Highway Collision With an Injured Motorcyclist in a Live Lane
At 5:10 p.m. on a three-lane highway in heavy rain, your car is struck from behind by a motorcycle while you slow for traffic. The rider slides into lane two and remains down, conscious but holding his right arm. Your car stops in lane two with its rear bumper partly detached; hazard lights work. Traffic is passing on both sides at about 80 km/h. You have a warning triangle, a reflective vest, and a first-aid kit. Your phone battery is at 8%. Your passenger is shaken but uninjured. The nearest emergency exit is about 400 m ahead, and an emergency lane is on the left. The rider's motorcycle lies in lane one, and rain is reducing visibility to about 100 m.
1. What are your first four actions, and why is moving the injured rider not automatic?
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First, switch on hazard lights and assess whether it is safe to get out. Second, put on the reflective vest and get your passenger to a safe place behind the barrier or on the far side of the emergency lane, not beside the car. Third, call the emergency number immediately and give the highway, direction, lane and injury details. Fourth, warn traffic only if you can do so without standing in a live lane.
Do not move the rider automatically. He is conscious but may have spinal or internal injuries, and moving him could make them worse. Move him only if there is immediate danger such as fire, leaking fuel or an approaching vehicle that cannot stop. Otherwise keep him still, talk to him, keep him warm and control visible bleeding if you are trained.
2. Where should the warning triangle go, and should you move your car to the emergency lane?
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The triangle is useful only if it can be placed safely. On a highway, place it well behind the scene, typically at least 45 m and farther in rain or poor visibility, but do not walk across live lanes to do it. If traffic is passing at 80 km/h on both sides, your first protection is hazard lights, the reflective vest and a prompt emergency call, not a risky walk into lane two.
If the car can be driven, move it to the emergency lane after the passenger is safe and emergency services have been called, then place the triangle behind it if safe. Do not move the injured rider with the car. If the car cannot move, stay out of the live lane and let the emergency operator advise you.
3. With only 8% battery, what information should you give and how should you manage the phone?
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Give the location first: highway name, direction of travel, nearest exit about 400 m ahead, and the lane blocked. Then state: one motorcyclist down and conscious but holding his right arm, one car with rear damage, hazards on, rain and visibility about 100 m. Mention that lane two is live and traffic is passing at speed.
Stay on the line with the emergency operator rather than taking photos or messaging. Ask your passenger to call family or the insurer only after the emergency call ends. Keep the phone warm and screen brightness low to conserve the remaining battery. Do not leave the scene until authorised, and do not stand in the lane waiting for the tow truck.