First aid · 5 min read · Updated October 2026
Road accidents: first aid that saves lives
Africa has the highest road death rate in the world. What bystanders do in the first minutes, and do not do, often decides who survives.
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Most deaths after a road crash happen before the person reaches hospital. Ordinary people are usually the first on the scene. You do not need training to do the most important things; you do need to avoid the common mistakes that cause harm.
First, make it safe
Do not become the next casualty. Switch on hazard lights, place a warning triangle or branches 50 metres back, and stand away from traffic. Switch off the ignition of damaged vehicles. Do not smoke near spilled fuel. Call the emergency number for your country or send someone to call; say exactly where you are and how many people are hurt.
Do not move people unless you must
Moving someone with a neck or back injury can paralyse them. Leave people where they are unless there is fire, danger of being hit, or they are not breathing and need to be turned. If you must move someone, keep the head, neck and back in a straight line with several people lifting together.
Check breathing
Tap the shoulders and shout. If there is no response, tilt the head back gently and lift the chin. If they are not breathing normally, start chest compressions: push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, about twice per second, and do not stop until help arrives. If an unconscious person is breathing, keep the airway open and, if you must leave them, roll them onto their side as a unit.
Stop bleeding
Press firmly on the wound with a cloth, shirt or your hand and keep pressing; do not lift to look. If blood soaks through, add more cloth on top. For a limb that is bleeding heavily and will not stop, a tight band above the wound (a belt or scarf twisted with a stick) can save a life; note the time you applied it. Do not remove objects stuck in a wound; pad around them.
Things not to do
Do not give food, water or alcohol. Do not remove a motorcycle helmet unless the person is not breathing and you cannot open the airway otherwise. Do not pull people out by their arms or legs. Do not put the injured into the back of a pickup unless there is truly no ambulance coming; if you must transport them, support the neck and go slowly. Do not crowd around.
Burns and fractures
Cool burns with clean running water for 20 minutes; do not apply toothpaste, oil, egg or herbs; cover loosely with a clean cloth. Support a suspected broken limb in the position found with rolled clothing; do not try to straighten it.
After the crash
Everyone involved should be assessed, even those who feel fine; internal bleeding and head injuries can show hours later. Go to a hospital if there is any head injury with vomiting, confusion or drowsiness, growing belly or chest pain, breathlessness, a limb that cannot bear weight, or numbness. Wear a helmet and seatbelt, every trip, every seat.
Emergency numbers
767 works in Lagos State; 112 is the national number. Numbers change: please check locally. If a number does not connect, go straight to the nearest hospital.
Related doctors
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