55% of deaths caused by road accidents occur in the first few minutes after a crash. Up to 85% of these deaths could be prevented if first aid were given. The first person on the scene of a road accident will almost certainly be another road user. So as a driver your knowledge of first aid could make a real difference to someone in the event of a road accident. Assess conditions *Remain calm. Judge the scene and seriousness of the collision. *Determine what has happened, how many people and vehicles are involved and the exact location. *Determine how many casualties  there are, what is the severity of the injuries, whether anyone is trapped, and whether there is a danger of fire. Make safe *Make sure you stay safe and keep off the road. If you need to stop or warn approaching cars, signal to them from the pavement. Wear reflective clothing, use warning triangles, flashing lights and warning lights. Don't smoke. *If you are in a car and you come across an accident, first park safely and turn off the engine before you get out to help. Use a triangle warning danger if necessary. *Consider the safety of others. Don't move the vehicles, look out for dangers -- leaking fuel, chemicals, broken glass or dropping loads -- guide uninjured passengers to a place of safety. Call for help Dial 999 (or 112) for the emergency services. If there is no phone nearby, send two people in opposite directions to seek help. Do this as soon as you can or get someone else to do it while you deal with an injured person. You will need to tell the emergency services: *where you are *what has happened (describe the accident) *how many people are injured *whether they are breathing or bleeding. The operator will talk you through what to do while you wait for an ambulance to arrive. Apply emergency first aid *Remain calm. Reassure the victims. *Do not allow smoking or offer food or drink to casualties as this could _ urgent medical treatment. The passage is most likely to appear in a newspaper's   _   section.
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