What you can do at a bike crash scene

[PrincessBandit]

If someone is bleeding badly, use direct pressure or whatever you have to stop the bleed. A mate years ago collided with a van near Blue Lake in Vegas, got a major cut(imagine a machete chop!!!) to his right shoulder. As he got to the side of the road the blood was already covering half his chest and visibly flowing through his jersey. I was just expecting to see some gravel rash! I ended up putting 2 handkerchiefs and 2 t-shirts into and over the cut(his shoulder had dislocated and was pulling the wound apart as well). Blood still flowed out if I released pressure on it.

A local doctor came down and had a look as we waited for the ambos and commented that "you have a little laceration there". He is obviously used to seeing more trauma than most of us.

2 points.. 1. It may look life threatening to us non medical people but the human body is pretty resilient and the medics are bloody good so don't panic.

2. Even using a dirty t-shirt to stop bleeding and having the potential of infection is better than the victim bleeding to death. The Doctors can treat the infection...if the victim lasts to get to the hospital.

The point about doing "something" is good too. At that particular accident, a mate couldn't really face the blood but he did a great job of waving down the traffic keeping the scene, and us, safe.
If you need help and people are standing around doing nothing, tell them what you want them to do. Many people will be too scared or stunned to help out but just need a push to get involved.

Ensure that someone has called the emergency services!

Thinking about your "a little laceration" comment - medical personnel probably recognise the importance of keeping things calm, even by occasionally making a lighthearted comment, in the face of potential panic. I've heard that air traffic controllers are supposed to keep a neutral voice even in the face of chaos in order to not exacerbate a bad situation.
So it is possible that the cut wasn't as bad as you thought it was, or it could also have been his way of keeping things calm and not adding to the stress and panic of the accident scene.

[LBD]

And if your at a loose end...write down the numberplates of the witnesses...If it was the cars fault.

[90s]

Great thread, and without having to do afirst-aid course it is a good idea to review other material about keeping safe, traffic direction, detail to tell EMS for example. Great work.

There is one thing I would like to add to make EMS's life a little easier - and that is check for med ID. I wear a wristband because I am on Warfarin; diabetic (as earlier) often have one. Others wear a necklace. Look in wallet if accessible for a medical emergency ID card - if someone has one it should be right on top. I carry one of these too. This info could be important, and it can't hurt to relay it if you can.