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In our busy world, escaping into the great outdoors can be a welcome reprieve. And with all of the stress that’s come along in the last couple of years with the COVID-19 pandemic, a camping trip might be just the thing to take your mind off everything.
But even though a camping trip might be a great way to relax your cares away and forget about all the troubles of the world, heading out to enjoy the great outdoors doesn’t come without risks.
Basically, the last thing you want to worry about while out on a camping adventure is to get involved in a car accident. But unfortunately, accidents can happen anywhere.
In the event that you’re involved in a car accident while out on a camping trip, the following will provide a few steps to follow.
Personal safety in an automobile accident is going to be your primary concern. As such, check yourself for injuries. In the event that you’re seriously injured, stay put and wait for help to arrive. And if you’re able, call an ambulance.
Being in a campground area, you’ll want to ensure that the local park staff (if in a state or national park setting) are notified in the event of an accident, and of any injuries, you or other passengers have sustained.
If you’re out on public land without any staff or service support, calling 911 will be your first step in the event of an accident involving injuries in a remote region. Unfortunately, many remote areas have poor cell reception. And if this is the case, you may need to wait for passers-by to help you, use a whistle to alert any nearby help, or find a means to reach help on your own.
It’s also important to note that if injuries are severe, wild animals such as bears, wolves, and mountain lions can smell blood from miles away, so it’s important to seek safety and remain alert.
As mentioned, once you’ve assessed your injuries, you should seek immediate medical attention, even if you feel fine or appear unscathed after an accident. This is because bruising and whiplash won’t always be evident immediately after an accident.
If you’re in a remote area, ensure that you’ve checked all involved parties for injuries. If possible, ensure that you stop any bleeding and bandage any wounds with items from a first-aid kit, or via any other available means such as tearing a shirt or cloth into bandages.
Some campgrounds are located off of remote dirt roads. Ideally, before planning a camping trip, especially if you know you’re going to be travelling on remote dirt roads, you want to have an emergency plan in place just in case you’re involved in an accident in an area such as this. In planning, ensure that you learn the lay of the land and that you can get to emergency services if a cell signal isn’t available.
Depending on the campground setting, you may or may not have immediate services available. Regardless, you still need to exchange information with the other motorist.
You’ll want to exchange insurance information and phone numbers, as well as write down the tag numbers of all vehicles involved in the accident while you wait for help to arrive. This can be used for future reference in the event that you need to contact an attorney, such as personal injury professionals at https://www.rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/car-accident.html.
You’ll also want to take pictures of the damage to your vehicle and of the other motorist’s vehicle. These may also be used for documentation that your insurance company or attorney will need when you begin the process of filing a claim.
Nobody wants to get into an accident on vacation, especially in a remote area with few services available. But we have to be prepared for whatever life throws at us. By following the steps listed here, you’ll be better able to seek help and recover from an accident if one occurs on your next camping trip.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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