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Highway Code

Highway Code, Annex 7. First aid on the road (part 1)

Annex 7. First aid on the road. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Annex 7. First aid on the road
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

The following information was compiled with the help of St John Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross. It’s intended as a general guide for those without first-aid training but shouldn’t be considered a substitute for proper training. Any first aid given at the scene of an incident should be looked on only as a temporary measure until the emergency services arrive.

1. Deal with danger

Further collisions and fire are the main dangers following a crash. Approach any vehicle involved with care, watching out for spilt oil or broken glass. Switch off all engines and, if possible, warn other traffic. If you have a vehicle, switch on your hazard warning lights. Stop anyone from smoking, and put on the gloves from your first-aid kit if you have one.

2. Get help

If you can do so safely, try to get the help of bystanders. Get someone to call the appropriate emergency services on 999 or 112 as soon as possible. They’ll need to know the exact location of the incident (including the direction of traffic, for example, northbound) and the number of vehicles involved. Try to give information about the condition of any casualties, for example, if anyone is having difficulty breathing, is bleeding heavily, is trapped in a vehicle or doesn’t respond when spoken to.

3. Help those involved

DO NOT move casualties from their vehicles unless there’s the threat of further danger. DO NOT remove a motorcyclist’s helmet unless it’s essential. DO try to keep casualties warm, dry and as comfortable as you can. DO give reassurance confidently and try not to leave them alone or let them wander into the path of other traffic. DO NOT give them anything to eat or drink.

4. Provide emergency care

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: the following information was compiled with the help of St John Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross. It is advice rather than law, but examiners and the courts still treat it as the expected standard of safe driving.

It belongs to the annex 7. first aid on the road part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the annex 7. first aid on the road part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is advisory rather than legal, no one will fine you for the rule alone, but ignoring it can still count against you in a careless-driving case, and it will cost you faults on the test. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Following this rule keeps your driving predictable and safe, which is what every other road user is relying on. It is one small part of the habit-set that, taken together, prevents the everyday mistakes that cause collisions.

Common faults examiners record

In the annex 7. first aid on the road part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Acting too late because the situation was read close rather than early.
  • Incomplete observation before committing to a manoeuvre.
  • An unsuitable speed for the road, the traffic or the conditions.

On the day

On the day, applying Highway Code, Annex 7. First aid on the road (part 1) is about doing the safe, deliberate thing slightly earlier than feels necessary: read the situation in good time, observe fully, and act smoothly. The examiner is looking for planned driving, not perfection, and good habits formed in lessons carry you through.

Quick checklist

  • Read the situation early and plan your response.
  • Observe fully before you commit to anything.
  • Keep your speed suitable for the road and conditions.

More from Annex 7. First aid on the road

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Annex 7. First aid on the road (part 1), your questions

The following information was compiled with the help of St John Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross. It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).