Help! What Should I Do if My Car Flips Over?

While you hope it never happens, there may come a day where you get in an accident and your car flips over.

When it flips, it has the potential to end up completely upside down, with you still in the car. That can be a terrifying situation.

There are several important things to do when you’re stuck in this life-threatening predicament.

Thankfully, you’re reading this article so that you’ll now know what to do and when to do so.

Here are the steps to take if your car flips over. Memorize each step for future use.

The first step on this list has to do with the process leading to your car flipping over.

There is a brief moment in between the incident and the moment your car flips over that you need to remember. 

Most people’s natural reaction is to grab the steering wheel and try to bring it back into control. 

However, your car has already lost control. There’s nothing you can do to stop it from losing control now. Now, your top priority is bracing yourself for the upcoming impact. 

Try to cross your arms in the shape of an “X” across your body and press yourself up against your seat as much as possible. Duck your head a bit so that if the car starts to roll over, the roof doesn’t reach you when it collapses.

One of the most important things to do is try to stay as calm as you and your passengers possibly can. 

It’s a high-stress moment, and completely understandable that you’d be afraid, but try to stay calm. Remember to take a few deep breaths and take stock of your surroundings.

Losing your cool can lead to you skipping a crucial step or creating an even more dangerous scenario for yourself.

More than likely, your instincts and adrenaline are going to start kicking in, so try to stay as alert as possible.

Don’t worry about details such as towing your vehicle during this time. You can worry about that once you’re safely away from harm.

As soon as the car stops rolling and comes to a complete stop, the first thing you need to do is check for injuries.

Start by checking yourself for any injuries, so go from head to toe and see if there’s any pain, bleeding, or bruising. If you happen to have an injury, don’t panic, just make sure it isn’t so severe that you can’t move.

After you’ve checked yourself, ask all other passengers if they’ve done the same.

Remember, the point here is to make sure everyone is physically capable of exiting the vehicle without causing further injury to themselves.

This step can actually be done while you’re checking yourself and others for injuries. 

Turn off the engine to your vehicle right away so that further damage isn’t done, such as a car fire from leaking gasoline.

Letting the car run can lead to further complications and also make the situation much more dangerous. Since you won’t want to reenter the car after exiting, be sure to turn the car off before you make your escape.

Now that the vehicle has been turned off and you’ve deemed everyone in good enough condition to move, it’s time to exit the car.

Try to avoid as much shattered glass or protruding metal that may be in your way as you exit. 

The name of the game is to get out of the car as soon as possible. Be as careful as you can, but make sure that you and your passengers have a sense of urgency in walking away from the vehicle.

Since you’ve been focused on keeping yourself calm and checking for injury, you probably didn’t even take stock of where the car ended up. It could be on the side of the road, but it could also still be on the road.

Be sure that you exercise caution while exiting your vehicle. Remind all of your passengers to do the same.

Exit the vehicle and then make sure the coast is clear before giving yourself a good amount of distance between you and the car.

Now that everyone is out of the vehicle and a say distance away from the upside-down car, it’s time to call for help.

The operator will ask you a series of questions to gauge how much attention you need. Because of that, make sure you have a firm understanding of everyone’s physical condition.

Does anyone need immediate medical attention? How many people are with you? Is there another car that’s also involved in the accident? Where are you located?

After calling 911, you’ll want to gather as many photos and witnesses as possible for the inevitable insurance claim ahead. The more proof that you have on your side, the more you’re protected.

After your car flipped over, you may feel as if there’s no possible way to get it off the road.

Call a towing service to get your car where it needs to be. You’ll have one less thing to worry about in that high-stress moment.

In times like this, you’ll be especially concerned about your child’s safety. Read here for more information on how to prevent child car injuries in a collision.

For more inquiries, please feel free to reach out via our contact us page and we’ll be happy to assist you further.