A road traffic accident is an accident involving one or more vehicles on a public roadway.
Although the most common type of vehicle involved in this kind of accident are cars and other motor vehicles, bicycles, animal powered vehicles, and pedestrians might also be involved.
Injuries resulting from a road traffic accident can be severe and sometimes fatal.
The average American will be involved in at least two road traffic accidents in their lifetime.
Children and the elderly are in the most danger during a road traffic accident.
If you are involved in a road traffic accident, you are required to stop your vehicle and offer assistance to any others involved.
Although moving off the road is advisable, in many states it is illegal to move the car from the scene of the accident.
In many cases if there are no injuries and the cars can still be driven, law enforcement will not report to the scene of the crime, and you will be required to exchange information and report the incident to your insurance company yourself.
When taking information, be sure to take the driver's license number, the name, the address, the telephone number, and the license plate number from the other driver.
Also make sure you take their insurance information as well.
Never admit fault immediately following an accident, as it could cause you to be named as the guilty party when you are not.
Defensive driving and being aware of the road are the best tools to prevent an accident, but if you are involved in one, knowing what to do afterwards could save you lots of valuable time and money.