Would you stop if you witnessed an accident on the motorway?

Question

As travelling in the slow lane on the motorway a car in the middle lane cut in front of the car in front of me to take a VERY LATE turn off. The car hit the barrier full on and went in the air and somehow miracculsaley landed back on four wheels. The car in front stopped and pulled into the hard shoulder. I checked to see if the driver & his passenger were alive but should I have waited?

Answer 1

You should have stopped. You were a witness to a serious accident.

And even if you're sure the people were alive, maybe they were hurt, or needed cut out of the car.

Sorry - I think you behaved irresponsibly.

Answer 2

You can be a good Samaritan like my brother some years ago when a lorry ran over a car due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel killing all but a baby in the car.He went to court to give evidence and the drivers solicitor just slagged him off saying he did not see the accident when he was in the middle lane overtaking this slower car,so today he feels why be a witness and just be humiliated in court for doing the correct thing.

Answer 3

Yes, as a witness to an accident you have a civic duty to give details to the local police. If it is a serious accident you may have details that the police cannot know ie you were cut up by the same driver etc.

Also the road ahead of you may have debris, so it is not a good idea to move unless you can see there is no debris in the road.

The thing to be aware of is your safety and those of others around you. It's no good stopping if you are going to cause more problems or don't help. Remember you can't help if you get hurt or killed yourself.

Answer 4

There are two sides to this case. One is as a witness. The other is as a first responder or medical aid giver. By law, you are required to remain at the scene of an accident if you are a witness. You can leave once an officer releases you. Also, you are supposed to assess the dangers involved. If there are hazards in the area or the accident involves hazards, then you are supposed to act in your best interest within the confines of the law. You are supposed to get to a safe place and contact police with your information. You are to make yourself available for questioning. If it is clear that another witnessed the accident and has good information, it might be tolerable for you to leave. BUT, you are supposed to stay until an officer tells you that you can leave.
From the first aid view, this differs by state. Unless you are trained, no state requires you to render aid. Some states do if you are trained to render medical aid. Again you are to act in your best interest. If it is not safe to render aid you are relieved of that responsibility. Some states have what is called a good Samaritan law. If you render aid to the best of you ability, then you cannot be sued for any medical accident. You have to act in good faith and in the realm of your knowledge. Basically, don't do anything you don't know how to do. At the same time, don't be afraid to do what you know to do.
The is one more issue. You need to be aware of biological hazards. Unknown biological liquids such as blood should be regarded as lethal. You have no idea of what disease the injured person has. It might be a good idea to keep a set of gloves and a face shield in your car along with other emergency supplies like blankets and a spare tire. You render aid at your own risk. I personally don't want to get hepatitis or HIV because I rendered aid. Sexually transmitted diseases don't have to be transmitted sexually. All it takes is an exchange of any body fluids.
So there are some of the facts. I haven't even touched chemical spills or criminals. Other than being a witness, and sometimes that too, anything you do is at your own risk. Don't expect the recipient of a good deed to be appreciative. If you do something good, then you do it for yourself and not for others. Usually it will be appreciated, but don't expect it.

Answer 5

In the UK it is against the law to stop on a motorway
and also very dangerous to do so.
You cannot pull over on the hard shoulder as this is also against
the law,and you would be blocking emergency and police vehicles from getting to that or other accidents.
If you do stop on the motorway you will be an accident
waiting to happen.
But i would stop to help.

Answer 6

yes always stop I had an illegal alien hit my car while sitting at a stop light and then the guy drove off I had to follow him to get him to stop. Another person sitting at the light also followed the guy driving tried to switch spots with the passenger the whole thing was a mess but if it wasn't for the other witness I would have had problems with the police beliving my story. I will always help out

Answer 7

NO you should not have waited! You did the wright thing. In some States if you witness an accident and don't stop you could be heavily fined and even arrested for leaving the scene of an accident.Besides that what if it were you and you needed help,and had to wait for someone to make a decision to stop and get help, you could be there for hours, but thank God there are people like you that has enough courage and foresight to take time to stop. THANKS FOR BEING YOU.

Answer 8

You should have stopped as there may have been an injury which required an ambulance. If you had stopped to check the vehicle might not have been movable safely and need the police to be in attendance.If all was well you could still have contacted the police from home to offer your witness statement.
Have a happy Christmas and remember not to drink and drive.

Answer 9

I would have. Sometimes the recollection of multiple witnesses is required to substantiate the driver's accounting of what happened. You know, after going airborne and slamming back down, even if the occupants of the car weren't injured, their memory of the sequence of events leading up to the accident may be altered.

Answer 10

As a rule if I see other people stopping then I continue on my way.... If I am the first on the scene then I stop and try to help.. Also if I approach an accident that I can tell doesn't need my help I continue at a safe speed , It really burns my rump when rubber neckers almost come to a complete stop just too look... they need to get on about their business and not cause another accident...

Answer 11

Hmmm, if you were the only witness to the accident, i would say yes. Some day you may be in a wreck and wish someone had witnessed it and stuck around to assist iin police report.