Luckily, the overall rate of car accidents has steadily declined in the state of New York over the last four years. A report from Reuters shows how ongoing safety programs have reduced the rate of fatalities of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on state roads.
If you see a collision as a pedestrian, then your instinct may be to simply walk away. After all, you may feel like it is none of your concern. However, you may be able to help ensure that anyone who sustained injuries will have their expenses covered if you can stick around the scene to lend a helping hand.
Avoid putting yourself in danger
It is great if you want to help, but you should never put yourself in danger. If the collision happened in the middle of the road, then avoid racing out to help people. Other lanes of traffic may remain open, and you do not want to risk getting hit.
Call the police
It will help both drivers tremendously if there is an official police report of the accident. You will not know at this point if anyone has suffered any injuries, so it is best to play it safe and have both the police and medical personnel come out just in case. You can report anonymously if you wish.
Do not perform medical treatment
You need to be cautious of performing CPR at the scene. If something goes wrong, then you open yourself up to liability. Call an EMT to drive over to the scene to see if any treatments are necessary.
Give your statement to the police
When the police arrive, you should offer to provide a statement. Your testimony may help provide a clearer picture of who was ultimately responsible for the crash. The police may ask for your contact information in case they need any more information. Provide it to officers as well as both drivers. There is a good chance you will not hear from them again, but it is good to offer it.