Ideas to stay safe after a car crash

By Joel Mackenzie

arly morning February 19, two

women were struck and killed

by a car while standing on
Lougheed Highway near Pitt River Road
in Port Coquitlam. Charlene Reaveley
left her car to inspect a traffic accident
involving one car on the side of the road,
which held Lorraine Cruz and another
passenger. When all three stood outside
of the car talking, a vehicle hit them and
killed Reaveley and Cruz.

Just weeks earlier, on January 21,
22-year old Connie Ward was struck and
killed by a vehicle, both involved in a
massive forty-car pile-up. She had left her
vehicle to inspect its damage when she
was struck. Seven other people involved
were treated in hospital.

In the event of a car pile-up such
as this, or in other highway crashes,
drivers should stay in their vehicles
until police arrive and can block the
road properly. While in the car, one
can record information that insurance
companies/police will ask for later,
such as the time, date and location of
the crash, the vehicles’ directions of

 

travel, and information about the other
vehicles involved, including their license
plate numbers, years and models. When
it is safe to do so, getting a witnesses
information could also be useful.

To record that information, it
is important to keep pen and paper
accessible from the driver’s seat, usually
in the glove box. Another good ideas is
having a small emergency kit that can be
accessed from inside. The items in this kit
will allow drivers to respond to faster and
more efficiently to emergencies and make
exiting the car safer.

The kit should include an emergency
cell phone, a cell phone charger which
can hook up to a car’s cigarette lighter, a
pad and paper, a multi-tool, road flares or
reflective cones, a flashlight, a medical
kit, tire chains, jumper cables, a blanket,
water and non-perishable food. A multi-
tool can be used for many different tasks,
including breaking a window or cutting
a seatbelt, and road flares or reflective
cones can be used to block off the road or
warn on-coming drivers.

Emergencies happen, but knowing
what to do and having the necessary
equipment for them can save your life.

 

 

 

 

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