Actions to take after witnessing a road accident

In most cases, after a road accident, other drivers provide first aid to the victims. As Artūras Sandovič, commander of the first team of the Vilnius County Fire Brigade, points out, the first step that other road users must take after stopping to provide help is to ensure their own safety and that of others.

“First of all you need to pay attention to your safety and take care of the visibility of the place of the road accident. That is, if there is no warning triangle, post it and thus warn other drivers that there has been a road accident or that there is an obstacle on the road,” A. Sandovič tells LRT.lt.

Actions to take after witnessing a road accident

The next step is to call the General Assistance Center (BPC). According to Ilona Kajokaitė, deputy medical director of the Kaunas City Emergency Department, this is where the real help begins.

“Help starts when you are connected to the BPC dispatcher. Judging by what you say, you will also receive instructions on what and how to do and what not to do. Therefore, you should always listen to what they say and respond to what they ask,” emphasizes I. Kajokaitė.

A. Sandovič also emphasizes the importance of correct communication with the dispatcher, because when recording an event a standard form is filled out that affects the specifications. for the response of the services. Only after having answered all the questions posed by the operators is it possible to add further information, which may be important for dividing the work of the firefighters.

During serious traffic accidents, when there are people trapped in broken cars, motorists who stop to help hesitate whether to pull the victims out of the car or not.

“Usually the recommendation is not to pull. If the car is severely destroyed, it is possible that the victim’s spine is broken and he can injure himself even more. In such cases the victims have to be pulled out with special means,” notes I. Kajokaitė.

However, a lot also depends on the circumstances. For example, if the car catches fire, according to the specialist, it is better to drag the victims, because in this case it is more important to save lives. From a firefighter’s perspective, there is no one-size-fits-all answer as to whether or not to drag victims, as every situation is different and circumstances must be taken into consideration.

“It’s a mixture of heroism and common sense. Because, for example, no one can say that we shouldn’t approach a smoking car. Of course, if you see that the car is already on fire, you should evaluate it critically. However, I have seen a videotaped case where the car was on fire, but the person inside could still be helped. Unfortunately, the people who were there instead did not help, but simply filmed everything. This should not be the case. If there is a possibility to help, then and so. we must do it”, A. Sandovic is convinced.

However, the specialist still emphasizes that in any circumstances the most important thing is to take care of your own safety and health, because in an event where there are already victims, the least need is more victims and injured.

Not everyone knows how to help

Should motorists stop to help victims when they see a road accident? A. Sandovic simply answers this question: it is obligatory.

“According to the Highway Code, it is obligatory to intervene, because in theory all drivers are trained during first aid courses on how to help victims. So it is the drivers’ duty to help,” says A. Sandovič.

However, I. Kajokaitė believes that not all motorists are capable of providing first aid. However, this is not due to fear or reluctance to stop, but simply not knowing what to do. And it shouldn’t be that way.

“Actions can be taken to help victims by providing first aid. Of course, it would be very good if all drivers had passed special courses and not only had a license.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem here is that we have a large number of people driving who theoretically should be able to provide first aid, but in practice cannot. And this is because first aid courses are often fictitious”, thinks I. Kajokaitė.

It helps and hinders at the same time

Sometimes, after seeing a traffic accident, drivers who decide to stop become not helpers, but obstacles. Especially in cases where you only want to record the event and not provide real help to the victims and especially to the service employees.

“Some people help even when all the services have already arrived on site, because sometimes we ask them to help carry the injured to the ambulance. But if you are the one who takes photos and asks to tow the ambulance because it blocks the view… it would be better if there were no such people,” I. Kajokaitė tells LRT.lt.

A. Sandovič also agrees that bystanders near the scene of a road accident are sometimes more of an obstacle than a help.

“There are those who want to film everything, show the event to friends or family. These people try to get as close as possible, so while we extend the STOP bar, they need to be watched. Sometimes, even when asked, they do not hold back. However, it is important to understand that rescuers work with special equipment that can be dangerous for those who are not involved in rescue work. I want to emphasize that firefighters are officers who carry out their work at the scene of a traffic accident and experience additional stress when their actions are filmed or commented on this doesn’t really help save people’s lives”, underlines A. Sandovič.

The officer assures that, in case of need, both firefighters and emergency medical personnel will certainly call for help.

“It also happens that we see a crane passing by and ask its driver for help. Or, for example, we can ask the driver of a heavy machinery to pull or pull something if we need it,” A. Sandovič mentions unconventional requests for help.

Finally, the specialist draws attention to the fact that, in any case, people’s understanding and responsibility usually helps, that rescuers must ensure good access to the scene and avoid traffic jams, because every minute or even second is precious when saving people injured in a traffic accident.