Night motorcycle crash on Kings Road near Nadi
You are driving alone from Nadi to Lautoka on Kings Road at about 9:40 pm in light rain. A motorcycle has skidded and lies on its side in your lane. The rider is sitting on the shoulder clutching his left arm; he is wearing a helmet, but his speech is slurred and there is a smell of alcohol. Your car is stopped about 25 m before the bike with hazard lights on. Traffic is light, but a taxi is approaching from behind at speed. You have a first-aid kit and a reflective triangle, but your phone shows no signal. The rider says he is fine and asks you to drag his bike off the road so cars can pass.
1. What are your first three priorities, in order, and why?
Read the worked answer
First, protect the scene and yourself. Keep your hazard lights on, switch off your engine, and place the reflective triangle behind your car on the shoulder side, far enough back to give the taxi and other traffic warning. Do not stand in the live lane while doing this. Second, check the rider from a safe position and get emergency help. Ask if he is injured, keep him warm, and do not move him unless there is an immediate danger such as fire or another vehicle about to hit him. Third, manage the traffic. The taxi is approaching at speed, so use your hazard lights, triangle, and a torch or waving arm from the shoulder to warn it, without stepping into its path. Only after the scene is protected should you consider moving the motorcycle or exchanging details.
2. Should you move the rider or the motorcycle? Explain.
Read the worked answer
Do not move the rider unless there is an immediate danger. He has arm pain, slurred speech, and possible alcohol involvement, and he may also have a head, neck or spinal injury that is not obvious. Movement could make an injury worse. Keep him sitting still if he is safe, reassure him, and monitor his breathing and consciousness. The motorcycle should also stay where it is unless it creates an immediate hazard, such as being in the path of the taxi or leaking fuel near a heat source. Moving it can destroy evidence of how the crash happened and can put you at risk from traffic. If you must move it because of immediate danger, note its original position first, then move it only as far as necessary. The rider’s request to drag it away does not override safety or evidence.
3. How should you handle the approaching taxi and the rider’s offer to ride away?
Read the worked answer
Stay on the shoulder, not in the lane. Keep your hazard lights and triangle in place and use a torch or reflective object to warn the taxi from a safe position. If the taxi does not slow, move further off the road rather than trying to stop it with your body. For the rider, do not let him ride away. He has slurred speech, possible alcohol involvement, arm pain, and has just crashed; he may be in shock and may not be fit to ride. Encourage him to stay seated, keep him warm, and get police and ambulance help. With no phone signal, flag a passing motorist and ask them to call emergency services or drive to the nearest station. Report the crash, exchange details if another vehicle is involved, and tell police what you observed about the rider’s condition.