The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, this week gave some good advice to motorcyclists on what to do after a crash.
We thought we’d share it with you, because it’s good and simple advice that’s relevant to Australian riders (and drivers) as well.
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget the basics when the emotions and adrenalin are running high after an incident.
It’s also tempting, but not advisable, to get involved in “heated discussions” but that won’t help the situation.
Try to stay calm, and here we go:
- Firstly, ensure you and your passengers (if you have one) are not severely injured, and if you can, move to a safe position.
- If that’s too difficult, have someone warn oncoming traffic.
- And if anyone has sustained serious injuries call for an ambulance straight away.
A first aid course is a real benefit:
- The basics are breathing first then bleeding – if your casualty is breathing don’t remove their helmet because they may have a neck injury. Reassurance is an important part so let them know help is on the way and keep on talking to them.
Where everyone is safe and third parties are involved you will need to exchange contact and licence details.
Taking some pictures of the positions of vehicles involved and any damage caused can be useful. If possible get details of any witnesses or emergency services at the scene.
Richard Gladman, Head of Driving and Riding Standards at the IAM, says: “Be mindful of moving traffic around you and make sure you try and move away from busy roads where possible.”
“Being prepared for the worst case scenario is important – and by taking these simple precautions you can make things far easier and a lot less stressful afterwards.”