Security company shares tips with drivers on what do if you witness, or are involved in a roadside incident or emergency
|Published
Marshall Security has offered motorist advice on what to do if they witness or are involved in an accident or emergency. Marshall Security shares tips on what do if you witness or are involved in a roadside incident or emergency. Picture: Nalizé van Rooyen/supplied.
During the festive season motorists may be confronted with roadside incidents or emergencies more often and may not know what to do.
Marshall Security has offered motorist advice on what to do if you witness an accident or emergency:
- Remain calm:
- Report the incident to someone that can help, immediately:
Marshall Security said your first responder is going to need your help in order to help.
This is what they’d like you to provide:
- Date and time, where you are, what has happened and is medical assistance required?
“A good course of action if you are on a community safety/security group, is to send a pin drop of the current location where the emergency occurred,” said the security company.
Here’s a quick play-by-play on that process:
- Firstly, please pull over if you haven’t already. We don’t want you to have an accident too.
- Open WhatsApp. Send a message that “assistance is needed”, and make sure to break it down with the above information.
- Send your current location; ie the scene of the accident or emergency. Don’t send the live location please, because if you move away from the accident for whatever reason, then it takes the pin with it. Send your current location.
- In addition, please wait (just a few more seconds) for the “accuracy” to fall into the single digits in the KM department before you hit “send”.
“If you don’t feel safe, are unable to assist for whatever reason, or there are other people already there helping, you can sit this one out,” said Marshall Security.
However, the security company said its members, or other law enforcement and emergency support providers, may want to talk to you about what you saw.
“Yes, you may need to make a statement of some sort, especially if you were the first person there,” said the company.
In addition, the company advised that only qualified people should be providing medical support. “Please don’t provide medical support unless you are qualified to do so, or unless absolutely necessary. It’s generally best to wait for the medical team, who are already on their way,” said Marshall Security.
What to do if you are involved in a roadside incident or emergency:
- Keep an emergency kit in your car. This may include a flashlight, first aid kit, jumper cables, some water (to drink) and the items needed to change a tyre. Please know how to change a tyre.
- Make sure you’re on the side of the road, and not causing an obstruction. Also please make sure that your vehicle is visible. So hazards on.
- Whether you are a couple of hundred metres away from home, or a couple of hundred kilometres, please lock your doors and remain vigilant. And call those emergency contacts on your phone for help straight away.
THE MERCURY