Crash management essentials: Key steps for driver safety and operational resilience

By Steven Bojan – Director of Safety Services for Transportation, Sentry Insurance
For truck drivers and fleet owners, time on the road is essential to get the job done. But with it comes an increased risk of accidents. Understanding your role in effective crash management is crucial. Knowing the right steps to take immediately after a crash can help protect you, your company, and other road users.

Knowing what to do in the event of a crash can help you in many ways:

• Personal safety: This is the primary concern after an accident. Knowing what to do—quickly—can help save lives and minimize injury. These are high-stress situations. Proper training, including knowing to call 911 first, can help you get through the process.

• Claims outcome: How you manage a crash can also influence the outcome of claims, impacting your operation's financial standing and reputation.

• Court verdicts: In this industry, we talk a lot about the current legal environment and the negative impact of nuclear verdicts—jury awards of $10 million or more. Personal injury lawyers—sometimes with the assistance of third-party litigation funding—are targeting trucking companies for big payouts. Ensure your drivers receive education and training on all safety measures and trucking regulations, especially post-accident procedures.

Let’s examine some of the primary points of accident management. I also encourage you to work with your fleet safety manager and insurance company to develop a crash management plan for your operation.

I like to say there are three rules for a crash: communicate, communicate, communicate. After the initial call to law enforcement, clear communication is essential between the driver and the fleet operator, as well as between the fleet operator and the insurance carrier.

The first communication should be to call 911.

Time is of the essence. Emergency teams usually clean up even the worst crashes within hours. There’s one chance to handle the situation correctly. You need to have a plan in place prior to the crash. Without one, even a minor crash can become serious.

Your insurance company has the resources to handle an accident. Their experienced claims adjusters will gather facts, contact the right people, and understand trucking regulations.

Your claims representative can assess whether to dispatch an independent claims adjuster to the scene or engage an attorney. They can also help with towing and recovery, so you’re not stuck with excessive towing costs.

Using careful communication is essential. Cooperate with law enforcement, but don’t make any statements. Don’t post on social media, send personal text messages, or email about the accident.

Share these tips with your drivers as part of your safety training:

1. Remain calm. Take a deep breath and don’t admit fault.

2. Stop immediately. Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime, which can bring severe penalties. Don’t leave until you receive permission from law enforcement.

3. Notify the police. Call 911 immediately, or have another motorist report the accident. Don’t leave your truck and cargo unguarded, except in an extreme emergency.

4. Protect the scene. Turn on your four-way flashers, and quickly—but safely—set out warning devices, following DOT regulations.

5. Help the injured. Assist anyone who’s hurt, but don’t move them unless absolutely necessary to prevent further injury or danger.

6. Notify your employer. Contact your dispatcher or company safety officer and provide a specific location and time, along with descriptions of any injuries or damage, the condition of the cargo, and where you can be reached.

7. Notify your claims department to report the crash. Call to report the crash—you can file claims 24 hours a day.

Every driver should have an accident kit in their cab. It includes all the information and tools they need to gather necessary information. At Sentry, we provide one for every driver we insure.

Once the scene is secure and everyone involved is safe, you can begin gathering information:

• Learn who was involved. Get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of those in the accident, as well as any witnesses. If the accident involves a hit-and-run, or the other driver refuses to share information, provide the police with all available details, including a license plate number.

• Provide your information. Give your name, your company’s name, and offer to show a driver’s license. But remember—admit nothing, promise nothing, and sign nothing. Don’t discuss accident details with anyone other than police and the representatives from your company.

• Record the scene. Don’t move any vehicles—unless it’s absolutely necessary to prevent further damage or injury—until you’ve photographed any skid marks, lights, road signs, and weather and road conditions. After you’ve documented and secured the scene, get pictures of all four corners of the damaged vehicles, license plates, and a full view of the scene—including road markings and traffic signals. Make sure you don’t photograph anyone who was injured or killed.

• Manage the recovery effort. If vehicles are disabled and require towing, ask the police whether you can call a towing service. At Sentry, we partner with Transit Pros, a national network of towing companies. If the police decline your offer, or if they’ve begun recovery efforts, monitor the scene and take photos of the towing operation from a safe distance. Note how long the towing company was on the scene, and if they performed any special tasks, such as a fuel spill cleanup. Track this information to help protect your company from potentially inflated towing fees.

Remember, this is just a brief outline of what to do, say, and document if you’re involved in an accident. Your company’s safety officer may provide further guidance.

In addition to helping improve driver safety and identifying risky driving behavior, using telematics can also help protect your fleet against claims.

Typically, people involved in an accident or those who witness an accident don’t see everything or are unable to recall full details. Telematics, such as cameras and GPS trackers, can provide real-time data and a video recording of the situation, taking guesswork and subjectivity out of the equation.

In the demanding world of trucking, effective crash management is essential to maintaining safety, efficiency, and resilience on the road.

Taking immediate, clear action following an accident—prioritizing personal safety, preserving critical information, and communicating with key parties—can make a significant difference in protecting both drivers and the company. A well-defined crash response plan, supported by tools like telematics, helps ensure accurate data collection, reduces liability risks, and enhances the claims process.

By following these recommended steps, drivers and fleet owners can uphold safety, reduce operational downtime, and foster a culture of professionalism and preparedness.