Don's On Clement

Four Common Emergency Road Situations and How to Handle Them

Here at Don's On Clement, we’re all about safety. We work hard to ensure our shop is among the highest-rated for safety and best practices in the San Francisco, CA area. Unfortunately, when you drive off the lot, your fellow drivers might not be as concerned.

Driving on today’s roads requires diligence, concentration, and a defensive mindset. These things become second nature the longer you operate a motor vehicle. But what do you do when something out of the ordinary occurs?

We’ve all been there. You’re cruising along the highway and suddenly there’s a giant mattress or pallet 300 yards ahead of you in the lane. Or you suffer a flat tire in the most inconvenient of places. Or you stall out during rush hour. And panic sets in.

Thankfully, car safety organizations like AAA provide great advice for sticky situations that arise on the roads. Here are four common situations you may find yourself in—and some advice for what to do when you do:

Oncoming Driver Using High-beams

It happens too often. You’re driving at night on a dark road and the oncoming driver refuses to observe proper etiquette in turning off their high-beams.

The easiest way to ride out this dangerous disturbance is to concentrate on a portion of the road that is down and toward the passenger side of your vehicle—such as the solid white line found on the shoulder of American highways. Rather than flash the driver or try to alert them, it is best to just let them pass and continue on your way.

Hit and Run

Hit-and-run drivers may be uninsured or have legal issues they’re hoping to avoid, so it’s never wise to try to engage them. If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, remain calm, move your vehicle to safety if possible, and record the other driver’s license plate number, vehicle make/model, and any other pertinent information, such as which direction they went. If there are witnesses to the incident, politely ask if they’d be willing to provide a statement. Don’t leave the scene until you’re able to speak with law enforcement.

And never, under any circumstances, attempt to follow or apprehend the other driver. Let the police do their job.

Witnessing an Accident

Witnessing a collision on the road can be traumatic. If you decide to pull over, make sure you do so at a safe distance. Endangering yourself will only make matters worse.

Immediately call 911 to alert authorities—provide as much detail as possible. Never assume another witness will have done so—it’s better for emergency services to receive several calls than none at all.

Remain calm. If it’s safe to do so, check on victims but do not attempt to treat them. When police and paramedics arrive, give them as much detail as possible. Offer your contact information for follow-up should they need it.

Road Debris

Mattresses. Wooden pallets. Ice chests. Roadkill. There’s no end to what might find its way into your path when you’re out on the road. If you’re hauling a load, it’s your responsibility to ensure it is properly secured so that you don’t add to the list of potential hazards.

As a driver, it’s important that you’re aware not only of your immediate surroundings but of what’s up the road as well. Be on the lookout for road debris and other hazards at all times, especially when traveling at high rates of speed.

Sometimes debris simply can’t be avoided. It’s always a judgment call, but there may be situations where it’s safer to hit the approaching object than swerve and risk losing control of your vehicle. If you hit something, pull over somewhere safe to assess the damage to your vehicle. If the object is still in the road, report its presence to authorities if possible.