Essential Items For Your Winter Auto Accident Survival Kit

Law Articles

The winter season brings about cold weather and messy road conditions--which often leads to more unpleasant auto accidents. On average, an estimated 480,000 people are injured in weather-related auto accidents during the winter months each year. That means it's not unreasonable to think that you or a loved one might be involved in an accident this year.

While this increased risk can't be completely avoided, carrying a winter auto accident kit in your automobile can make an accident easier to navigate. A good kit includes items that will keep you safe and comfortable, as well as items that make filing a legal claim easier to accomplish.

Disposable Camera

In the age of cell phones and tablets, a disposable camera might seem like a truly obsolete thing to have around. However, cell phones have a nasty habit of running out of batteries when you need them the most--especially if you're running a lot of apps or GPS on them. That's why every accident kit should have a disposable camera inside.

If you're in an accident, immediate documentation of the damage done to all vehicles involved is an essential bit of protection to have. Your insurance company or personal lawyer from a firm like Gabrielson Law Offices, Ltd will be able to use this information to protect your rights. A disposable camera makes this valuable information easy to obtain.

Pad of Paper and Pens

Again, low-tech solutions are often the most reliable. With smartphones and emails meeting most of our note-taking needs, a note pad seems ridiculous. However, you're going to need to remember a lot of information after an accident, including:

• Other vehicle license plate numbers
• Responding officer's name and badge number
• Phone numbers
• Policy numbers

A simple pad of paper and a pen allows you to take itemized notes on all this information. In the past, these items were a staple in most glove boxes and purses. Today, that's not always the case. Make sure you have these items next to your camera in a safe place in your car.

Extra Blankets

Depending on the severity of your accident, your car might not function afterwards. When this fact is coupled with sub-zero temperatures, people could get hurt. Young children and elderly folks might not be able to withstand the wait until responders arrive on the scene.

A few extra blankets can solve this issue for you and any other parties involved in the accident. They don't take up a lot of space, and you'll appreciate having them around. Sometimes, they can even be tucked safely away under your driver's seat--making their impact on available cargo room minimal.

First Aid Kit

Even in minor accidents, cuts and bruises are common. In large metropolitan areas, the time it takes first responders to arrive on the scene of your accident could be as much as 90 minutes or more. While this is simply an inconvenience when everyone is healthy and functioning properly, it can be an issue when injuries are present.

A first aid kit allows you to respond immediately to passengers who have experienced an injury. While severe injuries will require a 911 call and a trip to the hospital, a first aid kit can allow people with minor injuries to rest safely and comfortably without an ambulance call. However, if the injury is the least bit severe, it's always best to call for professional medical help.

Having a kit with these items in it will make the unfortunate event of an auto accident much easier to tolerate. That way, when icy roads and blowing snow make your accident risk higher, you'll be confident that the health and legal rights of you and your passengers will be well protected.

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16 January 2015