Every parent of a new driver has the same fear: the phone call. "Mom, I got in a wreck." Your heart drops, and then your brain starts firing questions you hope they know the answers to. Most teens don't. They've never been in one, and driver's ed spent maybe twenty minutes on "what to do after a crash."

So here it is, the short version. Print this, fold it, and stick it in the glovebox with the insurance card. Tell your teen that if anything ever happens, this paper is step one.

The first ten minutes

  1. Take a breath. Nobody thinks clearly in a panic. Check yourself for injuries first, then your passengers.
  2. Get safe. If the car still moves, pull to the shoulder and turn on the hazards. If it doesn't move and you're not hurt, stay inside with the belt on.
  3. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or traffic is blocked. Even for a minor fender-bender, Oklahoma law requires a report if there's injury or $500+ in damage, and calling the police gets you that report, which matters later.
  4. Call you. After 911, before anything else. I don't care if they're sixteen or nineteen. They call.
  5. Take photos before the cars move. Damage on both cars, the whole intersection or stretch of road, license plate of the other car. Ten photos, thirty seconds.
  6. Get the other driver's info: name, phone, insurance company and policy number. A photo of their insurance card is easiest.
  7. Get a witness if there is one. Name and number. Witness statements settle more arguments than you'd think.
  8. Don't apologize, don't admit fault, don't argue. Be polite, exchange info, and that's it. Fault isn't decided at the scene.

After that, it's our job

Once everyone's safe and the info is exchanged, call us. That's literally what we're here for. We'll walk them through the claim, deal with the other driver's insurance company, and handle the repair process. Your kid shouldn't be negotiating with an adjuster. That's a bad afternoon for a grown adult, let alone a teenager.

One more thing worth saying out loud: if your teen has their own car on your policy, make sure they're actually listed as a driver. I've seen claims get messy because a new driver was "borrowing" a car the policy didn't know about. Takes two minutes to fix before it's ever a problem.

Glovebox version: Breathe → Get safe → 911 if needed → Call mom or dad → Photos → Other driver's info → Say nothing about fault → Call Brad at (405) 285-3218.

Want this tuned to your family's actual policy? Send us a note and we'll take a look (no charge, no pitch, just a quick review).