Road injuries are among the biggest killers in our region, and most of us will one day pass a crash. The first rule that governs everything below: nobody needs a new casualty — your own safety first, then helping others.
In short — what to do
- Secure yourself first: stop your car safely well behind the crash, turn on hazard lights, wear something visible if you have it. Never stand in the middle of the road.
- Secure the scene: place the warning triangle far enough behind the crash (on a highway: much farther than you think). Ask others not to crowd.
- Call 999 and 998 immediately and tell them: the exact location, the number of injured, and whether there is fire or entrapment.
- Assess the injured without moving them: talk to them. Whoever answers is breathing. Unresponsive? Check their breathing where they are.
- Do NOT pull casualties out of the car — unless there is a true immediate danger (fire, smoke, a car about to tip). A wrong extraction can turn a minor neck injury into paralysis.
- Stop severe bleeding with direct pressure if present, and stay with the injured, reassuring them until the teams arrive.
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The steps
- Secure yourself first: stop your car safely well behind the crash, turn on hazard lights, wear something visible if you have it. Never stand in the middle of the road.
- Secure the scene: place the warning triangle far enough behind the crash (on a highway: much farther than you think). Ask others not to crowd.
- Call 999 and 998 immediately and tell them: the exact location, the number of injured, and whether there is fire or entrapment.
- Assess the injured without moving them: talk to them. Whoever answers is breathing. Unresponsive? Check their breathing where they are.
- Do NOT pull casualties out of the car — unless there is a true immediate danger (fire, smoke, a car about to tip). A wrong extraction can turn a minor neck injury into paralysis.
- Stop severe bleeding with direct pressure if present, and stay with the injured, reassuring them until the teams arrive.
If someone is unconscious inside the car
If breathing: leave the head as it is and support it gently with your hands so it doesn't slump forward, and keep watching the breathing. If NOT breathing: only then does resuscitation take priority — get help to extract with as little neck movement as possible and start chest compressions.
Mistakes that cost lives
- Pulling casualties from the car to "rescue" them without immediate danger — the most common and most dangerous mistake.
- Standing in the road or crowding the crash — secondary crashes kill rescuers.
- Giving the injured food or water — they may need urgent surgery.
- Removing the helmet of a conscious, breathing motorcyclist.
One moment
The greatest thing you can offer at a crash is not heroism — it's an accurate call, a secured scene, and a steady hand on a bleed. That alone saves lives.
This content is for general health education only and is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 998.