What is the best way to help Car Crash Victims?

It's not surprising that during winter, the, dark nights and wet, slippery roads mean greater risk of car crashes. In fact, road safety authorities report that the risk of a car crash in winter increases by around 20%.

So what should you do, if on one of those dark and slippery nights you are involved in a car crash or you come across one?

The very first thing to do, of course, is to always call 000, even if it appears the people involved “seem OK”. After a car crash, people can suffer from delayed shock, have unknown internal injuries, experience whiplash or other injuries that might affect them later. So it's always best to have anyone involved in a car accident checked out by paramedics as your first priority..

Now if you do come across a car crash, the first thing you should do as you approach the scene is try to make it safe. If you can, always park your car in such a way as to protect the scene and put your hazard lights on. If you have warning triangles in your car, always set them up.

Always check to see if there are any fallen power lines or if the vehicle has struck any electrical installations BEFORE touching the car or any occupants.

Other hazards to look out for at a car accident scene are:

· Leaking Fuel, Oil or other vehicle fluids

· Undeployed Airbags (these can suddenly go off, after an accident)

· Hazardous Materials (is the vehicle carrying any?)

· Passing Traffic & Bystanders

· Aggression from other participants in the crash

If after checking for all these hazards you think it is safe to approach the vehicle, do so. If the engine is still running immediately switch off the ignition and place the keys on the floor of the vehicle. If the vehicle is in danger of rolling, apply the parking brake.

You should then try to calm the person or persons in the vehicle down and reassure them help is on the way. Do not remove them from the vehicle unless they are in immediate danger (car fire for example). This is important because you don't know what injuries they may have suffered and if their neck or back is damaged, moving them might make it worse.

Always immediately address any injuries you can see. Put pressure or bandages on any bleeding injuries for example.

Then check and clear their airways to ensure they can breathe. Position their head upright to minimise any neck injuries.

If anyone is unconscious but still breathing, leave them in the vehicle and monitor them closely.

However if they are unconscious AND not breathing, remove them from the vehicle and immediately apply CPR. If they go into cardiac arrest and there is an AED (Defibrillator) available use it.

Continue first aid and provide any other assistance until the ambulance arrives.

If you don’t know how to do CPR or want first aid training, you can get trained with Results First Aid. Book now at https://www.resultsfirstaid.com/courses