What you should do at an accident scene
Someday, you will either be involved or come across an accident.
The first recorded automobile accident happened in 1771 when a steam-powered contraption piloted by one Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot crashed into a wall in a French town.
Since then road accident numbers have been piling up and chances are that somewhere, someday, you will either be involved or come across an accident.
If you are one of those involved, and hurt, your fate is in the hands of those first on the scene and the paramedics.
But what if you are the first to come across an accident scene?
Here is some life saving advice from local paramedic Tracey Coertse:
• Unless the injured are in immediate danger, such as laying in the path of oncoming traffic or being in a burning vehicle, do not move them. Immobile victims should only be moved by trained medical personnel because they might have suffered spinal injuries. Also, for the same reason, a motorcyclist’s helmet should not be removed.
• Phone for help immediately. Have your cellular service provider’s emergency number stored in your contact list. No matter where the accident have occurred, the operator will instantly connect you to the nearest local government emergency service based in your location, even if you’re out of airtime.Vodacom, Cell C, MTN and 8ta all make use of the same number, 112, for emergencies.
• While medical assistance is best left to paramedics, if a victim is bleeding profusely from an obvious wound, you can apply pressure on the wound until help arrives. That is if you have surgical gloves on hand. Hopefully you are a sensible motorist who caries a first aid kit in your car, which comes with a set of surgical gloves.
• Even if you have no first aid training whatsoever, remember that just being
there are comforting to an accident victim. Talk to the person in a calm and reassuring way. Tell him or her that you have phoned for help and an ambulance is on its way.
If you want to be able to help more, then do a fist aid course.
Meditrax offers first aid training and also stock comprehensive first aid kits to keep in the boot of your car.
With that said, please drive safely on our busy roads.
Keep a decent following distance from the car ahead of you and don’t take risks.
It’s not worth it.
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