Dos 3 Don’ts 7
Do make sure others are safe. You should keep any injured people warm by placing coats or rugs around them.
Don’t remove helmets from injured motorcyclists. Neck injuries are common in motorcycle collisions, and any attempt by inexperienced people to remove the helmet may leave the injured person paralysed from the neck down.
Don’t allow anyone to smoke at, or close to, the scene.
Do organise bystanders to warn oncoming traffic from both directions, if this has not already been done. Be particularly careful at night so that people giving help are visible (by wearing reflective armbands or bright clothes or carrying lit torches).
Do call for help. Contact the emergency services on 999 or 112.
Don’t give an injured person anything to eat or drink.
Incidents involving dangerous goods
If a vehicle carrying petrol, heating fuel or acid is in an incident, you should:
- keep well clear of the scene;
position yourself, if possible, to make sure that the wind is not blowing from the incident towards you; warn other road users about the danger; give as much information as possible about the marking labels on the vehicle when summoning help; and let the emergency services do any rescuing.
The signs for vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals are shown below.
Harmful to skin Explosive Bio hazard Acid