The Road Toll is a serious topic that needs to be discussed and brought to wider attention. This year, we’ve already seen 41 lives lost on the roads in Victoria – a number that is unquestionably high!

In 2018, although it was the lowest recorded Regional Victoria Road Toll since records began, we still saw 109 people perish in Regional Victoria due to a road collision.

It’s a story that we hear all too often, someone’s son, mother, father or daughter involved in a car crash and died at the scene before emergency services had even arrived.

Many are unaware, but there’s simple road trauma first aid steps that bystanders can follow if they are the first to arrive at a car accident that can potentially save a person’s life. For example, in 2018, local Valencia Creek community member, Gary Rose, was the first to arrive at a car crash. Gary was able to make the vital call to triple 0 and then prevented the casualty from going into shock by staying with him and keeping him awake until emergency services arrived.

It’s a situation that we all hope we’ll never be in, however, it’s one that we need to be prepared for should we find ourselves in the confronting situation where our help is needed.

Tip 1: First Aid Training  

Road trauma first aid refers to several steps that we can all take if we ever find ourselves the first to arrive on a car crash scene. Firstly, by completing First Aid Training, it will ensure that you’re aware of the DRSABCD action plan and how to respond in an emergency situation. Additionally, during First Aid Training, students will learn how to manage unconscious casualties, how to use a defibrillator and how to perform CPR – all of which can be applied to a car crash casualty. Read more here about our Provide First Aid Course.

Tip 2: Car Safety First Aid Kit   

It’s important to note that, fortunately, not all motoring accidents will end in a fatality, and quite often the injuries sustained can be attended by a bystander. Although not a mandatory requirement, it’s a great idea to keep a Car Safety First Aid Kit in your glove box. By doing this, it ensures that you have some necessary first aid essentials handy to stop major bleeding, which can be common at accident sites. A Car Safety First Aid Kit includes essential first aid equipment such as gloves, bandages, wound dressing, medical scissors and gauze swabs.

Tip 3: Provide First Aid

When you approach an accident scene and before applying any road trauma first aid the first consideration should be ensuring your own safety. Firstly, ensure that all traffic has stopped, and it is flagged there has been an accident otherwise there may be additional causalities. This is why the first component of our DRSABCD action plan is check for DANGER.

When checking for danger, it’s important to note that this could relate to dangers both inside and outside the vehicle. At a car accident scene, there could potentially be smashed glass, spilt oil or a fire near or inside the vehicle. If there’s a hazard that will potentially put you in danger, call emergency services straight away on 000.

Once you’ve checked for danger and only if it’s clear, bystanders should continue to follow the crucial DRSABCD action plan, starting by checking if the casualty is conscious (response) and then phoning emergency services (send).

As we work together towards zero, it’s important to remember that some knowledge of basic first aid could mean the difference between life and death. Learning the basic first aid techniques and keeping a motoring first aid kit are just some simple ways in which you can offer assistance to car crash victims and in-turn can be a vital step towards reducing the amount of lives lost on Victoria’s roads.