While we all enjoy a solitary ride from time to time, for most people riding a bike is as much social as it transportation. This unfortunately also means that many times we are the first on the scene when one of our brother or sisters is involved in an accident. The majority of us are not medical personnel of course, but that doesn’t mean that we cannot play an important role in helping out our fellow bikers when catastrophe strikes.
Even the least trained of us can be of great assistance by following these few simple pieces of advice.
Prepare Yourself
If you witness an accident or are one of the first to arrive it is a normal reaction to experience an adrenaline rush. You will be in a much better condition to help if you will pause just a second, take a few deep breaths and settle yourself mentally and emotionally.
Call 911
No matter how good your training, unless you are driving an ambulance, you cannot replace the efforts of professional lifesavers and the equipment they bring with them. Call 911 or make sure that someone else has. DON’T ASSUME they have been called, make sure.
Check the Scene for Safety
Instinct will most likely tell you to rush to your fallen comrade and start trying to help them. DON”T! Their safety and your own could be in jeopardy. Check the scene for signs of fire, electrical hazards or other dangers before you approach. If possible, turn off the ignition of their bike and any other vehicles that may have been involved.
Check the Victims
Unless there is an imminent threat to the victim’s life, DO NOT MOVE THEM and except in cases where it may be interfering with the victim’s breathing, DO NOT REMOVE THEIR HELMET. To do either of these things could cause further harm to them, especially if they have suffered a neck or spinal injury.
The exception to this rule is if the injured party is not breathing or has no pulse. If that is the case and you have been trained to, you should reposition them and start performing CPR immediately.
Check the victim for bleeding, beyond minor wounds. 80% of motorcycle accidents involve a rider going highside and Femur (thigh bone) injuries are very common. These bones have very large arteries running close to them. If excessive bleeding is apparent apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or sterile bandage if one is available.
Watch for signs the person is going into shock. This can occur even if there are no major injuries.
Signs of shock can include:
- Mental confusion
- Cold, clammy skin
- Cold Sweats
- Try to keep the person warm and comfortable
- If possible lay the person down and elevate their feet slightly higher than their head.
- Inform medical personnel as soon as they are on site.
Shock can be life threatening, so pay attention. If you see signs of shock:
Other than being involved in a motorcycle accident yourself, watching a friend or family member go down can be one of the most traumatic experiences of your life. Hopefully, if you are ever in a position where you need to render assistance to a fallen brother or sister this information will be of some assistance to you.
I would much rather represent them in a personal injury case than their families in a wrongful death suit so let’s look out for each other.