WANDERERS MC MOTORCYCLE SAFETY


Biker Down: How to Respond in an Emergency PAGE 1

What to Do,
What Not to Do

This information is geared toward people with little to no formal first aid training. If you're a qualified nurse, paramedic, EMT, first responder, or other trained medical professional, you should of course follow your own protocols to provide appropriate emergency care.

If you're a biker (or passenger) who's had no first aid training, I strongly urge you to sign up for a basic first aid/CPR course at your local Red Cross. It's cheap, it takes only a few hours, and it can save someone's life. Many employers pay for the training, or even schedule an in-house training on company time. Check it out!

Finally, understand that the emergency care procedures outlined here are the absolute basics, and reflect the accepted emergency practices and standard of knowledge in the United States as of 9/99. It's up to you to stay informed of changes.

SCENE:

You're on a poker run with a few friends, riding in a comfortable four-bike formation along a long stretch of highway. You're next-to-last in the group. Suddenly, in your rear-view mirror, you see a lady in a Cadillac change into your lane-- slamming right into your friend who's riding drag! There's a blare of horns, a screech of tires. By the time you get your bike stopped and start running back along the shoulder, you see your friend down on the highway. He's not moving.

What do you do? What should you do? If you don't already have a plan -- and some basic first aid supplies -- your response will most likely be either panic or paralysis. Either way, it can cost your friend his life.

Check, Call, Care
3 Emergency Action Steps

The Red Cross uses a very simple formula to help people remember the three steps they should take in an emergency: CHECK. CALL. CARE.

Back to our scene: You run along the highway shoulder back toward where your friend lies, unmoving, on the road. Your mind is racing, your heart's in overdrive, and you're breathing fast. The others in your group are right behind you.

FREEZE.

Before you run up on an accident scene, you should CHECK THE SCENE to see if it's safe. Darting blindly onto the highway in front of cars going 70 or 80 mph is likely to add another victim. To help your friend, you must first keep yourself alive and well.

What kinds of things do you check for? In a traffic accident, traffic for starters. Has it all come to a complete halt, or are cars still moving past the accident? Do stopped motorists have their flashers on to alert others? Is it safe to approach? The potential hazards present at any emergency scene are numerous. In non-traffic situations, the hazards can be a downed power line and water puddle... a man with a gun... a cloud of chemical vapor... even a snarling dog. No matter how rushed and frantic you feel, take the time to check the scene before you jump into the middle of it.

You see that five or six cars have stopped, but traffic is still moving at a fairly fast pace in the far left lane. A woman is standing beside a convertible, talking on a cell phone and pointing toward the twisted remains of your friend's bike. The woman in the Cadillac is still sitting in her car. A man jumps out of a Jag, runs over to your friend, kneels next to him, and reaches for his helmet.

Is this a safe scene? If not, can it be made safe? And what should you do first?

BIKER DOWN: Cont'd (Page 2)