When you see an accident happen, what do you do?

[Slartibartfast]

Depends. If it's a just a fender bender, or I'd just be getting in the way/making it worse, I'd move on. If it's serious, and the cops aren't there yet, I'd pull over. But I live in a small town, where accidents usually involve either alcohol or deer, and where I know the roads fairly well.

 

Props for stopping though, hope you were able to help.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Slartibartfast

[PerlNinja]

Well this was a bit more than a fender bender, small truck on it's side, and passenger car with the entire front end crumpled up, everyone turned out to be okay but it looked ugly. As mentioned in my blog post, it's one of the reasons I keep a full first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and some other bits and bobs in the trunk; down here, it can take up to 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, and sometimes it just comes with a driver, no medical staff.

[Tungsten]

Keep going

[Dowser]

Roll down the Window, Point and Laugh...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KIDDING, Kidding...

 

I'd most likely stop and see if there was something I could do, whether it be a phone or minor medical help until ambulatory care arrived using my incar First Aid Kit. Never know, and those precious moments right after an accident could be someone life.

[PerlNinja]

@Tungsten: I sincerely hope you're joking...

@Dowser: Well, back in the mother land I had an active EMT rating, it's expired by now but it's not stuff you forget And yes, the first few minutes after an accident can literally be the difference between life and death.

 

As for my reasons for stopping; if I'd pass it by and would later read in the paper that someone died; that wouldn't sit well, at all. I'd rather stop and find that everyone is okay and be on my way again, and at least know I did the right thing.

[Tungsten]

Nope! Not even kidding. I hate it when people slow traffic down just because someone crashed on the other side of the highway.

[Slartibartfast]

Also keep in mind that we don't all have EMT training... if there was a medical emergency I know I'd be pretty much useless.

[PerlNinja]

Nope! Not even kidding. I hate it when people slow traffic down just because someone crashed on the other side of the highway.

 

Yeah okay that's one thing, I'm talking about it happening a couple hundred yards in front of you - on your side of the road. If it's on the other side of the highway, I'm not stopping because chances are I'll either be the next victim, or someone that is rubbernecking doesn't notice my stopped car and plows right into it.

[PerlNinja]

Also keep in mind that we don't all have EMT training... if there was a medical emergency I know I'd be pretty much useless.

 

 

*ahem* *steps up on his lifted soapbox*

 

True with regards to the EMT training, not so true for being useless if you don't have it; even if you have no medical training, at all, if you're the first person at the scene of an accident you can be useful; call 911, check people to see what they're like, and talk to them. If someone else got there first, then you can always move debris, or park your car with emergency lights on (in a safe-ish spot), and go about 100 yards up the highway and start waving to get people to slow down.

 

My "standard" kit that I've had in all my cars (even a tiny little Hyundai) consisted of: 1 first aid kit (currently it's a huge first aid kit), 1 medium sized fire extinguisher (it's not going to put out a fire, but it'll give you enough room to yank people out of there), a few tow ropes (well, always useful), 2 belts (you know, for your pants. make decent tourniquets if you're in a hurry), 2 1.5 liter bottles of water, a crowbar, a maglite, two emergency triangle things (forgot what they're called in English...), and a red plastic tube that I can stick on top of the maglite to create an insta-traffic wand. Not saying everyone should carry kit like this, but having at the very least a small first aid kit, flashlight, and that insta-wand thing is going to be a lifesaver.

 

The brutal truth behind me being so adamant about this stop-and-help thing: A long time ago I witnessed an accident at night, was the first on the scene, and saw 4 people burn. I didn't have an extinguisher in my car at the time; the 6 or 7 other cars that passed might've had one, but they weren't interested in stopping. They just wanted to slow down to watch the carnage. And then move on.

[nunya]

odds are if I'm near an accident scene i'm the one pealing it off the road...

[mattyrides07]

I feel obligated to ALWAYS stop if I see it happen (cops aren't there yet), and make sure everyone's okay. If I decide it's cool to leave then I call the cops once I get back in my truck and drive off. When I witness or am a "first responder" to a major accident I'm required to administer first aid b/c I'm "CLS" certified or something... obviously I won't try more than I know. Plus, being in America there's normally a fire truck/paramedic moments away.

[TerranoNZ]

*ahem* *steps up on his lifted soapbox*

 

True with regards to the EMT training, not so true for being useless if you don't have it; even if you have no medical training, at all, if you're the first person at the scene of an accident you can be useful; call 911, check people to see what they're like, and talk to them. If someone else got there first, then you can always move debris, or park your car with emergency lights on (in a safe-ish spot), and go about 100 yards up the highway and start waving to get people to slow down.

 

My "standard" kit that I've had in all my cars (even a tiny little Hyundai) consisted of: 1 first aid kit (currently it's a huge first aid kit), 1 medium sized fire extinguisher (it's not going to put out a fire, but it'll give you enough room to yank people out of there), a few tow ropes (well, always useful), 2 belts (you know, for your pants. make decent tourniquets if you're in a hurry), 2 1.5 liter bottles of water, a crowbar, a maglite, two emergency triangle things (forgot what they're called in English...), and a red plastic tube that I can stick on top of the maglite to create an insta-traffic wand. Not saying everyone should carry kit like this, but having at the very least a small first aid kit, flashlight, and that insta-wand thing is going to be a lifesaver.

 

The brutal truth behind me being so adamant about this stop-and-help thing: A long time ago I witnessed an accident at night, was the first on the scene, and saw 4 people burn. I didn't have an extinguisher in my car at the time; the 6 or 7 other cars that passed might've had one, but they weren't interested in stopping. They just wanted to slow down to watch the carnage. And then move on.

 

You forgot to "make sure the scene is safe for you" But this isn't a how to so we'll let that one slide

I would stop and have done in the past, went to comfort a woman and it turned out I knew her.

I've done emergency first aid courses (required by some employers).

 

I guess some people that wouldn't stop are:

Fearful (accidentally killing someone, being robbed)

Aren't good in those type of situations (maybe mental problems).

See that some one's there and think that they have it under control.

 

I can understand why some may not stop, sure doesn't help you out there and then though.

[PerlNinja]

Well, yeah, you got me there But it's not a how-to so... yeah

 

Anyway, on some level I can fully understand why people won't stop, especially for me living where I live there's an inherent risk of some mob action one way or the other because it's easy enough to fire people up on the "oh, look, a foreigner, let's go get some of his money" mentality, so it's a risk. Mental issues though, people that have them shouldn't drive Then again that'd mean all of us would have to stay home because I think we're all a slight bit crazy about pathy's and offroading

 

And I'll apologise for going off like a raving lunatic, it's just this: people that know they're not good in those sorts of situations generally don't rubberneck either. They just keep going. If someone is going to slow down and rubberneck to see if they can spot some dead folks, or see some tragedy happening so they've got a story to tell; those are the ones that irritate me badly. Those are the people that should basically just grow a pair and stop, they'd have a better story to tell later on, on top of helping out some fellow people in need.

 

Anyway... *steps off his soapbox* ... let's just say this is one of those things that hits close to home, so I'm figuring it's best to sort of wrap this topic up. I shouldn't have posted it in the first place, but I'm not known to have good judgement when I'm really pissed

 

Back to the regularly scheduled off-topic banter

[TrailChaser]

When I was a truck driver(over ten years ago) I shut down an interstate with my rig after seeing a fatality motorcycle accident happen about 200 yards in front of me. The guy on the bike was passing a car that decided to pass the truck in front of it.

 

I stopped and then watched about 20 cars squeeze pass dangerously close to the biker laying in the road seconds after it happened. I just put the truck back in gear and turned sideways across the interstate effectively blocking the whole thing. The emergency vehicles were able to head northbound in the southbound lanes to reach the accident. I was thanked by the first couple of cops to arrive who then informed me that I could go around the wreck on the shoulder while they shut the interstate down for the next 4-6hrs... 3 cars and my big rig got to leave before they officially shut it down as a thanks for the help. I reported 4 cars license plate #'s that I got wrote down for failure to stop and render aid.. I wish I could have gotten them all written down, but didn't think about it till I got sideways and re-parked. By then the first several thru were long gone. BTW: Failure to stop and render aid is a third degree FELONY in Texas which is where I'm from and were this all happened.

[TerranoNZ]

Well, yeah, you got me there But it's not a how-to so... yeah

 

Anyway, on some level I can fully understand why people won't stop, especially for me living where I live there's an inherent risk of some mob action one way or the other because it's easy enough to fire people up on the "oh, look, a foreigner, let's go get some of his money" mentality, so it's a risk. Mental issues though, people that have them shouldn't drive Then again that'd mean all of us would have to stay home because I think we're all a slight bit crazy about pathy's and offroading

 

And I'll apologise for going off like a raving lunatic, it's just this: people that know they're not good in those sorts of situations generally don't rubberneck either. They just keep going. If someone is going to slow down and rubberneck to see if they can spot some dead folks, or see some tragedy happening so they've got a story to tell; those are the ones that irritate me badly. Those are the people that should basically just grow a pair and stop, they'd have a better story to tell later on, on top of helping out some fellow people in need.

 

Anyway... *steps off his soapbox* ... let's just say this is one of those things that hits close to home, so I'm figuring it's best to sort of wrap this topic up. I shouldn't have posted it in the first place, but I'm not known to have good judgement when I'm really pissed

 

Back to the regularly scheduled off-topic banter

 

I don't see a problem with the topic, hopefully someone will load some first aid gear in their rig because of it.

Can't see the raving lunatic either

I believe that we have a similar law here in NZ as what Trailchaser was talking about. I know that if a member of the public calls for help and you do nothing you can get charged with something.

[PerlNinja]

When I was a truck driver(over ten years ago) I shut down an interstate with my rig after seeing a fatality motorcycle accident happen about 200 yards in front of me. The guy on the bike was passing a car that decided to pass the truck in front of it.

 

I stopped and then watched about 20 cars squeeze pass dangerously close to the biker laying in the road seconds after it happened. I just put the truck back in gear and turned sideways across the interstate effectively blocking the whole thing. The emergency vehicles were able to head northbound in the southbound lanes to reach the accident. I was thanked by the first couple of cops to arrive who then informed me that I could go around the wreck on the shoulder while they shut the interstate down for the next 4-6hrs... 3 cars and my big rig got to leave before they officially shut it down as a thanks for the help. I reported 4 cars license plate #'s that I got wrote down for failure to stop and render aid.. I wish I could have gotten them all written down, but didn't think about it till I got sideways and re-parked. By then the first several thru were long gone. BTW: Failure to stop and render aid is a third degree FELONY in Texas which is where I'm from and were this all happened.

 

Ouch... I feel for the biker, they're so often totally overlooked it's insane. And all I can say is: amen brother, good work. I had the same thing happen, basically. Down here we drive on the left, so to sketch the scene a little: 4 lane highway; a truck gone over on it's right side, spilling bags of sand/cement onto the rightmost lane (the fast lane), truck is blocking the lane next to the rightmost one (if you number em from the left side, bags in lane 4, truck in lane 3), and the passenger car that apparently plowed right into things is partially blocking the 2nd lane.

 

As usual I'm in the fast lane (Terry does about 140km/h), and I stopped about 20 meters away from the truck and bags. Pretty much everyone in lanes 1 and 2 squeezed by on that end of things, but people in the 3rd lane and the 4th lane were basically sort of screwed because traffic mentality here is "me me me me me me me and more me" so they can't merge in cleanly. As witnessed by a Toyota Landcruiser swerving around my stopped car, going between my car and the passenger car, and plowing through the bags popping a bunch of them while honking madly. (Note: a Landcruiser is an expensive vehicle; there's a 50/50 chance that it's being driven by a driver, and that the owner is sitting in back. The owner either being a very rich person and hence having that whole "oh, I'm better than the peons" attitude, or some government official, in which case they aren't thinking or doing anything because it's below them).

 

I did end up moving my car a bit to block the 4th and 3rd lane and shield the passenger car and truck a little; I must admit I wanted to be a bit closer in to that truck as well in the event of someone hitting my car, I didn't want it to go bouncing up and down the highway.

 

Wish I had a big truck though...

 

Like I said though, this is just one of those things that gets me all fired up, and I do have a tendency to go off wildly about it. Then again, I have to admit that traffic down here is bordering on the insane, I could fill up a book just writing about the things I see here that are considered normal, yet would get you arrested and hauled off on endangering the public charges in any western country. It adds an extra layer of "rrrrawwwwrrrrgghh" because a lot of accidents I've seen could've been prevented.

[nunya]

Wish I had a big truck though...

This comment in this topic is where size don't matter, I've stopped many a road with just an Eclipse

[PerlNinja]

I don't see a problem with the topic, hopefully someone will load some first aid gear in their rig because of it.

 

It never hurts to have some, 'specially if you're out offroading, when things tend to go wrong there, they tend to go *really* wrong usually. Heck even having a pack of bandages with you is a good idea; if you don't have to use them on anyone, you can usually get away with using them as a replacement V belt (or however you call it in English ) if it snaps. They're usually good to get at the very least the water pump and such going, and last long enough to get yourself off the hill and into a garage. (Yes, I've done this, and no, not on my Pathy... but I'll tell the story some other time )

 

Can't see the raving lunatic either

 

Well, let's just say that I usually sit back and read what I wrote before posting, and some major corrections were needed because the language alone was good enough to make even the saltiest sailor blush...

 

I believe that we have a similar law here in NZ as what Trailchaser was talking about. I know that if a member of the public calls for help and you do nothing you can get charged with something.

 

We have it in Holland too, although with a few small differences: if you're a medical professional (and being an EMT counts), you *have* to stop even if nobody asks you to, if you're joe q. average, *if* you stop, you have to stay until police shows up to take your statement. You can't stop and decide to take off again. If, however, it's found that you did not stop (as joe q. average) and that your not stopping caused someone to die or otherwise be injured more, you're up on involuntary manslaughter charges. And in Holland, it's easy to find you because pretty much every governmental database is interconnected, and with the amount of cctv and speed trap cameras going (or eyewitness reports), they can find your ass any time they want.

 

Never did find out if they went after the people that didn't stop at the car fire thing.

[dream36realms]

I am required by law to stop and assist in any way possible.

[nismothunder]

Point, and laugh. And honk if there blocking the lane. Not much you can do because of the liability of being sued for causeing further injury too the victim.

 

Now, in the case of a friend of mine. Who rolled one of his trucks, the cop that arrived wouldnt pull him out of it. Because he thought the truck was about too blow up, a passer bye pulled him out. To Protect and Serve my ass.