Minor car accidents - A minute by minute survival guide

Here are some good tips if you get into a fender bender...

What do you do if you have a minor collision with another vehicle on the road?

First 30 seconds:

1.Stay in the car.
2.Put your emergency flashers and headlights on full beam.
3.Switch off the engine.
4.Apply the handbrake.
5.Take deep breaths.
6.Check your passengers, especially children and old people are OK.

Second 30 seconds, if no-one is more than shaken up:

1.Check for signs of aggression from the other driver
2.If other driver is aggressive, stay in the car and ring the police.
3.If other driver is behaving in a reasonable way then open your door and get out.
4.Remember that everyone has elevated adrenaline levels in this situation and strive to think – calm.
5.Call the police

Next 4 minutes:

1.Consider whether your passengers are safer inside the car or outside.
2.Ask nearby drivers for their details and if they would be willing to act as witnesses.
3.Talk to the other driver, but never admit any responsibility for the accident.
4.Leave the car where it is, until the police have arrived, even if it is causing an obstruction.

Next 5 minutes:

1.Take photographs of cars and licence plates. Discretely try to include the other driver in your shots.
2.Take photos of the junction and road layout where the accident happened. Include road condition and weather.
3.Make notes. Was the other car driving with headlights? Was the other driver wearing glasses, or sunglasses? Did the other driver seem distracted by children or anything else in the car. Was the other driver drinking, using a phone or smoking when theaccident happened?

Next 15 minutes:

1.By now the police should have arrived. Answer their questions and stay calm.
2.Tell the police officer of any observations that are relevant, such as if the other driver was using a phone, or had no lights on.
3.Move your vehicle once the police officer has completed any measurements or other necessary observations.
4.Ask the police officer what the next stage is. Will there be any prosecution?
5.The police officer may give you an indication whether your vehicle is safe to drive home.
6.Make sure the police officer gives you an Incident Number and his or her name and number.
7.If your vehicle cannot be driven call a vehicle recovery service.

Later:

Call your insurance company and ask for a list of autobody repair facilities that they deal with in your area.

Your insurer will almost certainly have a list of Approved Repairers. These will be companies that the insurer has found inspected and found acceptable. Many companies will inflate estimates if they know that the bill is going to be paid by an insurance company. The estimates provided by Approved Repairers have been judged reasonable and uninflated.

The workshop receives a large part of its business from the insurance companies so are well motivated to stick to their rules, and not to add on damage repairs not arising from the insured accident.

To receive approval status the bodyshop will need to have jigs, paint-shops and ovens to heat the painted parts to ensure the work is up to the original quality.

While your car is in the bodyshop, ask them for estimates to make good any other body work damage that has not arisen from the accident. You will have to pay for this yourself, but the price is likely to be lower than if you just drove in off the street to have those jobs done.

Sassafras tea time

Ah! Sassafras tea!. Now is the time of year to dig some root!

Survival Foods For Hikers

 

Survival foods are not the most important thing in most emergency situations in the wilderness.  You survive weeks without eating if you have to, so it is usually more important to find shelter, water, and stay dry and uninjured. On the other hand, just knowing you can find food out there, and having something in your stomach, can do wonders for your state of mind, which CAN be crucial to your survival.

What then, do you need to know about survival foods? First forget the idea that you need to learn every last edible wild plant. I love learning about new edible plants, but very few of them provide enough calories to be worth the effort in a survival situation. What you need s to know a few basic categories of animals you can eat, and some of the most abundant and calorie-rich plants.

Survival Foods – The Animals

Mammals in North America can all be eaten (except for the livers of some arctic mammals). Since many carry parasites, wash your hands after handling them, and cook the meat if possible.

North American birds are all edible, and there eggs are too. I’ve even eaten seagull eggs cooked on a hot rock, and they tasted fine.

Fresh water fish in North America are all edible. Catching the fish is the difficult part, but they can be quickly and easily cooked over a fire.

Amphibians and reptiles are usually safe to eat – if you remove the skin. I have cooked snake in a stew and over a fire, and I recommend the latter.

Survival Foods – The Plants

Cattail is one of the most abundant and calorie-rich foods in the wilderness. The white part of the stalk at the bottom, and the new shoots, can be eaten raw or cooked. Flower spikes can be cooked like corn-on-the-cob when green. Roots can be mashed in water to release the starch, which can be added to soups. Pollen from the flower spike can be shaken into a bag and used in soups. Cattails grow in swamps or wet soil, and you really should get to know this plant.

The inner bark of pine trees is edible. It’s a good survival food to remember, because it is available year-round. That white spongy layer between the outer bark and the wood is what you want. Although it is mostly fiber, it contains enough carbohydrates to be worth boiling into a soup if nothing else is available.

Edible berries can be a delicious and filling survival food in the right season. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries all have their wild forms. If it looks like the domestic one (usually smaller) and smells and tastes like it, it’s safe to eat.

Of course it’s fun to know which mushrooms you can eat, and even which flowers are edible, but both of these have almost no calories. To quickly learn what you need to survive, concentrate first on the common animals and the most abundant and calorie-rich edible plants. Those are the survival foods that will most likely save your life.

If You Like Rustic Style, Check This Out

Chainsaw Carved Signs By Treasurewood

Here's the link

https://treasurewood.net/

What Items Should Be in My Car Emergency Survival Kit?

tterShare

What Items Should Be in My Car Emergency Survival Kit?

Everyone who owns a car should carry a car survival kit with them at all times. This is especially true for anyone who will be driving in remote areas. Even if you are simply planning a short drive across town, it is wise to have your survival kit with you in case of an accident or emergency. You never want to use it, but who knows when you may need it.

It can be easy to make your own survival kit at home or simply purchase one that is available on the market. Sometimes, it is necessary to add a couple of items to your personal survival kit even if the kit has been purchased from the store. Match the kit to suit your individual needs and location.

Don’t just buy a survival kit and toss it in the trunk of the car. Take a few moments to look over the items in the survival kit. The items in the kit are useless unless you properly know how to use them. Become familiar with the items before you really need them. An item that you can’t use effectively is not going to prolong your life in an emergency.

Always have a flashlight and batteries in the survival kit. An extra outfit is a good idea to keep on hand. Waterproof matches and candles are also an excellent idea. Keep a small can in your survival kit to use for melting snow. This will provide you drinking water. Road flares, jumper cables, and a small shovel are valuable tools to use. Keep a small stash of tools handy, such as a hammer, screwdriver, and adjustable wrench.

A pocket knife or survival knife can be one of the most versatile items to keep with you at all times in your pocket. Again, learn to use all of the features in this particular tool.

Keep a small supply of dried foods, energy bars, and bottled water in the vehicle. These will provide valuable nourishment to prolong survival until you can get the help you need.

Traveling in cold weather can be extremely dangerous. Always keep an extra blanket in the car with you at all times. Spare hats and gloves can help keep you warm and dry in an emergency. A bag of kitty litter can be helpful during snowy months. This item can help you to get the traction you need on the snow and ice.

Consider keeping a crank-style cell phone charger in your car emergency survival kit. This item may make it possible to charge your cell phone and call for help in the event of an emergency.

No one ever wants to use a car emergency survival kit, but it can save your life. Check your kit often to make sure all items are in place. Replace any items that have been used or removed. Consider practicing a mock emergency to refresh your memory on how to use some of the items in the kit. Taking the time to adequately prepare for an emergency can help you to survive in a serious situation.