Avoid becoming a second casualty, and know the only reasons a person is ever moved.
The first decision isn't about the casualty
Your own safety first, then everything else
On the road and near electricity, your first decision is about you, not the casualty. First-aid guidelines are clear: you help only when nothing at the scene threatens you. A bystander who becomes a second casualty helps no one. So at a crash: mark the scene (hazard lights, a warning triangle), make sure you're visible, call 911 — and only then approach.
The least obvious part: after a crash, you don't move the person. “Pull him out just in case” and “make him comfortable” aren't help: after an impact like that, a neck injury is suspected. Ask a conscious person to hold their own head however feels comfortable; never put them into a position by force. The recovery position is not used after an injury.
There are three exceptions: danger right where they lie; no other way to open the airway; they need CPR and it can't be done in that position. The airway matters more than worries about the spine. Then turn the whole body at once, neck in line with the body, preferably not alone. By the same logic, a motorcycle helmet isn't removed just to take a look.
Example: a car in a ditch, no fire, the driver conscious. Nothing to move — call and watch the breathing. If smoke appears, the first exception applies.
Electricity: cut the power first (circuit breaker, main switch, plug) and don't approach until it's done. A downed power line: stay away and call 911.
Lesson notes
Your own safety first, then everything else
On the road and near electricity, your first decision is about you, not the casualty. First-aid guidelines are clear: you help only when nothing at the scene threatens you. A bystander who becomes a second casualty helps no one. So at a crash: mark the scene (hazard lights, a warning triangle), make sure you're visible, call 911 — and only then approach.
The least obvious part: after a crash, you don't move the person. “Pull him out just in case” and “make him comfortable” aren't help: after an impact like that, a neck injury is suspected. Ask a conscious person to hold their own head however feels comfortable; never put them into a position by force. The recovery position is not used after an injury.
There are three exceptions: danger right where they lie; no other way to open the airway; they need CPR and it can't be done in that position. The airway matters more than worries about the spine. Then turn the whole body at once, neck in line with the body, preferably not alone. By the same logic, a motorcycle helmet isn't removed just to take a look.
Example: a car in a ditch, no fire, the driver conscious. Nothing to move — call and watch the breathing. If smoke appears, the first exception applies.
Electricity: cut the power first (circuit breaker, main switch, plug) and don't approach until it's done. A downed power line: stay away and call 911.