LESSON
Make predictions
READING
GET READY
Lena reads an article about what to
do after a car accident. Look at the
title. What advice do you think the
article gives?
READ
Listen and read the article. Were your guesses correct?
Drivers know traffic rules and traffic signs. They have
learned how to drive carefully and prevent accidents.
But accidents still happen. Unfortunately most people
don’t know what they should do then. Do you? Read
these six tips to make sure you’re prepared.
1. Don’t leave.
When accidents happen, you may get
scared and want to drive away. But don’t! You should
never leave the scene of the accident. Even if you
think the accident is your fault, leaving is worse.
In fact, it’s a crime, and people who “hit and run”
could receive tough punishments.
2. Check whether everyone is OK.
You may be
worried your car is badly damaged, but worry about
people first. You should make sure you’re not hurt
and then check on everyone else—your passengers,
the other driver, and passengers in other vehicles.
If someone is hurt, call for medical help.
3. Make calls and file reports.
If no one is hurt,
call the police. The police will file an accident report
that might be useful when filing insurance claims.
4. Talk to the other driver.
You need to share
information. Make sure to exchange names and
contact information. Also make sure to get the other
driver’s insurance details and driver’s license number.
You should even write down the license plate number.
Don’t feel bad about this because they’ll be writing
down your details, too.
5. Don’t apologize!
One of the biggest mistakes
people make is apologizing for the accident. Don’t
ever say “I’m sorry.” Apologizing may make you
legally responsible and you may learn that it wasn’t
your fault . . . even when you think it is.
6. Take pictures.
These days many people have a
smartphone with a built-in camera. Use it to record the
damages and the accident scene. There is no such thing
as too much documentation, and photographs help
support the factual information.
With accidents numbering in the millions every year, it
is very important to know what to do after an accident.
Hopefully accidents won’t happen. But keep this list in
your glove compartment anyway, just in case you need it.
Know What To Do After the Crash
t
2004
10.0
2005
2006
Year
Source:
Data from the United States Census Bureau.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Number in Millions
2007
2008
10.2
10.4
10.6
10.8
10.9
10.7
10.4
10.6
10.2
11.0
6
Good readers make predictions or take guesses
about what they will read.
Making predictions
helps
you understand new information and connect it to
information you already know. It is a good idea to look at
the title and make predictions about what you will learn.
Reading Skill
40
UNIT 3
