Eight members of the Ducati Owners Club of Queensland (above) recently attended a First Aid For Motorcyclists course in Ipswich and encouraged others to take the lessons.
Club member Gary Edgar penned the following article about the lessons he learned for the next issue of their club mag Desmochronicle:
For most riders, unless you’ve done a first-aid course, then your knowledge of what to do at an accident scene is most likely to be a mish-mash of first-aid info gathered from such eclectic sources as other riders, Dr. Google and the encyclopaedia of Urban Myth.
Who knows what’s in your personal grab-bag and have you even looked in there lately?
The fact is, there’s more to it than “Bandages and Betadine ” and this is where the term “Motorcycle Accident Management” more aptly describes what you need to be across. It also happens to be what is taught in the short but vital course run by the people from First Aid for Motorcyclists.
Tracy instructing a First Aid for Motorcyclists class
Yes you’ll learn about bandages, CPR, the Recovery Position, the critical whether or not to remove a helmet, but you’ll also acquire the know-how that fills in vital gaps in the bigger picture of the accident scene.
This is the stuff that may not only keep the victim alive until the professional first responders can arrive, but gives you an effective battle plan to manage the physical and emotional chaos that ensues when a rider goes down.
Take the course. It’ll cost you no more than a decent pair of gloves and repay you in spades. These are skill-sets you hope you’ll never have to call on, but if you do you’ll be glad you have them in your rider’s survival toolbox.
So stop thinking about getting round to doing something about it “one day”. Today’s that day. Jump on the keyboard now.
We agree, Gary. And that’s why we sponsor the FAFM courses.
FAFM founders Roger Fance and Tracy Hughes
The course has been put together by Tracy Hughes and partner Roger Fance – both Ducatisti! – who are highly qualified and experienced first aiders.
Their course costs $85 and is a not-for-profit course, raising only enough to cover costs and keep it on the road around the country.
Tracy instructing a First Aid for Motorcyclists class
