How To Act In The Event Of A Road Accident?
Being in the middle of an accident is a situation that requires decision, serenity and emergency of action. We can be victims, responsible or even bystanders, facing injuries, material damage and decisions to be made quickly. The key question is: do you know how to act in the event of a traffic accident?
There are some basic tips to keep in mind. Acting quickly and efficiently could save lives; in fact, some statistics show that 66% of road accident deaths occur within the first 20 minutes.
This is a clear indication that it is necessary to know and act according to a protocol. Under Spanish law, all drivers are responsible for helping people affected by an accident, and failure to comply with our obligation could lead to serious criminal penalties.
PAS protocol: protect, alert and aid
The PAS protocol consists of a series of flexible indications to provide assistance in the event of a traffic accident. The first thing is to try to move our own car 100 meters from the accident ; the vehicle must be completely turned off and with the hazard lights on.
At this initial point, the vest and reflective triangle will be useful to indicate the point of the collision. The latter must be placed 50 meters away from the collision. With all this, we will imply that there is a road event to the security forces and the rest of the drivers.
Afterwards, everything will depend on the magnitude of the incident. If we are facing a minor collision where there are no serious injuries, we can try to restore road order. In this case, the first thing is to remove the detached parts of the vehicles involved that rest on the road.
How to act in the event of an accident : What do we do when there are injured?
The first thing is to approach the vehicles and set the handbrake, as well as remove the ignition. At this point, we are still in the protection phase; It is time to approach the wounded and see the situation they are in. If any are inside the car, it is appropriate not to remove them from there.
The problem with mobilizing an injured person is that we can harm him if we do not know what his real condition is. As a general rule, it is best not to touch the injured person.
If we believe it essential, we must try to remove the body of the affected person in the most rectilinear way possible. To do this, we will contemplate your body as if it were a unified block, avoiding moving the neck and limbs and covering it with a blanket in cases of low outside temperature.
These principles are vital when we ask ourselves how to act in the event of an accident, and not knowing its procedure can aggravate an already compromised situation. Help is as important as knowing how to do it.
Finish securing the area and call the emergency service
After securing the area of the accident and making sure of the state of those affected, the correct thing is to call the emergency number. As all Spaniards know, 112 is the priority attention line ; This is the one that we must mark when we are in any country of the European Union.
How quickly we secure the site and make the call can save lives. In addition, the precision with which we provide the accident data will allow emergency teams to arrive on time.
Data such as the correct name of the road and the kilometer are priority ; We must also identify and be sober when we communicate.
Other important data are the number of vehicles and injuries involved, in addition to establishing a general report on the state of those affected. Emergency agents will want to know other things such as the presence of a fire, or the state of traffic.
How to act in the event of an accident : help and monitor the injured
After making the call, we can only wait next to those involved ; it should be an active and prudent wait. It’s not about playing heroes or taking licenses that don’t belong to us, but there are things we can do without risking the status of injured drivers.
We will only carry out risk maneuvers when strictly necessary. We can untie the belt, maintain a dialogue with the injured and accompany them while the ambulance arrives. What we cannot do under any circumstances is give food or medicine to the wounded.
In the event that the situation is very serious and we know how to give emergency care, we can offer it. If a wound bleeds a lot, we can place a clean gauze and if the conductor is burned, let’s remove the clothes carefully. As we can see, our judgment and speed will be essential in the middle of an accident.
