Post-crash scene on a bend with an unconscious rider
You come around a right-hand bend on a rural road and find a fallen motorcyclist lying on the carriageway, partly in your lane. His helmet is still on, he is not moving, and there is a smell of fuel. Another rider is standing nearby, shouting, with a bleeding cut on his forearm. The bend limits visibility to about 60 m for traffic behind you. Your phone shows signal. It is 14:00, dry, and traffic is light but fast. You have a first-aid kit and a reflective vest.
1. What are your first three actions, in order, and why?
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Make the scene safe. Stop before the casualty, not on top of him, switch on hazard lights, put on the reflective vest, and warn traffic. Because visibility is only 60 m on a fast bend, get warning out early - a person signalling before the bend or a triangle placed only if safe - so approaching drivers can slow.
Call emergency services. Give the location, number of casualties, that one is unconscious with a helmet on, and the fuel smell. Signal is available, so call immediately rather than waiting.
Assess and protect the casualty. Do not remove the helmet. Check breathing and response; if breathing, keep the airway open and monitor. If not breathing, start CPR. Keep him still and warm, and keep others clear of the fuel.
2. How do you handle the fuel smell and the second rider's bleeding?
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Fuel: do not smoke, do not start engines nearby, and keep people away from the spill. If the fallen bike is leaking, do not try to right it unless it is safe and necessary. Move casualties only if there is an immediate fire risk; otherwise leave the unconscious rider still to protect the spine.
The second rider's forearm cut: it is not life-threatening compared with the unconscious casualty. Ask him to sit down, apply pressure with a clean dressing from the kit, and raise the arm. Do not let him wander into the carriageway while shouting. Keep him calm and use him only for tasks that do not expose him to traffic.
3. Traffic is approaching at speed around the bend. What warning do you set, and what are the limits?
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Use the most visible warning you can place safely: the reflective vest on a person standing before the bend, hazard lights on your bike, and a warning triangle only if you can place it without standing in a live lane. On a 60 m-visibility bend, a person signalling early is more effective than a triangle placed late.
Limits: never turn your back on traffic, keep watching for approaching vehicles, and be ready to move. Do not place warning devices beyond the bend where you cannot see or be seen. If traffic is too fast to warn safely, move yourself and the conscious rider behind the barrier or verge and wait for police, while keeping the unconscious rider protected as far as possible.