Car insurers are used to helping their customers through the trauma of motoring accidents and pass on their tips. Sarah Routledge drives through how to survive a crash.

"Having an accident is something none of us expects to have yet, statistically, we are all likely to have at least one during our driving career," says Ian Crowder, from the AA.

"The first thing is to take a few deep breaths to calm yourself down; gather your wits," he adds.

Safety first

"Check first to see if anyone is hurt and call the emergency services – the police will normally call the ambulance service if necessary, and vice-versa," says Mr Crowder.

"If anyone is in danger, for example stranded in a car in the outside lane, do your best to help but don’t put yourself in danger. Call the police."

"Safety is paramount," Erik Nelson from Norwich Union agrees.

"If you think you might be injured, call the emergency services. Obviously once you are sure you are OK, move your car to a safe position.

"You need to make sure your car is not presenting a hazard to other road users. You also have to make sure you are standing somewhere safe too," Mr Nelson adds.

Details, details

"The most important thing is the car number plate," says Mr Nelson. "Obviously, you should also get the other driver's name and address, but the vehicle registration is the key link to that driver."

Make sure you get as many details as you can – not only from the other driver, but of the accident.

"Use your mobile phone to take some pictures," Mr Crowder recommends.

"Were there any witnesses? Get their names and telephone numbers.

"Make a note of your surroundings and the circumstances of the accident – was it wet? Foggy? Traffic lights? Were there potholes, debris or oil on the road that contributed?" he adds.

Admiral claims director, Stuart Morgan, says: "Being in a car accident, no matter how minor is very stressful and it's easy to panic."

But taking down crucial details in the immediate aftermath can prove invaluable if you subsequently make a claim, or one is made against you.

"If it's safe to do so, use your camera phone to take photographs of the damage to both cars and the general location of the accident. If you don't have a camera phone, carry a disposable camera in your car," Admiral says.

Admiral also advises discretely checking to see if the other driver's tax disk is out of date. If it is, phone the police. An out of date tax disk could mean an uninsured driver.

"If you are worried about the circumstances of the accident, for instance that the other driver was drunk, under the influence of drugs, has an out of date tax disk (which might suggest they don’t have insurance either), the car seems unroadworthy (such as bald tyres), call the police no matter how minor the accident seems," Mr Crowder adds.

The blame game

If one party immediately admits fault after an accident, this will make the whole process of claiming simpler. But insurers warn their customers not to take responsibility straight away as this can be decided later and you may regret admitting liability in the heat of the moment.

"Don't feel pressured into taking the blame," Mr Nelson says.

There may be a dispute over who is to blame for the crash – even in a driver admits fault at the time, they may change their mind later.

Insurers recommend you make notes about the accident to make it easier to sort out responsibility later.

Asia Manzoor, from eSure, says: "You may be asked for a diagram of the accident scene. It will be easiest if you draw this as soon as possible after the accident when details are fresh in your mind.

"The diagram should show the position of the vehicles involved both before and after the accident and note the speeds, distances, road layout, road signs and any obstructions to your and other road users' view. Also make a note of where witnesses were standing.

"As soon as possible after the accident you must report it to to your insurer even if you do not want to make a claim," she adds.

Reporting an accident is not the same as claiming for one, and you should do this even if the accident is small and you have both decided not to go through your insurers to sort it out.

Mr Nelson explains: "If you tell your insurer, they can hear your side of the story and make a file on the incident. This is important in case the other party may decide to make a claim after all, and you may want to dispute it."

Make a claim

You should call your insurer as soon as possible after your accident, as processing the claim could take a while – especially if there is a dispute over blame, or if a foreign or uninsured driver is involved.

If the other driver does not have any insurance, you may be able to make a claim through the Motor Insurer's Bureau. Your own insurer should be able to help you out with advice if this is the case.

And if you need to spend any money on transport to get to your destination in the case your car is towed away, you should keep all your receipts.

"If the accident was not your fault you should be able to claim for such expenses as 'uninsured losses' along with your excess," says Mr Crowder.

Hopefully your insurer will deal with your claim efficiently – but if you are unhappy with how it is progressing, and you bought it through a broker such as AA Insurance, you can ask your broker to step in and mediate on your behalf.

After…

"If you've been in an accident, sometimes sitting behind the wheel again can be difficult," says Mr Nelson.

"Norwich Union offers physiotherapy to accident victims, but also confidence training to help people back on the road," he adds.

"Get driving again as soon as you can," Mr Crowder advises.

"Thankfully, accidents are still very rare and the number of accident claims is constantly falling. British roads are among the safest to drive on in the world, amazing as it may seem.

"By driving again soon, you will soon get your confidence back."

And if you can take any lessons from your accident – like watching your speed, or taking care to maintain a safe distance – this could help you avoid crashes in the future.