There are a lot of minor car accidents on the roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 5 million property-only accidents took place in the United States in 2016.

As a driver, the worst moment has to be that instant right after you got into a car accident. Fortunately everyone is ok and it's only a minor accident. 

If you find yourself in a minor accident situation and need to know the proper procedures of what to do next, please consider the following guide:

If you are involved in a minor car accident on the road or freeway, make sure you pull over to a safe spot first. Remaining on the road or other unsafe areas could result in further damage to you and other cars. 

If you are unable to move your car and it is unsafe to remain with your car, walk to a safe location such as behind a road barrier and wait for help. 

Once you are in a safe location, contact the police right away to report the accident. 

The dispatcher on the phone will inform you if a police officer is en route to the accident scene and provide you with an estimated arrival time of the officer.

While waiting for the police to arrive, you may approach the driver or passengers of the other car. However, always refrain from discussing any accident details with them.

If you are in a safe location, use your phone to take several photos of all the cars involved. In particular, focus on the damaged areas of the cars. It is also helpful to take a clear picture of license plates of the other car(s).

These photos will be helpful to illustrate how the accident took place and may be beneficial during the claim process.

If there are pedestrians or other drivers nearby who may have witnessed the accident, inquire if they would be willing to provide their name and contact information to you.

A statement from independent witnesses can come in very handy in certain claim situations.

After the police officer arrives, he or she will gather all the information needed for a collision report, including your account of how the accident happened. The officer will then hand you a document known as the "Exchange of Information." This document contains information of all vehicles, and drivers involved in the accident, necessary to file a complete insurance claim.

We encourage you to take a picture of this document with your phone, for safekeeping purposes and to send it to your insurance agent.

In the scenario where the police does not respond to the accident scene, remember to obtain information from the other driver directly, including the driver's name, contact information, and insurance information. 

If your car is not safe to drive, it will have to be towed. If you have an emergency roadside assistance membership such as AAA or Allstate Motor Club, you can call for towing service directly using your membership.

Responding police officer or your insurance agent can also help to call for towing service on your behalf. 

Remember, you will need to provide your tow truck driver a destination for your car, either an auto body shop or back home. If you are not able to decide right away, the tow truck driver can also tow it back to their tow yard in the meantime.

Most tow yards do charge a storage fee while your car is stored in their premises. 

Keep in mind, if you did not go through a roadside assistance membership or called a tow truck yourself, you will be responsible for the towing cost. If you carry collision coverage on your auto policy, this towing cost will most likely be covered under your collision coverage.

As soon as you are able, call your insurance agent to report the incident. Forward all of the information obtained through above steps including pictures of documents, and your agent will be able to file a claim and guide you through the claim process.