Discussions about mobile phones and car crashes often focus on distraction. Many people end up hurt in collisions caused by people who can’t set their mobile phones down while driving. Still, people bring their mobile phones in their vehicles in no small part because they worry about the risk of a crash and want to be as safe as possible. If a collision should occur, someone’s mobile device can be their first source of protection after the crash.
The usefulness of mobile devices after a wreck is one reason why people should have their phones and possibly also chargers in their vehicles. How can phones help someone involved in a crash?
Phones provide instant information
In a non-emergency situation, someone involved in a crash should not just call 911. However, they do need to reach out to local authorities. Having a mobile phone with internet access means that someone can quickly locate the non-emergency number for the local police department. People can also pull up details about insurance coverage or even begin researching lawyers right at the scene of the crash while they wait for first responders to arrive.
People can get help without leaving
Before mobile phones were ubiquitous, people sometimes had to leave the scene of a crash to find a way to advise local authorities that a crash had occurred. The decision to leave to seek medical care or find a phone might then result in the state or the other people involved in the crash accusing one driver of illegally leaving the scene, possibly because they hope to avoid personal responsibility for the collision. Mobile phones allow people to call for assistance right at the scene of a crash, largely eliminating the likelihood that someone could face accusations of leaving the scene without justification for doing so.
Phones help preserve evidence
Some people start filming as soon as a crash occurs and may capture video footage of someone’s license plate as they try to flee the scene of the wreck. Someone’s phone could also capture video footage of them switching seats with another vehicle occupant to avoid impaired driving charges or disposing of items that could serve as evidence. Beyond that, mobile phones can help someone preserve the scene of the crash. People can take pictures and record video footage that can help prove exactly what occurred and who is likely at fault for the wreck.
Using a phone properly after a crash can be as important as choosing not to use one to reduce the likelihood of a preventable collision.