Handing over the keys is a big moment. Before your new driver heads out on their own, slip this free card into the glovebox. If a crash ever happens, it tells them what to do first and what to write down, at the moment nobody can think straight.
The first notes after a crash become the start of a clear record, and a clear record helps your teen get the care they need to recover well.
If you are ever in a crash
First, get to safety. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
Get checked the same day, even if you feel alright. Some injuries show up later.
Report it to police and your insurer, and write down who you spoke to.
Call or text 988 for crisis support · Call 811 for health advice
Write down at the scene
- Date, time and exact place
- Other driver: name, phone, plate, insurer and policy number
- Witnesses: names and phone numbers
- Police: officer, badge and report number
- Photos: vehicles, road, weather and any injuries
Talk it through together
A few minutes now makes the card easier to use later. Sit down with your new driver and go over it once:
- Read both sides of the card out loud together.
- Agree that once everyone is safe, they call you next. Put your number in their phone as an emergency contact.
- Show them where the insurance and registration papers are kept.
- Remind them to get checked the same day, even if they feel fine. Young people often say they are alright when they are not.
- Make sure they know how to take photos of the scene, the road and the weather.
If your teen is hurt
Headaches, neck pain, trouble sleeping or changes in mood can show up days after a crash. A short daily note of how your teen feels, every appointment and every call with the insurer becomes the record their recovery is built on. You can keep it for them, and they can add to it when they are ready.
Our article Your Teen Was in a Car Accident: What Families Should Write Down walks you through it, and the free Pain and Symptom Tracker is an easy place to start tonight.
How to print it
- Press Print your card and print at 100%, on regular paper or card stock.
- Cut along the dashed line around both sides.
- Fold in the middle so the two sides face out, and tape or glue them together.
- Slip it into the glovebox beside the registration, or into your new driver’s wallet. Make one for every driver in the family.
For driving schools and organizations
Driving schools, schools, victim services and community groups are welcome to print and hand out this card. Want a version with your name on it? Write to Recovery@hurtsquare.ca.
Hurt anywhere in Canada? Your province’s page lists the deadlines that matter.
General information, not legal or medical advice. Recovery First. Pressure Last.