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Only Dial 999 in an Emergency |
Being involved or witnessing a road traffic collision can be an extremely difficult thing to come to terms with especially if it involves injury to people or animals.
Although this situation is extremely stressful it is important that you keep your wits about you because somebody could be relying on you to dial 999 and report the accident.
Below is a list of things to consider prior to making the call to the emergency services, it is important to remember that giving accurate information will lead to speedier arrival of the emergency services.
On dialling 999 you will be asked by an operator which service you require?
With Road Traffic Collision it is good practice to request the Police and pass all information onto them. The Police control operator will then inform the ambulance service and if required the Fire Service. The decisions that the Police Operators come to will depend mainly on the details that you have passed.
If in doubt call all 3 services
Do not rely on other people to call in a collision it is better lots of
people call instead of none
| Location |
it is good practice to keep a mental note of the road number you are travelling on as well as any points of reference eg. towns and villages, shops garages and public houses. This will help you describe your location to the emergency operator. |
| What is involved |
number of vehicles, types of vehicles (LGV's Coaches, buses, cars, motor cycles, pedestrians) |
| Casualties/persons injured |
number of casualties/persons injured |
| People trapped in vehicles |
number of people trapped in vehicles |
| Vehicles on fire |
number of vehicles on fire, if any |
All the above information will have a bearing on the number of Ambulances, Fire Appliances and Police Officers that will attend a road traffic collision.
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Always listen to any advice the emergency services operator may give you |
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Keep yourself safe and away from hazards and be aware of other moving vehicles |
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Stay calm and do not panic |
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If you are a competent first aider you may wish to administer first aid to stabilise the casualties |
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