You’re the first person at an incident, now what?

By Alicia Jarvis
Updated on July 29, 2021

Contents

You’re the first person at an incident, people are badly injured, what should you do?

Nobody wants to be involved with a road traffic incident. But, in the off chance that you arrived at one, you need to ensure you know what to do.

Upon arriving first at an incident, you should turn on your hazard warning lights, ensure your engine is off and make sure an ambulance has been called. The safety of other road users and the people involved is in your hands. 

Want to nail how to deal with an incident just in case? Keep on reading.

 

Making sure that all vehicle engines are turned off reduces the chance of a fire. Use hazard warning lights to alert other drivers that there is a need for caution.

Don’t presume that the emergency services have already been contacted. Make sure they have been contacted.

To summarize:

  • Turn on the hazard warning lights.
  • Ensure that all engines are turned off
  • Make sure that an ambulance has been called 
  • When you’re the first to arrive to a crash scene, your primary concerns are the possibility of subsequent collisions and fire.

 

Arriving at the incident

By driving carefully, you can lower your chances of being involved in an accident.

Even with the utmost caution, road traffic accidents are always possible. You can also stumble across an incident scene.

It’s possible that you’ll be the first to arrive, putting the safety of current wounded and other road users in your hands.

Preparation and knowledge can save lives. You must stop if you are involved in an incident. Avoid becoming a casualty if you are the first or among the first to arrive at the scene of an incident. Keep in mind:

  • Further collisions are possible and do occur.
  • Fire is a significant risk.
  • Take extra precautions when visibility is poor. 

 

You’re the first person to arrive at an incident where people are badly injured. You’ve switched on your hazard warning lights and checked all engines are stopped. What else should you do?

You must ensure the ambulance has been called if you are the first person arriving at a serious incident.