How to help your teen after a car accident

No parent in Arizona looks forward to the day that their teenage child calls them to say that they’ve been in a car accident. However, it’s still a good idea to think about how you might respond if that happened. If your teen contacts you about being involved in a crash, the advice you give them could help a lot.

Make sure 911 has been called

Making sure everyone involved is OK and then dialing 911 are the first things that should be done after a car accident. However, don’t assume your teen dialed 911 before calling you. Many people panic after car accidents and don’t know what to do first. Calmly instruct your teen to hang up and dial 911 and then call you back. You may also want to call 911 at this time just to be safe.

Tell your teen to get to safety but remain at the scene

Your teen may be in the middle of the road after a car accident. Tell them that they need to drive their car out of traffic if that’s possible. If the car is no longer working, they should still try to get to the side as safely as possible. Remember that your teen might be hurt, even if they don’t realize it right away. Tell them to move slowly and then remain nearby since leaving the scene of the accident could get them into legal trouble.

Tell your teen to collect information

It’s also a good idea to tell your teen to collect as much information as they can from the car accident scene. Tell them to get names and insurance information from the other drivers involved and take some photos or videos of the wreck.

Don’t blame anyone

Emotions run high after a car accident, but it’s important to try to remain calm. Don’t blame your teen for what happened and remember to tell your teen not to blame the other drivers. It might have been another driver’s fault, but the crash scene is not the right place to address that. You should also tell your teen not to apologize or admit fault at the accident scene.