The RTA is always taking extra measures to ensure Dubai’s roads are safe for every journey. But with the occasional reckless driver being a nuisance on the road regardless of how responsibly others – including you – drive, the possibility of a crash can’t always be ruled out. If you ever get caught in a road accident, there are some dos and don’ts that you should follow. From getting a police report to contacting your Dubai insurance company, it’s important that you take the right steps to avoid stress and get your car fixed pronto.
Don’t Panic
The best thing you can do in any problematic situation is to remain calm and this also stands true for when you’ve been in a car accident. With a cool mind, you can handle the situation rationally. Call 999 immediately if you suspect you or anyone else has been injured and try and park your car in a safe place, usually to one side of the road (if you’re capable of driving it) so that you don’t block any traffic or cause any further accidents. Moreover, never attempt to flee the scene – even if it wasn’t your fault, running away will only land you in more trouble than you deserve, including hefty fines, legal fees and even black points on your driving license.
Call the police
Say you accidentally drove into a lamppost instead of being involved in a crash with another car, and there were no injuries to your passengers, you still shouldn’t forgo calling 999 for the police. Without a police certificate, you can’t claim from your insurance provider, and you might need to pay for damages if any public or private structure was damaged. Also, car garages will not be able to repair your car without a police report. Be cooperative and let the police know in detail about how the events unfolded and who you understand to be at fault – you’ll get a pink slip if they believe you were the one responsible for the accident, a green slip if you’re free of blame, or a white slip if neither party involved had caused the crash.
Contact your insurance provider
You should let your insurance company know of the crash as soon as possible so they can guide you the right steps to take following the crash, as well as make it easier on you to collect your claim afterwards. If you have a replacement car, your insurance provider will let you know how to pick it up, or which garage to send your busted car to. It’s an excellent idea to always take out a comprehensive car insurance policy as it will cover you in the case that you happen to be the one to cause the accident. It’s also a good idea to always keep a copy of your car insurance policy in your vehicle – so that you have all the information you need at hand. To compare car insurance quotes and policies that will buffer you against any mishaps on the road, just head on to ServiceMarket.
Collect evidence
Of course, when you do make your claim, your case will only be stronger if you have the evidence to back you up. Take clear pictures of the damage to your car and take notes of what you recall happening and what the other driver(s) said to you. Just make sure not to take any snaps of any other vehicles that were possibly involved as it’s illegal to take pictures of other people without their permission in Dubai. You should however supply a copy of the police report on the incident to your insurance provider.
Ask before you leave
A car accident might be a huge inconvenience to you, especially if you need to be somewhere on time and your new situation is only tying you up. Yet still you have to ask for permission to drive your car away from the police. This is because they will give you the green-light on whether or not your car is too damaged to be moved, in which case you’ll have to call your Dubai car insurance company to send in a tow-truck (if your comprehensive policy covers it). However, if the damage is superficial, you may be allowed to drive away depending on the circumstances.
To protect yourself in case you get caught in a troublesome situation, it’s best to get the best car insurance policy for your car. On ServiceMarket, you can read reviews from hundreds of policy buyers and get competitive insurance quotes from the reliable car insurance companies in the UAE.
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