The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page THE WEEKEND OUTLOOK Friday March 15 1991 Following proper steps can ease accident trauma With a screeching of brakes and a bomchilling crunch of metal hitting metal you are sud denly the of a traffic aca dent For a moment you sit there shaking inside and thinking I cant believe this is happening Your next thought is What do I do now For most people being ed in a serious traffic accident is an unusual experience So when the time comes we quite likely have no idea what to do or how to respond Statistics show that many ac cidents are caused by an inade quate response to an earlier acci dent a driver plows into the back of a car that is stopped in the roadway or someone hits a driver who is getting out of his stalled or damaged car amid busy traffic What to do if you are involved If you are not seriously hurt your immediate reaction after an accident may be to open the door and climb out Resist the urge for a moment and consider Did you hit a Hdro pole knocking down electrical wires Are there likely to be lis or gasoline spill ed on tl Are there cars whizz or coming towards you if you are hurt stay still Also keep in mind particularly if you are on a high speed highway that you are much safer in your car than out Unless you are in danger from fire or water stay where you are Contrary to popular belief if your car can still be driven you should move it to the side of the road However do record rele vant details first That way so meone else is less likely to collide with your vehicle and you will ease the flow Of traffic by moving it Next ensure that you turn off your ignition key to reduce any risk of fire Turn on your emergency flashers When getting out of the car watch carefully for other vehicles and then stand as far away from moving traffic as- possible Carry emergency flares at all times and use them to warn oncoming traf fie of the obstacle Flares should be placed about 100 feet before the accident scene Police must be called if anyone has injuries even minor ones Otherwise they must be called if vehicle damage is over or if there has been damage to some other property Requirements to contact police are outlined in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and Insurance legislation If your car cannot be safely driven after an THERE MORE RUBBER VINYL AND PLASTIC to todays automobiles than meets the eve The need for protectant extends well beyond dash boards and tires In addition to the traditional interior and exterior faces that need attention one must consider weather stripping around doors and windows as well as the myriad of hoses under the hood ELECTRONIC SERVICE DAY GUARANTEE FREE ESTIMATES AIL PERFORMED ON QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS FOR THE BEST SERVICE AT THE BEST PRICE CALL GEORGETOWN CUSTOM CAR SOUND 8772425 McEACHERN STEERING SPECIALTIES INC Steering Suspension Front Rear Alignment After Collision Alignment Alignment Front Wheel Drive Service Alignment On Wheel Balancing Rack Pinion Ford Truck Twin I Beam Bending Springs Shocks Bolljoints Etc 33 Armstrong Avenue Georgetown Ontario CALL 8779411 accident the police can arrange for it to be towed to the closest storage facility If someone is injured let a per son with first aid training take over If there is someone else available to help ask that an am bulance be called There are also some things you can do to help your insurance company deal with your claim quickly Jack Lyndon President of the Insurance Bureau of Canada whose members include Canada major auto insurance companies says Make some notes about the details of the aca dent as soon as possible For ex ample your insurance company needs to know how the accident happened the precise location the investigating police officer and other details Record the following details the location date and tune of the accident witnesses names addresses and phone numbers weather conditions how the accident happened draw a quick diagram show the position of vehicles the direction in which they were travelling which lanes they were using and the distances to any intersection etc if you have a camera in your car take pictures of the scene before you move your car the names address and phone numbers of the passengers in your car the other driver involved his or her drivers licence number details about the car including its licence number insurance com and policy number passengers in that car note anyone taken to hospital ask the investigating officer for his or her name the force or division his or her badge number and phone number As soon as possible after an ac cident call your insurance com agent or broker to report the accident What to do if you come upon an accident If you happen to be the first to arrive at the scene of an accident your help may mean the ference between life and death to the victims It is particularly portant to remain on the scene if you were directly involved in the accident or witnessed it First and foremost though guard your own safety Turn on your cars four way flashers and check carefully for other traffic before leaving your car If you have flares use them to warn other vehicles of the obstacle Avoid standing behind beside or between other vehicles where you might not be noticed by oncoming traffic Peter Knight Council on Road Trauma suggests even people with no first aid training can help injured victims Your help Is essential All that anyone expects is that you do your best Find out how many people are involved in the accident and how badly they may be hurt Check under in and around the vehicles involved to find all the victims Unless injured victims are in danger from fire or drowning or in the roadway dont move them This Is especially important in the case of possible head and back injuries Dr Knight notes Its impor tant to stay calm and in control of the situation The lives of ethers may depend on you Clear the air way of anyone having trouble breathing by lifting their jaw and clearing the mouth of any debris Repeat the process if necessary If someone is bleeding severely press a bandage or a cloth firmly on the wound to control blood flow Say I saw it in APPLE WINDSHIELD REPAIRS Handle All Insurance Claims SAVE YOUR BODY NORTH END NISSAN 610 Martin SI Milton JAKES AUTO CLEAN Steam Cleaning Interior Shampoo Under Car Oiling Scotch Guard 265 GUELPH ST 8773802 DONT FORGET OUR ADDRESS CHANGE SINCLAIR PLACE Next to Fire Retardant Engine Shampoo Perma Sheen Paint Touch Up GEORGETOWN Our Auto Loans Put The Last Pieces In Place Youve picked the color selected the options now see us for an auto loan and complete the picture We give you highly competitive rates speedy approval 24 hours or less flexible payment plans and no penalty for early repayment HALTON CREDIT UNION Call or stop in today and discover how easy it is to put it all together We are a local full service financial institution serving the Region of Halton since with convenient hours and friendly helpful staff GEORGETOWN ACTON 187GuelphSt Queen 8776926 8530911 AND THREE OTHER BRANCHES Deposits are Insured by the Ontario Share and Deposit Insurance Corporation