You set off for your holiday, you have the children in the car, you have battled with luggage, brought
snacks and you have sorted out your car insurance so you are ready to go. All you are worried about
are those easily forgotten items, have I packed the toothbrushes? Then the unthinkable happens, a
tire bursts and in a flash you have an emergency situation on your hands. This is frightening enough,
but as with any accident they always rear their heads with the worst timing. In amongst the panic and
tears, knowing how to deal with an on the road emergency can get lost in translation; it’s hard enough
to keep the children calm without trying to remember the best things to do. So to make sure that you
are covered before you set off, here are some guidelines to make sure that the rest of your holiday
continues as planned.

Stay Calm and Make Sure You Are Safe

The initial accident has happened and now you need to make sure that everyone is safe. Whether
you have managed to get to safe place or you are still in the road, the most important thing to do is to
stay calm. This is even more important if you have children with you, as panic spreads so this is not
helpful for anyone.

Start by turning off the engine and turning on the hazard lights, at least now you are warning
approaching vehicles that you are there. Exit your car carefully, if you can exit the vehicle on the
opposite side from oncoming traffic and then get any passengers out in the same manner. Once you
are out, make sure you are standing slightly away from the car, especially if you feel there is a chance
of further accidents to occur.

First and foremost you need to check that no one is injured, if someone has been hurt in the accident
calmly [Read more…]