With shifting terrain and unpredictable weather conditions out in the countryside, dedicated trail roads can switch from easy and safe to challenging and dangerous in minutes. This means that no one’s invincible to the risks of off-roading, no matter how accustomed you are to your vehicle and how careful you drive.
As such, it’s important to know what to do after an off-roading accident to ensure that you and your automobile get the right treatment. As harrowing as an off-road accident may be, it’s not the end of the world—or your wallet. You can rise above it, especially if you follow the right steps immediately after the incident.
Keen to learn how to proceed after an off-road accident? We got you. Let’s walk through this step-by-step guide on how to handle vehicle damage after an off-roading incident.
🚗 Keep Calm and Prioritise Safety
The first thing to do after an off-roading accident is to maintain a level head. If you just experienced a minor bump in the road or a small collision, then you should check yourself and your passengers if you’re safe and injury-free.
Injury-free or not, evacuate the vehicle if the terrain is safe to traverse. If you have other passengers, help them (or ask help from them if you’re stuck) out of the vehicle. Talk to them in a calm manner and instruct them to step away from the scene of the accident.
Once everyone is out of the vehicle, remove yourself from the accident and keep a healthy distance apart. This will help prevent any further injuries if your vehicle is in an unstable position or is leaking gas.
From afar, evaluate if the car is salvageable or can be re-assessed for future documentation. If the situation feels especially precarious, or if you’re injured, then call local authorities and wait for help.
🚗 Inspect for Car Damage
Another thing you should determine is the severity of the damage sustained by your vehicle. Vehicles can roll, flip, or collide with their surroundings, breaking apart the body and key parts of the car.
Take note of the car’s damage severity as soon as you can. If the impact is concentrated in one area, it’s naturally easier to determine and diagnose the problem immediately. However, if the damage is unsalvageable and all around the car, you will need to undergo a more extensive inspection.
Evaluating the car damage also lets you know whether it’s safe to approach the vehicle or not. If there are visible signs of fluid leaks, for instance, it’s best to keep a good amount of distance to ensure you aren’t close in case it ignites. Smoke coming out of the car is also an indicator that it’s not safe to go nearer.
If a preliminary inspection has revealed that a vehicle is safe to approach, then go close and document the car’s damage. Take plenty of photos and videos of the damage, as this information can potentially help you get a full or partial insurance payout if you’re not completely at fault.
However, if it’s not safe to approach, keep on keeping your distance and just take zoomed pictures from afar from your smartphone. Or if you don’t have it with you, have a witness or your passenger take pictures from a safe distance instead.
🚗 Try to Make Temporary Repairs
If the damage isn’t too severe, and if you’re miles deep in the Outback and away from the nearest public road network or repair shop, then you may have to do a portion of the repairs yourself.
First, determine if the damage is just on the vehicle exterior and not deep into the mechanical functions. If nothing’s hanging loose (like the fenders) and the damages are just scratches, then you can get away with driving the vehicle back to your home base.
If the exterior damage is severe, like a fender hanging loose, then temporarily restrict its movements by applying some duct tape to hold it in place.
If you’re experiencing other types of car damage, like a flat tyre, then use a spare tyre or a tyre repair kit to bring it back up to one piece. Naturally, this would mean you’ll have to bring car repair tools each time you go on the road—for safety’s sake.
These temporary fixes aren’t meant to be permanent solutions. You should still get your car properly evaluated by a car repair specialist to ensure that your vehicle can still safely traverse dirt trails and rough terrain. But by making these repairs, you can mitigate further damage and bring your car to a safer place after the incident, granted that it’s still operable.
🚗 Contact Roadside Assistance
If you have data signal and can’t immediately drive your vehicle due to safety concerns, then you may have to call for roadside assistance.
Before you set out to drive, you should already know your local towing service and police’s contact number so that you can contact them as soon as you need them.
When calling them, be sure to follow their instructions. Provide details on the accident, like the severity, your location, and involved parties. Moreover, let them know of any hazards in advance so that they can make preparations accordingly.
Some insurance policies have roadside assistance as part of their insurance package, so it’s best to know yours in advance so that you can benefit from the service at no additional cost.
When help arrives, be sure to brief them on any developments at the scene of the accident and give them a detailed account. Compliance is key to helping you overcome your situation with ease.
🚗 Call Your Insurer
After calling assistance, you should also contact your car insurer to know the next steps on how to receive a payout.
In Australia, insurance is mandatory, but not all types of accidents and car damage are covered under the basic plan. This, unfortunately, applies to off-road damage. Read ROLLiN’ Insurance’s guide to CTP cover for more details on the coverage.
If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, you may be eligible for a payout. The documentation and other evidence you’ll give will determine whether your claim will be approved or rejected. If you’ve shown that you’ve been driving negligently, then your claim won’t be approved.
However, if the accident is done with proof that you’ve taken great care to remain safe, you can get a payout.
In any case, you should speak to the insurance representative on the phone immediately after calling for help and give them a detailed account of your accident. From there, they will ask further questions (which you must answer) and give you a company-specific process on how to proceed.
🚗 Schedule a Professional Inspection
Once you’re done dealing with the immediate aftermath of the accident, you should make it a priority to get your car properly inspected and patched up.
Even seemingly minor issues on the road could’ve compromised the car’s internal mechanisms. As such, it’s better to be safe than sorry and let a qualified mechanic evaluate your vehicle in its entirety—from the suspensions to the engine.
If you’ve driven the car after the aftermath and have experienced anything strange from your drive, tell these problems to the mechanic as well.
Providing them with a thorough account ensures that no stone is left unturned and that your car is thoroughly checked and cleared for your next off-road drive, granting you peace of mind and a safer drive.
🚗 Reflect on What Went Wrong
Once the ordeal has finally settled, take some time to reflect on the matter. Look inward and ask yourself what went wrong during the off-road adventure.
Did you push yourself or your car beyond the limit? Have you overlooked safety in favour of the thrill? Or was there simply nothing you could do to prevent what had happened?
At the end of the day, be grateful that you’ve survived the accident relatively unscathed. But treat the experience as a sign to reevaluate your driving style.
While you can hit the open roads again if you so desire, you should definitely consider being more careful too to avoid any future accidents.
Safe travels!