This Blog has been written and provided by An Post Insurance – #ad Car accidents can be overwhelming, so it’s important to be prepared to avoid panic. Our friends in An Post Insurance have some useful advice in this 5-step checklist Whether it’s a nudge in a car park or a more serious crash on the road, many of us will hear the squeal of brakes and the crunch of a bumper at some point in our lives. Thankfully, most car accidents involve no more than some scuffed metal and a bruised ego or two, but they do make for a stressful experience. Being prepared can help you avoid panic and get the best result from a difficult situation. Based on An Post Insurance’s many years of experience working with Irish motorists, they’ve put together a handy checklist to keep in mind should the worst happen when you’re behind the wheel. First things first If somebody is injured, call the emergency services straight away. If not, you’ll still need to contact An Garda Síochána, as they need to be informed as soon as possible after an accident, and definitely within 24 hours if the crash injures a person or animal or if your car is stolen or damaged. Apart from the legal requirement to contact the Gardai, they’ve also seen plenty of accidents before, and will be able to help guide you through the process. Keep your cool It’s easy to get flustered and perhaps even angry in the event of an accident, but it’s important that you don’t get into a conversation about blame and don’t accept responsibility – you don’t want to make an off-the-cuff statement you might regret later. Try to stay calm and polite – even if it means counting to ten several times over! Take notes You’ll need to take the registration numbers and insurance policy numbers of all the cars involved (if the licence plate is damaged, you can find these on the tax disc and insurance disc on the windscreen). You should also get the name, mobile number and the address of the other driver, and any witnesses that might have seen the accident. It’s a good idea to keep a pen and paper in your car for this purpose – it can be difficult to type into a phone if you’ve had...