Do you stop to help at car accidents?

seamus

Whispered wrote: »

What should one do in an emergency situation? I know it depends on the situation, but are there some "golden rules" or anything?

Primary thing to do is assess the situation - how many cars, how many people, how many injuries. You should assume a person is injured unless they're out of the car, walking and talking and telling you they're fine. Then ring the emergency services and give them this information. This will help them decide how many vehicles to send.

Flag down other passing vehicles - when people see you stopped and helping, they'll be inclined to assume it's under control. So you need to wave people down to assist you. On a dark country road it's a good idea to get people to park 50m or so either side of the accident with flashers and lights on (visible as possible, basically) and waving and warning people to slow down.

If the road is small or whatever, it's also a good idea to send someone down to the closest main junction to direct any ES vehicles on the way.

paperclip2

My brother died as a result of a car accident five years ago. He was front seat passenger coming home from work on a Friday evening when the driver of his car drove out across a bad intersection and a van went into the passenger side of the car.
A good few people in the area came to help straightaway. They called the cards, the fire brigade and ambulance. They brought blankets and stayed with my brother until he left in the ambulance where he lost consciousness and never recovered it.
I'm so grateful to those people who cared enough to stay with him while he was alive and conscious in those last moments. They tried to help him, they kept him calm, they held his hand, they comforted him as much as they could. I wasn't there, nor were any of my family but it means so much to me to know that he wasn't alone.

So yes I would stop at an accident.

the keen edge

Cedrus wrote: »

I suppose if an accident happens immediately in front, some people don't react in time, they manage to avoid joining the crash but they're past the scene before the penny drops that they could do something. Then they're embarrassed or just callous and think 'there's other people behind, they'll stop'. While the people in the say 3rd & 4th cars, have a little more time to react and so stop.

I think this here sums up the bones of why people don't stop.
People probably feel that they may also be of no help if they haven't had any training.

Still as mentioned before there is always a need to give support and comfort.

And IMO once one person stops other will also: if you being the first person to stop compels other to stop and assist, that in itself is help.

Cedrus wrote: »

I've heard* of medical professionals being sued after helping at accident scenes, despite having no control of the circumstances or even the necessary equipment, they may even have saved a life but not the injured parties full mobility. I know several doctors and nurses who refuse to stop because of this.

As long as you follow the training you have received, a first responder is legally protected.
The driver of one of the vehicle keep badgering me(in polish), to pull his suspected dislocated arm back in to place as Mel Gibson use in Lethal Weapon!.

Tactfully I avoided doing so.

xsiborg

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

In France it is a serious offence not to, In Germany and the US I believe not, I have even heard of off duty paramedics not wanting to get involved in accident cases because of potential lawsuits in case something goes wrong.

this.

it's becoming all too common nowadays and even so more prevalent in america for accident victims to seek compensation from their rescuers, so it is only a matter of time before we hear of a case of it here in "compo culture" ireland.

i would be thinking if i were to attempt to rescue someone from imminent danger that i may actually do more harm than good, especially in the case of a vehicle collision where injuries such as whiplash, spinal, and cranial injuries are quite common. moving them or any attempt to make them more comfortable may actually incapacitate them further.

i remember also when i did first aid training as part of my lifeguard training course, and back then at the time, AIDS was big in the media, and there wasn't a whole lot known about it, and for the ordinary joe public, there still isnt a whole lot known about it. the reason i mention this is that questions were asked of our instructor about attempting mouth to mouth resuscitation on a person who was visibly bleeding. the advice at the time was that there was nothing you COULD do.

these are just some of the fears of people who would want to offer assistance- they could be sued should the person recover, they could cause the victim further injury, or they could contract an infectious disease from the transmission of bodily fluids.

myself i was involved in an accident years ago while out cycling my bike, i attempted to cross a four lane road on a dark night wearing no visibility gear, and failing to look left before i attempted to cross- my own fault basically.

i got hit by an oncoming car in the first lane. i wasnt badly injured but the driver was badly shook up. i made sure she was ok before retrieving my bicycle from underneath her car. she continued on her way.

slightly dazed and confused by the experience, i didnt have my wits about me when i hopped back up on my bike and went to carry on into the second lane. whereupon i was hit by a second oncoming car that didnt see me. this time the driver reversed back a bit off my bicycle, put the car in gear, and sped off in haste. i got up off the road and retrieved my bicycle, yet again, only this time it was in bits.

this time rather than attempt to get up on my mangled at this stage bicycle, i checked the next two lanes before i crossed the road safely, whereupon there were two young girls who had witnessed what had just happened, only one of them was lying on the ground, whereas her friend was frozen with shock. i asked the girl was her friend ok, her friend was unable to speak so i checked the unconscious girl's vital signs and deduced she must have just fainted.

i called 999 for an ambulance for the girl (back then i had a solid brick of an 088 phone that hadnt been damaged in either collision) and waited til they arrived. the paramedic didnt know where to look as i wasnt looking in great shape myself, yet trying to explain to him that it was for the girl that had fainted (who was by now sitting up, as i had told her not to try standing) that i called the ambulance.

i was quite embarrassed by the whole incident.



for those who are wondering- in Portlaoise there is a four laneway road called James Fintan Lawlor Avenue, which is quite a steep hill, you can go in along by the wall inside the shopping centre that leads down to the car park, and then come out onto the road through a small gap in the wall, to cross the road near the blue overhead bridge, to the street across from that to get to the main street in Portlaoise. that is where this incident happened.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

funny this, with all the motorist anguish at cyclists - mosts cyclists will stop and help a fellow cyclist whether down, or punctured etc .

and likely stop for a motorist in trouble as well.

i cant imagine bypassing a fresh accident , where no one is attending thats just the lowest of behaviour
and it may happen to them someday - and they might have lived if someone stopped.

Biggins

If I was in an accident myself, I would hope someone would stop - well someone as long as it wasn't Tom Cruise!

flanders1979

Biggins wrote: »

If I was in an accident myself, I would hope someone would stop - well someone as long as it wasn't Tom Cruise!

Why not, the man is practically Jesus.

Pigeon Reaper

seamus wrote: »

Primary thing to do is assess the situation - how many cars, how many people, how many injuries.

The first thing to do is assess the scene safety. If it's a traffic accident try to get the traffic stopped safely. Check for other hazards such as fire or glass. Only then do you go to help someone else. Last thing anyone needs is to be run down while trying to help someone.

Biggins

flanders1979 wrote: »

Why not, the man is practically Jesus.

Well if we were to believe his cult, more like practically 'alien' to be accurate!

Noopti

Our society is gone to ****. People won't help/are afraid to help nowadays whereas years ago it would be a different story.

A less serious example, but a similar situation I witnessed a couple of days ago. Was waiting at the bus stop on Dame St with loads of people around, and this young boy (about 5 or 6) walks by bawling his eyes out, calling for his mother. He was really, really distressed. Did anyone try and help the poor kid? Of course not.....not their problem I suppose. :rolleyes:
As he walked by me I started to walk towards him to see if I could help when a kind woman ran past me towards him. She crouched down to see what she could do, then his mother emerged from a shop up the road. She also didn't seem to give two ****s that she left her young son behind on one of the busiest streets in Dublin.

It really pissed me off actually, people need to take some f*cking responsibility for the fact they live in a community of fellow people and not just in their own little bubbles of existence.

ixoy

Noopti wrote: »

A less serious example, but a similar situation I witnessed a couple of days ago. Was waiting at the bus stop on Dame St with loads of people around, and this young boy (about 5 or 6) walks by bawling his eyes out, calling for his mother. He was really, really distressed. Did anyone try and help the poor kid? Of course not.....not their problem I suppose. :rolleyes:

Many men would, sadly, be afraid to intervene due to some of the hysteria around paedophiles - they'd fear they'd be accused of something.

kingtut

ixoy wrote: »

Many men would, sadly, be afraid to intervene due to some of the hysteria around paedophiles - they'd fear they'd be accused of something.

Problem is 9/10 times they would be accused !! :mad:

tfitzgerald

If I can I Help out

d9oiu2wk07blr5

Whilst I was travelling into work, I came across an RTA where a motorcyclist was involved in a collision with a vehicle. I stopped to see if I could be of any assistance. There was approximately 10 people standing around, with some of them even on their mobiles. The casualty was unconscious and in addition to nobody attending him, nobody even bothered to phone for a bloody ambulance :eek:.

But this one takes the biscuit, and it puts a whole new meaning on the word rubberneckers. I was heading out one Sunday morning to get my usual newspapers and I noticed a line of cars which were parked up along a stretch of road that also happened to overlook a main motorway. My immediate thought was there must be some football match on....I couldn't have been more wrong :. When I got home I turned on the radio....to learn that there was a multi-vehicular pile up with fatalities and this is what these rubberneckers had been travelling to observe :eek:. Obviously, they had nothing better to do on a Sunday morning!

Mr.Biscuits

Biggins wrote: »

If I was in an accident myself, I would hope someone would stop - well someone as long as it wasn't Tom Cruise!

They're the only ones that can truely help though.

Biggins

Mr.Biscuits wrote: »

They're the only ones that can truely help though.

Yea, they could beam me to their spaceship med' section!
Star Trek here we come!

Noopti

ixoy wrote: »

Many men would, sadly, be afraid to intervene due to some of the hysteria around paedophiles - they'd fear they'd be accused of something.

Anyone who uses that excuse on a busy city street with dozens of people around is doing just that, making excuses.

Cedrus

Noopti wrote: »

Anyone who uses that excuse on a busy city street with dozens of people around is doing just that, making excuses.

Sadly, I've see more than on 'Mother' tear into a man who tried to comfort a hysterical lost child in a supermarket, usually verbal but once it was physical, the stupid B didn't even pause to find out what was happening never mind take account of the fact that SHE was supposed to be looking after her very young child in a public space.

When in the same situation I have kept an eye on things and I'll get between a child and a road or other hazard (one time) but if there's a woman nearby, I'll let her be the one to actually approach the child. It's happened enough times now, that my wife and I just specialise, she goes to the child and I go to the customer desk.

smash

By help, do you mean stop and take pics?

bnt

I've only ever seen one: a guy walked in to the road and in to a car, as I was walking past. I did try and help, but his injuries were minor and someone more experienced quickly took over. The guy must have been drunk, at lunchtime on a Friday (I think it was).

I've personally been in more accidents than I've seen in person. When I was 4, my dad's car had a blowout and rolled as we went round a fast corner on a country road in Scotland. None of us were wearing seatbelts, but no-one was badly hurt, and I probably thought I was on a very fast fairground ride that gave me a minor bump on the head. Someone did stop and help us, if I remember correctly.

Well done op !

I would stop and have done only had too once found a lad uncousious in the street stayed with him till the ambulance came. He survived but never knew what happened .

Bookworm85

A few years ago a friend and I were coming out of work for lunch and were heading off to the shop, about 50 metres from the door is a busy junction that is always busy with pedestrians and traffic. I spotted this woman crossing the road who looked a bit sunsteady on her feet. She made it across the road and collapsed giving her head an awful wallop off some railings, we were about about 20-30 metres away and heard the railings ring as her head hit them. The poor woman was out for the count and about 20 people just stood there or stepped over her and watched her passed out and bleeding heavily.

I took out the phone and called for an ambulance and we stayed with her until the ambulance showed up and took her off to hospital (still unconscious), but I was shocked by the amount of people who witnessed this and just stepped over this young woman who collapsed in front of them and did absolutely nothing! How many more people would have walked right past her before somebody decided to call for help if we hadn't been there?

saa

Yes I would but hopefully when I have my cpr, first aid, healthcare assistant training I'll be more confident that I will be of use, I would always try even if my role was to delegate tasks, keep the person conscious and in the recovery position while the ambulance gets there, and to make sure someone has called one its very easy in a crowd to think someone else has

ongarboy

The below wikipedia link gives a perfect example of bystander effect. It seems to be a human nature thing among more of us than you realise.

I remember being on a packed commuter train into Dublin Connolly a couple of years ago and a guy standing in front of me fainted and slumped to the floor. I went to help him but no one else would assist. Everyone just silently stood almost pretending that they were unaware it happened. As the guy was too heavy for me to lift alone, I had to ask could someone else to assist me. Finally another guy helped and we dragged him to a seat and again I had to ask would someone give their seat up as no-one volunteered.

I actually don't think it's an issue of people who don't help being rude or having bad manners but rather some fear of being the centre of attention if you help while an audience watches you. I must admit I felt a bit uncomfortable in that particular spotlight as everone silently watched as I'm not an attention seeking type but I could not just leave the poor guy there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese
This part of the article in particular is interesting:

The lack of reaction of numerous neighbors watching the scene prompted research into diffusion of responsibility and the bystander effect. Social psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latané started this line of research, showing that contrary to common expectations, larger numbers of bystanders decrease the likelihood that someone will step forward and help a victim. The reasons include the fact that onlookers see that others are not helping either, that onlookers believe others will know better how to help, and that onlookers feel uncertain about helping while others are watching

Bruthal

Biggins wrote: »

I learned a lesson to have one, while driving home one night and a stone cracked the front screen of the car.
It was winter and as I still eventually, was able to drive (pre-mobile phone era), those with me in the back was cold from the wind able to blow in as I drove slowly home.
A blanket thereafter was kept in the car for such repeats of similar happenings in future.

Yes similar to why i always have the decent flashlight in the car all the time. You just never know when you will be stuck. Or someone else is.

Run_to_da_hills

xsiborg wrote: »

this.

it's becoming all too common nowadays and even so more prevalent in america for accident victims to seek compensation from their rescuers, so it is only a matter of time before we hear of a case of it here in "compo culture" ireland.

The reason I mentioned Germany is that my Uncle was a GP for the US occupied forces shortly after the War. My old man was driving along an Autobahn with him in Porche, they came across a serious RTA, instead of pulling over my uncle put the boot down. His reason was that he wasn't covered for liability insurance other than in the military service.

My old man was horrified at this and got out of the car at the next opportunity. I believe it is like that to this day. If you are professional, unless you are assigned to roadside emergencies in these countries you don't get involved.

AngryBollix

I prefer to point and laugh at stupid drivers

Bruthal

flanders1979 wrote: »

Why not, the man is practically Jesus.

He probably wouldnt approve of you receiving pain relief if you have to have a leg sawn off anyway.

Mint Sauce

People out of their cars walking about following a fender bender... Drive on

People still in cars but with others assisting... Will more than likely slow down or stop to see if can be of assistance

No one present... Stop, call guards/ambulance, wait till they arrive, do what I can or is safe to de in mean time.

It would be on my mind all day and following days if did nothing.

The Big Red Button

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

I was in a car accident not long after I first started driving, about six months. Was coming around a normal bend at about 30mph when the car just started to skid out of no where, crashed into a fence but me and my friend who were in the car were fine, even so a car with two fellas that was behind me and saw everything just drove on past.

I rang my dad who came down immediately and ate the head of me, assuming I was speeding etc. The gardai arrived on and made sure we were okay and once we got the car going we headed along. Then just a around the corner there were the two lads who had passed us out, they had had a much worse crash than us and the car was in bits as they had gone up on a ditch and crashed into a pole. As it turned out there was oil spilled on the road which caused both accident, my Dad was eating crow. And as for the two lads in the car well I suppose karma is a bitch. For that reason I always help when I come upon an accident. Pulled two drunk lads out of a caddy that was upside down with it's nose stuck in a ditch. They were both out of it and were very lucky to walk away, never ever drink and drive kids!

But why would you pull them out? God, you could've done serious damage to them!

That's a big fear of mine, that I'd be in an accident, and some well-meaning do-gooders would f*ck me up worse by dragging me out of the car!!! It's not a Hollywood movie, the chances of the car exploding into flames are pretty damn slim! Just wait for the professionals who are actually trained to move injured people! It's basic common sense!

As for the drivers in the OP who drove on by ... that's pretty sick. I've witnessed near-accidents, and have actually had to pull in afterwards just to get my head straight! Don't know how anyone could witness an accident and just continue on their way!

Only accident I've ever come across, was when I was walking into town with a friend of mine, when we were maybe 16-17. A Polish woman, her five year old son, and baby daughter, were hit crossing the road. We came along just after it happened, everyone else was over with the baby in the buggy, so me and my friend sat with the boy (a good bit away), he had a broken leg, so we just took off his shoe and sock and kept an umbrella over him and chatted away to him. Poor little guy was only concerned about his baby sister, we heard afterwards she was in a coma, we never did find out if she survived or not.

Anyone who could continue on their way without even trying to help just has something missing inside, in my opinion.

Jimoslimos

Deleted User wrote: »

Well she did!! I arrived in Crumlin and she wasn't there, so the nurse did some investigation and was told that she had insisted she be taken to Temple Street because there was a muslim doctor there. And we were in Donnybrook, pretty much on the Canal so they could have gotten to Crumlin much quicker.

Obviously wasn't that hysterical then, although perhaps it wasn't solely based on religion but communication/language barrier as well.

Lucifer31

Yes I would, if the occassion arose. Absolutely. If I thought someone was hurt, I couldn't drive by, late for work or not... Was first at the scene following a bike / car smash in Dundalk in 1996. Was not pretty.

Raditub

It actually happened to me in the past and i did stop twice one time i was actually able to help! ...Other time it was too late unfortunately But its always better to stop...sher u cant do anything wrong..besides not stopping!