The first steps to be taken in the event of an accident

Council of Pascal Cassant, National Medical Advisor to the French Red Cross

Do not take off the helmet of the injured biker

Riding a motorcycle means living your passion, but it also takes risks.

Even with full protective equipment, a motorized two-wheeler accident is unfortunately often synonymous with serious injury. In the event of an accident, witnesses play a key role in reporting the accident area, protecting victims of an excessive incident, and alerting emergency services. However, the most basic steps to ensure the survival of road traffic crash victims still save many people. Only 49% of French people say they have been trained in first aid, but there is often a chasm between theory and practice, fear of doing wrong or making the situation worse. However, it is better to act than letting die.

French National Red Cross Medical Adviser Pascal Cassan gives us some valuable advice on first aid in the event of a traffic accident.

Protection, alert, rescue

It seems elementary, but anyone who arrives at the scene of an accident and helps the injured will have to turn on their car's hazard lights and park, if possible, after the crash site in a safe place such as an emergency stop lane. Once you get out of the vehicle, you will need to bring a high visibility yellow regulatory vest in order to be clearly visible to other road users and to intervene safely.

In addition, care must be taken to lower all other occupants of the vehicle and safely place them in the aisle behind the barriers, if present.

Mark an area of ​​150 or even 200 meters

To avoid undue accident, witnesses present at the scene will have to mark the area on both sides at a distance of 150 to 200 meters with the help of other witnesses who, safely positioned on the side of the road, can use all possible means to see them: an electric lamp , white linen, ...

In the absence of witnesses, you will have to use triangles in front of the signal.

To avoid the risk of fire, care must be taken to ensure that no one smokes around the accident site.

First gestures

After taking these few precautions and carefully marking the scene of the accident, the witness should try, if possible, to turn off the engine of the vehicle, aircraft crash, and apply the handbrake. This is followed by an assessment of the severity of the condition and situation to best alert helpdesks.

Be it the self (15) or the firefighters (18), interlocutors will need to be provided with as much information as possible so that they can provide the technical and human resources needed to intervene. When an accident occurs on a highway or expressway, it is highly recommended to call emergency services through dedicated emergency call terminals if one is nearby. It will automatically indicate the position to emergency services and allow a faster response.

If the vehicle involved in the accident is on fire, it is recommended to use a fire extinguisher only if it is a fire. If this is not the case, the evacuation should be evacuated as soon as possible. In addition, if there is no immediate danger to the victims, the witness should not attempt to extract them from their vehicles.

Move and cleanse the victim

Moving an injured person can damage the spinal cord and cause permanent paralysis or, in some cases, death. However, there are situations where the movement of the victim is vital. The risk that it takes to free it is then lower than not doing it.

Therefore, this decision must be made if the victim, rescuers, or both are exposed to a hazard that cannot be contained, such as starting a fire in the victim's vehicle or becoming unconscious or in the middle of the carriageway.

In the case of an injured biker, do not remove the helmet, but try to open the visor if possible.

What to do with an unconscious crash on his steering wheel?

If the victim becomes unconscious and falls on the wheel, a witness present at the scene will have to act to clear the victim's airways and avoid suffocation. To do this, it will be necessary to gently tilt the victim's head back, gently bringing it back to the back of the seat, without making a lateral movement.

When returning the head, it will be necessary to keep the head and neck along the axis of the body, place one hand under the chin and the other on the occipital bone.

What if the injured person is unconscious?

The first thing to do when you arrive at an unconscious person and check whether he is still breathing or not. If this is not the case, cardiac massage should be performed as soon as possible. If, on the contrary, the victim is still breathing, he should not be left on his back, because he may choke on his tongue or vomit.

After consultation with Center 15 or 18, if possible, the witness can place the victim on his side, in a safe lateral position.

To do this, you will have to carefully turn the wounded to the side, his leg is extended on the ground, the other is folded forward. The hand on the ground should form a right angle, and the palm should turn up. The other hand should be folded with the back of the hand towards the ear with the mouth open.

What if the victim is no longer breathing?

If the victim is unconscious, does not speak, does not respond to simple routines, and does not exhibit any movements in the chest or stomach, a cardiac massage should be performed immediately pending the arrival of help. To do this, place your hands, one on top of the other, in the middle of your chest, your fingers raised without pressing on the ribs. With your arms extended, press firmly with the heel of your hand, putting your body weight into it and thus performing 120 compressions per minute (2 per second).

What if the victim bleeds profusely?

In the event of bleeding, the witness should not hesitate to press hard on the bleeding area with the fingers or the palm of the hand, inserting, if possible, the thickness of clean tissue that completely covers the wound.

Gestures that shouldn't be done?

In any case, the witness should not rush or expose himself to unnecessary danger. The latter will also have to ensure that it parks far enough away from the accident and properly avoids any risk of excessive accident. The victim will also need to call emergency services before taking first aid measures.

However, these few tips are not a substitute for real preparation.