What To Teach Your Teen About Car Accidents And Claims

Your teen is ready to start learning to drive. Most provinces have programs in place requiring teens to attend a formal driving instruction course before applying for their licence. In most cases, parents also need to spend a significant amount of time in the car with their teen to teach him or her the skills of driving safely. One area commonly not addressed during this learning phase is how to handle a car accident, including how to call on their car insurance provider for help.

Accidents happen and when they do, teens need to know how to react. Be sure your teen understands these key points:

If involved in an accident, they should move off the road out of the way of traffic.
They should call the police and obtain emergency medical care if needed.
The teen should not admit guilt, even if he or she believes they caused the accident.
The teen should also gather information at the scene of the accident, including the licence plate number, name, address, insurance information and any other information about any other driver involved in the accident.
If safe to do so, he or she can also take photos of the incident.

Then, it's important to contact the teen's insurance provider. The auto insurance provider can help the teen complete the necessary documents — either in person or online — to file a claim. It's important that the teen provides this information directly — not necessarily through the parents — as it ensures the accuracy of the claim.

When anyone is involved in a car accident, it's essential to obtain the necessary care first, but don't overlook allowing your insurance carrier to step in and provide assistance. Teens don't need to confront other drivers if they feel threatened; instead, they should call the police and remain calm throughout the situation. This ensures that the teen's information and any other driver's information is properly recorded and reported to the insurance carrier.

Though hard to do, teaching your teen how to react in a car accident can be the difference between life and death. Don't overlook the value of providing this information to your teen as a component of his or her driving education.

We've got your back. Call Heritage Insurance LTD at (800) 667-7640 for more information on Moose Jaw SK auto insurance.

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