Life-saving card for motorcyclists is launched
Tuesday, 25 May, 2010
A potentially life-saving card is being launched in Kent and Sussex to ensure that motorcyclists get rapid medical attention if they are involved in a road traffic collision.
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb) and the Highways Agency have joined forces to introduce the CRASH card.
The card, funded by the Highways Agency and the brain child of the Essex Ambulance Motorcycle Club, will be handed out to motorcyclists at the annual motorcycle event, Margate Meltdown, held on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 May, and organised by the Ace Cafe, London.
SECAmb and the Highways Agency, hopes riders will fill in the cards with vital life-saving information about themselves, next of kin and any medical history, which can help clinicians who may need to treat them following a collision.
Motorcyclists can place the card securely in their helmets. The cards comes with a green sticker can be fixed to the outside of the helmet to indicate to arriving emergency services that a CRASH card is contained inside.
SECAmb paramedic, Chris Atfield, who has been involved in developing the cards in the South East Coast region, said: "This card could really make the difference between life and death.
"It is a sad fact that when a motorcyclist is involved in a collision it can be very serious and leave them unconscious. The CRASH cards will not only help identify them but also ensure we can tailor the treatment we provide at the roadside."
Felicity Drewett, Area Safety Co-ordinator for the Highways Agency in Kent and Sussex, said: "Motorcyclists represent less than one per cent of road users, but in terms of those killed or seriously injured road users, they account for 19 per cent of the total number of casualties. The CRASH cards are a cost-effective, simple and effective way of letting paramedics know vital information.
Mark Wilsmore MD of Ace Cafe London said: "As a motorcyclist who over the years has benefited significantly from the NHS, both I and Ace Cafe London are keen supporters of efforts to improve both safety and survival and we trust that "CRASH" is another step in the right direction".
Anyone requiring a CRASH card should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30.
