What should you do, if a victim of an accident regains consciousness after a few minutes and wants to go home?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
B. I should encourage the victim to stay, watch the victim carefully and call for medical help.
Explanation
In the photo, a white estate car with a badly crushed rear and side, and people standing next to it. When an accident victim regains consciousness after a few minutes and wants to go home, you persuade them to stay, watch them closely and call medical help - answer B.
Loss of consciousness, even a short one, means a brain injury - at least concussion - and its seriousness cannot be assessed at the scene. After such an injury, a blood clot (haematoma) may grow inside the skull, and its symptoms - drowsiness, vomiting, severe headache, speech problems - appear only after some time. A person who is upset after an accident often feels well and wants to leave, but cannot assess their own condition. Drinks and painkillers (answer A) may be harmful if surgery is needed, and they mask the symptoms. Letting them go home (answer C) means that their condition may get worse when nobody is around. The Road Traffic Act obliges a person involved in an accident to call the emergency medical team - the casualty stays at the scene, and you watch their breathing and consciousness until the ambulance arrives.
Legal basis: Art. 44 para. 2 point 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)