Road traffic accidents (RTAs) and associated injuries are a major public health problem in India. Timely emergency pre-hospital care and subsequent transportation of accident victims to hospital may help reduce the accident and injury outcomes. Evidence suggests that RTA victims stand a greater chance of survival if attended to and cared for in a timely manner.

Man behind the wheel plays an important role in most of the crashes. Usually crashes occurs either due to carelessness of driver or due to lack of road safety awareness of the road user. Hence, road safety education is as essential as any other basic skills of survival.

First responders should have extensive formal training in prehospital care, scene management, rescue, stabilization, and the transport of injured people. They are the backbone of formal prehospital trauma care systems, where these presently exist. Regular educational/awareness camps/workshops on prehospital care should be conducted for Police, High school children, street vendors, Taxi drivers and at Gram Panchayats as they are the first responder in a high percentage of accident sites.

The only way to reduce fatalities is to institute evidence-based India-specific road safety policies that are more effective. Attention will have to be given to street and highway designs andenforcement issues that have an influence on vulnerable road user safety.

Neuro Trauma society Jaipur strives to spread Road safety and prehospital care messages in various platforms.

President Prof. V. D. Sinha

Secretary Dr. Amit Chakrabarty