First on scene at a motorcycle-pedestrian collision
At 18:40 on the road into Bissau, you are the first vehicle to arrive at a crash. A motorcycle has hit a pedestrian. The rider, a man in his 20s, is lying on his back, unconscious, with a scalp wound bleeding onto the road; his helmet is still on. The pedestrian is sitting on the kerb, holding her arm and crying. The motorcycle's fuel tank is leaking, and a small group of bystanders is standing around; one is smoking. Traffic is passing close by, and light is fading. You have a first aid kit, a mobile phone and a reflective triangle, but no gloves. Your own car has four passengers. You do not know the local emergency number by heart, and there is no police officer in sight.
1. What do you do first for scene safety and for calling help?
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Park before the scene, not on it, switch on hazard lights and place the triangle behind your vehicle if traffic is approaching. Ask bystanders to stop smoking and move back; fuel is leaking. Send one person to warn traffic from the far side if it is safe. Call emergency services yourself or direct a bystander to call and report the location, number of casualties and the fuel leak. Put on any barrier you have, such as a plastic bag, before touching blood. Do not move the motorcycle or the rider unless there is fire, traffic or another immediate danger. Keep your passengers in the car unless they can help safely.
2. What are your first-aid priorities for the unconscious rider and the pedestrian?
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For the rider, check responsiveness and breathing. If he is breathing, keep the helmet on and support the head; do not twist the neck. If breathing is absent, open the airway using the jaw-thrust method if you can, and remove the helmet only if it blocks the airway and you have help. Control the scalp bleeding with firm pressure through a barrier. Do not give water or sit him up. For the pedestrian, reassure her, keep her still, and support the injured arm in the position found; do not test the arm or force it into a sling. Watch both for shock: pale skin, fast breathing, confusion. Keep them warm and wait for the ambulance.
3. Should you move the rider, and what legal or reporting steps follow?
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Move the rider only if there is immediate danger, such as fire from the leaking fuel or traffic that cannot be stopped. Otherwise, moving an unconscious casualty can worsen a spinal injury. After the casualties are being cared for, exchange names, addresses, vehicle details and insurance information with the other parties if possible. Report the crash to the police as soon as you can; leaving the scene without doing so can be an offence. Note the time, location, road conditions and the smoking bystander. Do not admit fault or negotiate payment at the roadside; give the facts to the police and your insurer.