Accidents, emergencies and first aid
Accidents, emergencies and first aid
This domain tests the legal duties after a collision and the first aid that buys time before the ambulance arrives.
At the scene
Stop, switch on the hazard lights and place the warning triangle behind the vehicle - further back on a fast road or a blind bend so approaching drivers get real warning. Check for injuries, call the police and ambulance, and do not move casualties unless there is fire, escaping fuel or further traffic danger. Do not remove a motorcyclist's helmet. Exchange names, licence, registration and insurance details, note the time and place, and photograph vehicle positions if you can. Never leave the scene of an injury crash: hit and run is among the most serious traffic offences.
First aid basics
Work through DRABC: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation. If the casualty is unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position and keep monitoring. If they are not breathing normally, start CPR - 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths - and send someone for a defibrillator. Control bleeding with firm direct pressure through a clean pad. Keep the casualty warm and give nothing by mouth.
Worked example
You find a cyclist unconscious but breathing after a collision. Do not sit them up or pull off the helmet; support the head, check the airway, and place them in the recovery position if you can do so without twisting the neck, then monitor breathing until the ambulance arrives. Movement could turn a spinal injury into paralysis.
Traps
Moving an injured person to make them comfortable. Giving water to a shocked casualty. Leaving to find help instead of calling and staying. Admitting liability at the roadside - report facts, not fault.