The Motorcyclist Down at Dusk
At 17:50 on a rural two-lane road you come upon a motorcyclist lying on the roadside. The bike is 10 metres away on its side, headlight still on. The rider is conscious, breathing, and complaining of neck pain and a numb right hand. He is wearing a helmet, which is intact. There is a small graze on his forearm but no visible heavy bleeding. Traffic passes at about 60 km/h. You are alone. Your phone has signal. An oncoming car has slowed but not stopped.
1. List your actions in order for the first two minutes, and justify the priority you place on each.
Read the worked answer
Protect the scene first. Switch on hazard lights, park off the carriageway if possible, and place a warning triangle well back - further than usual because traffic is fast and light is fading. A second collision is the biggest immediate threat to both of you.
Call emergency services. Give location, number of casualties, that the rider is conscious and breathing, and the neck pain. Stay on the line and follow instructions.
Approach and reassure without moving him. Neck pain plus a numb hand suggests possible spinal or nerve injury; keep him still and warm, and crouch so you are at his eye level.
Do not remove the helmet. It is intact and he is breathing; removal risks worsening a neck injury.
Ask the slowing car's driver to help with warning traffic if they are willing.
2. What should you monitor and what should you not do while waiting for the ambulance?
Read the worked answer
Monitor breathing, consciousness, and responsiveness every minute or two, and keep talking to him. Watch for deterioration: increasing drowsiness, confusion, difficulty breathing, or new weakness. Keep him warm with a coat or blanket, shielding him from the road, and keep him still.
Do not: remove the helmet, sit him up, give him food or drink, or let him stand and 'walk it off' - the numb hand and neck pain make movement risky. Do not leave him alone to flag traffic; stay with him and let the triangle and hazards do the warning. Do not move the bike unless it is itself a hazard, and then only if you can do so safely.
If he stops breathing, be ready to start CPR and follow the dispatcher's guidance, but that is not the situation now. Note the time and any changes for the paramedics.