Accidents and emergencies

No doubt, we always try our best to avoid an accident, but one needs to be prepared for it, if in an unlucky event it does happen.

Obligation to remain at the scene

The general rule is that if you are involved in an accident, you need to remain at the scene regardless of it being your fault or not. Leaving the scene is a criminal offense, and if the accident incurred personal injuries, the penalty for anyone leaving the scene is imprisonment. At the scene of an accident you will also be asked to provide your personal name and address and will be asked to describe how the accident happened. Moreover, it is your responsibility to help the injured at the scene of an accident or provide any other help that may be required.

It is critical to know the first aid techniques, remember - this may save someone’s life! It is always a good idea to attend special first aid training course from a qualified organization.

Involved in an accident - what to do?

If you are involved in an accident, you should first of all evaluate the situation. Assess whether anyone is injured, whether there is a risk of fire, or a vehicle with hazardous goods is involved.  Switch off all engines, stop anyone from smoking. If there is a risk of explosion do not approach too close. It is also your responsibility to warn other road users of the accident. Place the warning triangle and switch on your hazard warning lights.

Get help! Call the emergency number 112 for help and be ready to describe the accident, the amount of causalities and the location so that emergency services could arrive to the scene of accident as soon as possible. Describe if someone has difficulty breathing, is unconscious or bleeding heavily.

Provide first aid to those involved in the accident. You have to prioritise depending on the condition of each causality. Remember that injured people should NOT be moved unless absolutely necessary to prevent further damage. This is because moving an injured person may incur further complications to the existing injuries. Remember NOT to remove motorcyclist’s helmet. Do not try to feed or give drink to injured people and remember that they may be suffering from shock. Provide shelter from rain or snow and try to keep them warm. Try to calm them down as much as you can.

First aid

When providing first aid you should first of all check that your location is safe from danger. Try to talk to the causality, ask some questions, if they are not responding, shake them gently. If you cannot get their response, check that the airway is not blocked. Check the pulse. If there is no pulse, perform chest compressions by placing two hands in the center of the chest and pushing hard and fast about 5 cm down and with a frequency of about 2 times in a second. You can use only one hand when performing compressions for a child and don’t push that far down.

In case of heavy bleeding, examine the wound and check for any stuck objects. If possible, wash or disinfect your hands prior to this. If the object is embedded in the wound, do not remove it. Use a clean piece of material to cover the wound. Apply firm pressure to the cover pad, but ensure that the pressure is not applied to the embedded object if there is one.

Accidents with wild animals

Among other types of accidents, the accidents that occur due to sudden appearance of wild animals are quite common. You should always reduce speed in the areas marked with wildlife hazard signs. The risk of animals suddenly appearing on the carriageway is particularly high at dawn and at dusk, in May and June, in September and October and also in winter on salted roads. In case of collision with a large wild animal you should inform the police. Most common types of wildlife collisions are accidents involving reindeer, deer and elk. If the animal died as a result of a collision, you must remove it from the carrieageway, as long as it is safe to do so. You should also switch on your hazard warning lights and place a warning triangle. Especially dangerous areas in terms of risk of wildlife collisions are open fields, forested areas with water streams on the side of the road, and areas where wildlife protection fences begin and end.