Nothing prepares you to brace for the impact of a car accident. It happens in an instant—the screeching tires, crunch of metal and flying glass shards seem unreal. If you’re able to get out of your car and assess the damage, it’s like you’re doing so in a daze. The adrenalin is running on high, you don’t feel any pain, not yet. All you can think about is what it’s going to cost to fix your car, if it isn’t totaled. As the back end looks like a crushed tuna can, you’re thinking it’s going to be scrap metal for the junkyard.
After the Accident: How Do You Feel?
Dealing with what’s left in the aftermath of an accident can be overwhelming. According to the psychiatrist and trauma specialist Sudhir Gadh, “When [people are] hurt—emotionally or physically—[they] naturally want to find a corner to hide in and despair over how or why something awful has happened to [them]. But indulging this impulse can inflame rumination, self-blame and fear.”
It can be scary to get back in the driver’s seat after an accident. It suddenly seems like everyone around you is driving at increased
speeds and ignoring traffic signals. Even pulling out of a parking lot brings anxiety to the surface.
Do not let the accident keep you from driving again. To overcome your driving anxiety, you must face your fear and force yourself to drive. Start with driving short distances, such as to the grocery store or park. As you get more comfortable, drive further. Get on the highway and progress to the freeway. Once you see that it’s relatively safe to drive, you’ll become more relaxed at the wheel and your anxiety will dissipate. And here’s some good news: we’re only involved in car accidents once every 18 years. Now that you have had this one, statistically speaking, it will be almost another two decades before there’s an increased chance of being involved in another accident. Sure, it’s a little dark to look at it this way, but if it gets you feeling comfortable driving again, that’s what matters.
After the Accident: Is Your Insurance Enough?
Being involved in a car crash more than frazzles the nerves. It shows you’re not invincible, that no matter your age, lifestyle or position, it can hit you hard and fast.
As if the damage to your car wasn’t enough, there’s dealing with the insurance company as well. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reports that there are four common complaints among consumers about their auto insurance:
-Insurance agent/company apathy
-Slow claims process
-Low reimbursement
-Late accident inquiries
After an accident, you’re going to want to file a claim with your auto insurance company. Depending on your insurance representative and the plan you have, this can be a painless or painful experience. Vehicle collisions are bad enough, but mix that with an indifferent insurance agent and paltry claim reimbursement, and it can feel like you’re being rear-ended all over again.
Don’t learn too late that your auto insurance package isn’t going to pull through for you when you need it the most. Talk to your insurance agent about your policy to make sure it includes the coverage you want it to and always be proactive about looking at and for other policies. When you visit sites like CoverHound to run a quick auto insurance rate comparison you might find a policy just like yours (or better) that costs less than what you’re paying for now.
If you had a chance to get better insurance coverage at a cheaper price, wouldn’t you take it? At some point in your driving career you will be involved in an accident. Make sure you’re covered.
Staff Writer; Peter Day
