Auto safety: A kit in time ...

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Car accidents are a bit like earthquakes. No one can predict when they’ll happen. But the difference is that, according to the National Safety Council, 1 in 8 licensed drivers is involved in an auto accident each year. So the odds are worse. There is, however, something we can do to limit the amount of damage in the aftermath: A company called DocuDent USA has produced a collision kit.

As the picture shows, it has a disposable camera to photograph the scene (don’t forget to shoot any tire tracks; that could come in handy if a case went to court), a few bandages, a place for documentation, an accident report form, an LED flashlight with a built-in tape measure, a pen and a whistle. All organized in a handy case.

It’s not always easy to keep a cool head after an accident. There’s invariably an element of being in shock. But if a cool head can prevail, it can record the circumstances more accurately, helping to protect against false injury claims, inflated damage claims and insurance fraud.

This $14.99 kit has already won the approval of the Department of Homeland Security, the California Highway Patrol and top insurance companies such as Allstate and Farmers.

— Colin Ryan