Road accidents

If you are the first to arrive at a road accident, make sure that you and your car are safe for passing traffic. Then check if there are any casualties. If so, call 112 for emergency services.
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Foto: Jeppe Wikström

Do not stop to document the accident. This can be very offensive to the victims involved and make the work of the emergency services more difficult.

If you are first on the scene

  • Park your car safely so that you do not risk being hit or obstructing traffic.
  • Find out if there are any injuries. If so, call 112.
  • Switch on the hazard lights on your vehicle and place a warning triangle behind the accident site to warn other road users.
  • Only move people if there is an immediate risk to their lives. For example, if there is a risk of fire or of being hit by a car.
  • A person in medical shock may become confused and wander into the forest or into traffic. The state of shock is life-threatening. Take care of them.
  • Listen to the rescuers. Stay away if they tell you to.

If you get involved in a road accident  

If you drive into the water

When your car enters the water, you need to get out quickly. In modern cars, you have 30-60 seconds before the car starts to sink. Once under the surface, the pressure of the water is high and it can be difficult to open the car doors. Moreover, if the water damages the electrical system, you will not be able to pull down the side windows.

An emergency hammer with a belt cutter is used to cut the seatbelt if you are stuck and break the windows to get out. Keep in mind that the front window is made of laminated glass which makes it very difficult to break. Find out if this also applies to your side windows.

Types of road accidents

Submersion  

When your car goes into the water, you need to get out quickly. In modern cars, you have 30-60 seconds before your car starts to sink. Once under the surface, the pressure from the water is high and it can be difficult to open the car doors. In addition, if the water damages the electrical system, you won't be able to pull down the side windows.

With an emergency hammer with a belt cutter, you can both cut the seatbelt if you get stuck and smash the windows to get out. Keep in mind that the front window is made of laminated glass, which makes it very difficult to break. Find out if this also applies to your side windows.

Wildlife collisions

A moose can weigh several hundred kilos. If a collision is unavoidable, aim for the rear of the moose. This makes it less likely that the animal will fall over the bonnet and through the windscreen. Do not give way to smaller animals. It is often a better option to drive straight into it than down into unknown terrain.

You have a duty to report wildlife accidents, even if the animal survives. The police will then seek it out to assess the damage.