First
Aid: it can make a difference for Road Safety
However
quickly the emergency system in a country responds, the people
who witness an accident or an emergency can make the difference
between life and death for the victims. Immediate action provided
on the spot has a clear psychological support value for the
victim and other involved persons.
In addition to emergency response systems, we at the Red Cross/Red
Crescent believe that all citizens should be trained and encouraged
to respond in accordance with the health/emergency problems
faced by their community.
The
consequences of road crashes represent a significant public
health problem. However, a significant impact can be made through
First Aid information and training programmes, especially those
targeting the most affected people.
-
57% of deaths consequent to road crashes occur within a few
minutes of crash at the accident scene
- 22%
occur during transport to the hospital or the same day
- 21%
occur within 30 days
Immediate
First Aid can reduce the impact of severe injuries and can improve
chances of survival.
First
Aid and Road Safety Education
The value of the Red Cross/Red Crescent First Aid training does
not stop with learning techniques, for example how to apply
a bandage and how to put an unconscious person in a recovery
position.
It
is also about teaching adults and children that head injuries
can be prevented by wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike
or a pushbike. It is about dealing with risks in a sensible
way, reaching out to people for whom road safety is the most
relevant and who are most vulnerable, like young people and
children.
At the Red Cross / Red Crescent, First Aid is not just about
dressing wounds, it is also about dealing with the person who
is wounded.
The value of this holistic approach in First Aid has been demonstrated
repeatedly when it comes to road traffic victims. First Aid
training is a good communicative tool when it comes to delivering
preventive messages and changing behaviour in the long run.
Global
Road Safety Crisis
Statement
delivered by Bekele Geleta, Deputy Head of Delegation, Deputy
Permanent Observer to the United Nations, International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies representative, at the
58th UN General Assembly in New York, 22 October 2003.
Read the
Statement as PDF-file
For
more information on First Aid:
European
Reference centre For First Aid Education
Have
some fun
EFAM
- EuropeanFirstAid Manual
