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Maine driving lesson · Emergencies and Vehicle Problems

After a crash: reporting and first aid

A 4-minute lesson from the Maine course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Emergencies and Vehicle Problems
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
96, 97

If you're in a crash, the law expects you to stop, help, exchange information and report it. If you're first on a scene with injuries, a few basic first-aid rules can save a life, and a few mistakes can make things worse.

If you're involved in an accident:

  • Stop at once, give all possible aid to anyone injured, and send for an ambulance if needed
  • Don't move an injured person unless another danger requires it
  • Stay at the scene until police arrive and have questioned everyone involved
  • If you can, move your car off the road so you don't block traffic
  • Get names and addresses of everyone involved, all witnesses and any injured persons
Handbook p. 96 ↗

Record the other driver's:

  • Name and address (make sure it matches the license)
  • Make, model and year of car
  • Driver's license number
  • License plate number
  • Insurance company name
  • Damage to his or her car
Handbook p. 96 ↗

Make a note of:

  • The time, date and place
  • Positions and directions of cars and pedestrians before and after the crash
  • Bad weather or road conditions
Handbook p. 96 ↗

Know the rule

Always contact the police if anyone is injured. Give them the facts about the accident at the time it happens.

Handbook p. 96 ↗

If you damage a parked car and can't find the owner, leave a note with:

  • Your name and address
  • Your driver's license number
  • Your license plate number
  • The date and time of the accident
  • A description of the damage
Handbook p. 96 ↗
$2,000

Property damage at or above this (or any injury) must be reported to the police or local sheriff

Handbook p. 96 ↗

Know the rule

Failing to report a reportable accident can bring criminal charges and a license suspension.

Handbook p. 96 ↗

Know the rule

In a non-reportable accident that injures or kills a dog, cat or livestock, you must take reasonable steps to notify the owner or, if not found, local law enforcement or animal control.

Handbook p. 96 ↗

Know the rule

If emergency medical help is already on the scene, follow their instructions and watch the road and traffic officers, not the accident.

Handbook p. 97 ↗

Basic first aid when help isn't there yet:

  • Don't move a victim unless fire or another danger requires it
  • If you must, keep back and neck straight: arms under the victim, grab clothing, pull head-first
  • Stay away from downed wires; if they touch the car, tell occupants to stay inside
  • Not breathing? Start CPR if properly trained, or mouth-to-mouth breathing
  • Stop bleeding with direct pressure; lift an arm or leg if no bones seem broken
  • No ointment or grease on burns: use cold water and cover with a clean cloth
  • Give an injured person nothing to drink, not even water
  • Cover the victim with a blanket or coat to keep warm and help prevent shock
Handbook p. 97 ↗

Put it into practice

You back into a parked car at the grocery store, leaving a dent, and the owner is nowhere around. Try to find them; if you can't, leave a note where they'll see it with your name, address, license number, plate, the date and time, and a description of the damage.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

At what property damage threshold must an accident be reported to police in Maine?
  1. $500 or more
  2. $2,000 or more
  3. $5,000 or more
  4. $1,000 or more

Answer: $2,000 or more

Accidents involving injury or $2,000 or more in property damage must be reported to police.

Handbook p. 96 ↗
Should you move an injured person after a crash?
  1. Never, under any circumstance
  2. Always, to a nearby sidewalk
  3. Only if they ask to be moved
  4. Only if there is another danger, like fire

Answer: Only if there is another danger, like fire

Don't move a victim unless absolutely necessary due to fire or another life-threatening danger.

Handbook p. 97 ↗
What should you avoid giving an injured person at the scene of a crash?
  1. Calm, reassuring verbal encouragement
  2. Steady pressure on a bleeding wound
  3. Anything to drink, including water
  4. A blanket for added warmth

Answer: Anything to drink, including water

Do not give an injured person anything to drink, not even water.

Handbook p. 97 ↗
If a parked car is damaged and the owner cannot be found, what should you do?
  1. Leave a note with your information where the owner can find it
  2. Call your insurer, then leave
  3. Report it only if asked later
  4. Leave only your phone number

Answer: Leave a note with your information where the owner can find it

If the owner can't be found, leave a note with your name, address, license number, and plate number.

Handbook p. 96 ↗
What must operators do if they are in a non-reportable accident that injures a dog, cat, or livestock?
  1. Nothing is required
  2. Take reasonable steps to notify the owner or local authorities
  3. File a written report with the BMV
  4. Notify only your insurance company

Answer: Take reasonable steps to notify the owner or local authorities

Operators must take reasonable steps to notify the owner, or local law enforcement or animal control.

Handbook p. 96 ↗
You should apply ointment or grease to a burn before covering it with a cloth.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

You should not put ointment or grease on burns; use cold water and cover with a clean cloth instead.

Handbook p. 97 ↗
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