards walk drivers through the basics of swapping details, what to photograph, noting witnesses and when to call emergency services.
Police are backing the move. Inspector Justin Lawson said even minor bingles could overwhelm drivers.
“There’s an overload of information. People are upset by the fact that they’ve been involved in a crash in the first instance, even if it’s just a low-level fender bender,” he said.
One of the biggest mistakes, he added, is leaving vehicles blocking traffic after a minor collision.
If it’s safe, move the cars and swap details on the side of the road after taking photographs of the crashed cars, he said.
“Take a photo of the registration plate, take a photo of the cars in situ and take a photo of the driver’s licence of the other person involved.”
By law, drivers must exchange names, addresses, phone numbers and rego details after any crash.
Police usually only attend when there is a dispute over fault or if cars need towing.
The cards are available online or from RACT branches across the state.
