First aid is temporary assistance given to an injured or sick person before professional medical help arrives. Anyone can be trained to administer basic first aid. It is important to receive first aid training so that one can help save lives by providing immediate care, relieve pain, and prevent injuries from worsening until medical assistance arrives. Road accidents are a major cause of injury and death in India, with over 100,000 fatalities annually due to poor infrastructure and unsafe driving habits. Knowing first aid is critical to help reduce accidents fatalities by stabilizing victims and providing emergency treatment until emergency services can take over.

2. WHAT IS FIRST AID?
 First aid is the temporary help given to an
injured or a sick person before professional
medical treatment can be provided.
 Any layperson can be trained to administer first
aid.
 Basic training in first aid skills should be taught
in school, in work places and, in general, be
learnt by all.

3. INTRODUCTION
WHY FIRST AID TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT?
Human beings are susceptible to injuries, illnesses and
trauma. Thus it is always good to have some amount of
basic knowledge to take care of critical situations, to
keep it from going from bad to worse or till the
medical help arrives.

4. PURPOSE OF FIRST AID TRAINING
 Increases safety: The basis of first aid training is
"prevention". It is always better to be safe than to be sorry.
 Helps save lives: If a person who is trained to give first
aid administration happens to see any casualty in his
vicinity, immediate action can be taken and lives be saved.

5.  Helps relieve pain: Some injuries require a very simple
solution like applying ice pack or a quick rub. In such
cases, calling a person trained in first aid courses is more
reliable.
 Makes people more secure: Knowing that you can save
your own life when required, or that of the people you
know or those in trauma during some emergency helps
you relax more and be more secure.
 Prevents the situation from becoming worse: A trained
person would know how to keep the situation from
becoming bad to worse.

6. PRINCIPLES OF FIRST AID
 To prevent further injury to the casualty and to avoid
injury to yourself .
 To assess and treat the casualty in the correct order of
priority.
 To place casualties in a comfortable position.
 To immobilize injured limbs.
 To relieve pain and anxiety if possible.
 To arrange evacuation if necessary in the correct priority.

7. PEOPLE AFFECTED BY ROAD ACCIDENTS
drivers
passengers
pedestrianscyclists
motorcyclists

8. ROAD ACCIDENT FATALITIES IN INDIA
 India suffers from the highest number of deaths - around
1,05,000 in absolute terms annually- due to road
accidents in the world owing to poor infrastructure and
dangerous driving habits.
 “Road traffic crashes take the lives of nearly 1.3 million
every year, and injure 20-50 million more" in the world,
India along with China are listed among countries with
the highest number of deaths.
 Poor road infrastructure, failure to comply with speed
limits, growing drinking and driving habits are among
the main factors contributing to deaths from road
crashes.

9. 13 INDIANS DIE EVERY HOUR DUE TO
ACCIDENTS
With at least 13 people dying every hour on Indian roads,
India has topped the global list of deaths in road accidents,
leaving behind the world's most populated country - China.
This was revealed in the first ever Global Status Report on
Road Safety by the World Health Organization (WHO) and
latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau
(NCRB).

10. LACK OF FIRST AID ON TIME
 Up to 150,000 people a year could be given a chance to
live if more people knew first aid, says charity St John
Ambulance, as it launches a hard-hitting campaign to
encourage more people to learn this vital skill.
 Thousands of people are dying each year in situations
where first aid could have made the difference. This
includes nearly 900 people who choke to death, 2,500
who asphyxiate from a blocked airway and 29,000 who
die from heart attacks.
 First aid could make a dramatic difference in these
situations, either through direct intervention, in the case
of choking, or by recognising life-threatening signs, such
as a heart attack, and caring for someone until medical
help arrives.

11. STEPS IN GIVING FIRST AID IN ROAD ACCIDENTS.

12. PREVENTION
STEPS TO BE TAKEN FOR PREVENTING ROAD
ACCIDENTS
 Most important method to bring down accidents is strict
enforcement of speed limits.
 90 % of accidents can be avoided by strict enforcement
of speed limits.
 Existing speed limits should be brought down further.

13.  Diving tests for issue of Driving license is to be made
more stringent and foolproof.
 Raising of lower age limit for two wheeler and Heavy
Vehicle license to 21.
 Helmet should be made compulsory by law in all states,
OR impose a lower speed limit for those who do not use
helmet.
 Helmet should be made compulsory for back seat riders
also.
 Strict enforcement of existing traffic rules.
 Law should be modified such that the person who made
the accident has to bear (say) 0 to 10 % of the insurance
claims.
 All those who do not maintain the safe distance for the
speed should be punished.