Thump! Crash! Crunch! Immediate Actions After A Classic Car Accident
Posted on: 2 November 2015
No matter how little you may take your classic car out on the road, the possibility exists that it can become involved in an accident. Road crashes cost over $230 billion each year with an average of $820 per person involved. Your portion of that sum can be quite significant if the car involved is a classic or vintage car, as it is also estimated that classic cars may not be as damage resistant as newer vehicles that are designed with a whole host of other safety features to absorb impact and reduce fatalities. In fact it is estimated that since 1975 to 2012, there has been an almost 10,000 person reduction on the number of fatalities, per year, caused by automobile accidents.
So if you are ever involved in an accident in a classic car, here are a few things to do right away.
Life and limb
Since many states do not require that vintage cars need to be retrofitted with seat belts or airbags, the possibility of being thrown or suffering from neck injuries such as whip lash increases in a vintage car. Therefore no matter how small the accident may appear to be, you need to check for injury for both you and your passengers. It is also important to check on the passengers of the other vehicle to ensure that everyone is doing all right.
Maintaining your cool is important here, even if the other driver is at fault, and may be especially hard to do when the accident involves your vintage car. You need to make a special effort at this time since you may be among the approximately 70 percent of Americans who feel emotionally attached to their cars and especially one such as your classic car that required a lot of effort to keep in good shape.
Insurance alert
Hopefully you have maintained and used your car within the parameters that was stipulated by your insurance coverage. Your insurance company must be alerted immediately following an accident. This is important even if the other driver was at fault for the accident so that your insurance company can be aware of what is happening. Insurance coverage for a classic car may be a little more complicated than with a modern car and you need to keep track of all repairs and valuation for your car, which would affect your insurance eligibility and premiums.
To maintain the validity of your car, you need to get it towed to a classic car specialist who can provide you with the proper documentation such as photographs and shop receipts to authenticate that the car was properly fixed following the accident. This will help with future insurance coverage as well as resale later on.
For professional auto service for your classic car, contact a company such as Carriage House Automotive Restorations.
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