Holiday Travel and Hit and Run Carnage
The Hit-and-Run accident is a more common occurrence than you may believe. Most responsible drivers think that this type of event is something that happens in movies to make the scene more climatic because they believe that no one would do that in real life. Sadly, this is not the case. Hit-and-run occurrences account for 2 out of every 100 accidents, and are usually the result of panic. With the upcoming holidays and celebrations that often involve alcohol, gird yourself against the unthinkable before you hit the road.
Fear and Logic
When a person is placed in the position to be afraid, it is usually for two different reasons. They are either afraid that something bad has happened as a result of their actions, or they believe that something bad is going to happen. In the case of a car accident, the fear emotion is usually a result of both of these thought processes. In the presence of fear, logic is absent. Fearful or phobic people cannot reason logically because their emotions have taken over.
With fear, the body tries to process a stressful stimulus through the condition of fight-or-flight. The heart will race and breathing will quicken. The muscles in the body will prepare for battle. When the brain has received this stressful stimulus, it thinks of reactions to deal with the stress.
Sometimes, the brain triggers automatic responses from the body. In that instance, a person might not even know what they are doing. This is the fight or flight reaction instilled in humans from the caveman days. The brain tells the caveman to stand firm and fight the dinosaur bravely or run like the dickens away from that man-eating monster.
The three most common reasons that a driver leaves the scene of an accident, as documented through police reports after they have been caught, are as follows:
• Fear of a DUI Arrest. Driving under the influence is a very serious offense in every state. An Orlando DUI attorney states that penalties attached to this type of offense can be as minor as a license suspension and fine, to as serious as incarceration. In addition, the public humility of having to admit to friends and family that one was irresponsibly drinking and driving is enough “fear stimulation” to cause a person to flee the scene of an accident in an attempt to hide their intoxication.
• Fear of Jail Time. Many drivers, especially young and inexperienced ones, believe that they will automatically be arrested and taken to jail if they are the cause of an accident. While there may be some extreme cases where this may occur, the at-fault party is usually only ticketed at the scene of the accident and must appear in court. The thought of going to jail, however, is so scary for some people that they will do anything to escape this type of event. But fleeing the scene only proves to make them look guilty.
• Fear of Being Blamed. It is almost too hard to describe the thought processes of someone who cannot accept responsibility for any of their actions. They are terrified of being named at fault for an accident. They experience a true form of anxiety, and the person suffering from this type of emotional stress will make very poor decisions in an effort not to be placed at blame. The emotions they feel are so strong at the time of the accident, they will do whatever it takes to leave just so a person of authority cannot tell them they are at fault.
Fear and anxiety can be very powerful emotions and cause people not to react in a logical manner when they are facing a crisis. Even the most stable or logical person can be guilty of fleeing the scene. During the aftermath of an accident, emotions are usually high among all parties involved. Fingers may be pointed or heated words might be exchanged. It is never a good idea to trade offensive words with the other party. It is also not a good idea to leave the scene of the accident.
Accidents should never be handled when tempers are high. Try to stay calm at the scene, collect necessary driver and insurance information from all parties, take a few photos of the damaged vehicles. And don’t ever offer any unneeded information to anyone. Most of all, be responsible for your actions and face the consequences logically.
Debbie Nguyen is a graphic designer, blogger and mother. After one fender bender, her son fearfully said, “I’m going to jail.” His inexperience accounted for this paranoia and fear. Instilling calm was key to dealing with him at the scene. Orlando DUI attorneys at Katz & Phillips calmly and successfully steer drivers through the high-stress legal roads surrounding drinking and driving infractions.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/banky177/1013532805/
Category: Family Finances, Law, Medical Insurance
