Auto accidents are a constant risk that you, and every other driver faces whenever you are on the road. The reason for this is because no matter how careful and attentive you are to your surroundings, your safety is not only dependent on you, but also on how safe the other drivers are as well. This also means having to communicate with other drivers properly, using cues like turn signals, headlight flashes and other non-verbal cues afforded to you as a driver, but there is a close to zero percent chance that every driver is as considerate as the other. This can cause you (or them) to rage out, something that never leads to anything good. Here’s a few ways that you can protect yourself from road rage after an auto accident, and how you can move forward from experiencing it yourself.

Keep Calm, Keep Your Distance

As soon as you get into an auto accident, check yourself first for any signs of trauma or injury. If you seem to be fine and the accident wasn’t so bad, whether it’s your fault or not, stay calm and communicate with the other driver involved by waving from inside your car. If the other driver begins to yell at you, calmly apologize, or discuss what happened without using abusive language or screaming. Do not exit the car, do not go anywhere near the other driver until the authorities have arrived. It is important to keep your distance during this time to avoid causing or receiving any aggression between the other affected driver, in order to prevent the need for any arrests or even lawsuits from taking place. You just got into an accident, do not make it worse than it already is.

Cooperate With The Police

Once you’ve acknowledged the accident with the other driver, immediately call the police to make sure the situation will be handled fairly and to the fullest extent of the law. While you are waiting for the authorities to arrive at the scene, disengage and call any close friends or family to let them know about the incident. Once the authorities arrive, explain the situation to them calmly with the other driver involved. Do not aggressively negate the other driver, and cooperate with the authorities as much as you can about what needs to be done next.

Hire A Reliable Auto Accident Lawyer

To make sure your auto accident’s case is handled fairly and properly, hire a trustworthy and reliable auto accident lawyer to handle your case. Your lawyer should be able to protect your rights, handle the evidence available to you, make sure you are properly compensated if you’re not the one at fault, and produce any official statements required from you by court or your car insurance company.