In this section we are presenting you with two real fatal accidents. We are asking you to read and watch the following carefully and learn from these people’ s mistakes.
Case 1
Here is a helmet cam footage of a fatal bike accident, which a mother released for safety education purposes.
What are the key learnings from this video? And also would you know what to do while you wait for an ambulance to arrive?
The key learnings are:
- This is an emergency and you therefore must ring 999
- Always drive/ride safely and within the speed limit
Here is what you should do in case of a bike accident:
- Keep calm
- Reassure the victim and make sure they do not try to move
- Turn off the ignition of the bike and other vehicles
- If there are other people around, ask if someone is medically trained and also ask the others to help direct traffic, to point out fluid spills, and to move smokers well away from flammable materials.
- Do NOT remove the helmet as there is a high risk of paralysis if you do this. Remove the helmet only if the airway is blocked or the victim is not breathing
- After establishing the seriousness of the injuries, call for an ambulance. Give as many details as possible remembering to include: the number of people involved; the injuries; the location and your number
- Check the victim’s pulse every 5 minutes
- Check his/her breathing every 5 minutes, by listening and watching their chest
- Watch for signs of person going into shock
- Stop bleeding: using sterile bandages/dressings if available
Case 2
Here is Alex’s advice:
“I’ll stay under limits and slow down to 20mph around schools, homes and shops to protect others. I’ll slow right down for bends, brows and bad weather, and avoid overtaking.”