St John WA and The Road Safety Commission have announced a new online basic first aid course to help save lives.
The Anyone Can Save a Life campaign, launched before the Easter Long weekend, asks drivers to take a newly developed, and free, 15 minute online course for all drivers and other road users.
The course has been built on more than a decade of experience.
The campaign highlights how first aid and post-crash care can reduce the impacts of road crashes.
Charles Hayne, principal media advisor for the Road Safety Commission, said the primary purpose of the campaign is “to save lives.”
“15 per cent of Australian road fatalities can be prevented by administering basic first aid.”
“The first four minutes after a crash are vital because it only takes for minutes for a person to die from a blocked airway after a crash.”
James Foggo, the media and content lead at St John WA said the campaign aims to “arm every road user with the skills and knowledge to save a life.”
He said the course is provided for free because they want every person to have basic first aid knowledge.
“The overarching first aid skill that we want everyone to know is DRSABCD.”
DRSABCD is an acronym for the seven different steps or, action plan, to follow when administering first aid: Danger, Response, Send, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation.
The Anyone Can Save a Life campaign includes First Aid for Me Drivers and First Aid for Me Young Drivers.
“The First Aid for Me, Drivers course includes DRSABCD and also shock management and muscular-skeletal injuries,” said Mr Foggo.
While these courses aim to help outcomes, they are not provided to relieve pressure on ambulance systems.
“At the end of the day, you will still need an ambulance at the scene of a crash, [but] when people administer first aid, it makes it easier for our first responders,” Mr Foggo added.
