Roadside emergencies take two major forms: car trouble and accidents. If you have car trouble, your major concerns are to stay safe on the side of the road and get in touch with someone who can assist you; in an accident, you may need to get medical help for yourself or a passenger, or document damage to show to insurance companies. Both situations can be dealt with using the easy-to-remember acronym SASS.

The first S in SASS stands for Survey. With car trouble, try to pull off the road and park your car safely to minimize your risk of getting injured or causing an accident. Then try to decide what is wrong; some things (like a flat tire or an empty gas tank) are easy to identify while other issues may have you stumped.

Do your best to determine the trouble so you can tell a tow company or auto club what’s wrong. If there’s been an accident, you need to survey all passengers of your vehicle – including yourself – to find out if anyone has been injured and, if so, to what extent.

The A in SASS stands for Alert – which can mean calling a tow truck, an auto club like AAA, or, in the event of an accident, alerting the police or calling for an ambulance. Survey first so you know the important information, and then alert the proper individuals to get assistance or aid as soon as possible.

Finally, the SS stands for Stay Safe. In the event of an accident, this means doing what you can to take care of minor injuries (such as small cuts) with the first aid supplies you have on hand. If a passenger has hit his or her head, keep him or her awake until medical assistance has arrived, in case he or she has a concussion.

Remember: if a passenger has been seriously injured, don’t try to move him or her before EMTs have arrived; you risk doing more damage and putting the person in more danger. Stay calm and try to keep yourself and your passengers warm and safe.

In any situation, do what you can to make your vehicle visible on the side of the road by putting your hazard lights on and using road flares if you have them. The more visible your vehicle is to passing cars, the less likely you are to cause an accident or be injured by a passing motorist.

If your car has broken down and you need to wait a while for assistance, stay in your locked car with the heat on. (If you don’t have heat, wrap yourself in a blanket or whatever else you have to stay warm in cold weather. Stay hydrated and alert.)

Car trouble and accidents are nearly impossible to predict, but by being prepared with basic safety knowledge and a car safety kit, there’s a good chance you and your passengers can deftly handle any roadside situation.

Remember SASS: survey the damage and/or injuries; alert an auto club, a tow truck, the police and/or an ambulance; and stay safe by keeping yourself and other passengers visible, warm, and protected.

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