Is it fully justifiable in the presented situation to check if the accident perpetrator had applied emergency brake and turned off the engine?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
YES
Explanation
The car in front of you has hit a pedestrian and is standing on the roadway, and the casualty is lying next to it. Before you start helping, the scene must be made safe. Checking whether the driver who caused the accident has applied the emergency brake (handbrake) and switched off the engine is fully justified: a car that rolls or moves off may run over the person lying on the ground again, and an engine that is still running after a collision is a fire risk. A driver in shock often forgets about this.
The Road Traffic Act requires a driver involved in an accident to stop the vehicle without creating danger and to take measures to ensure road safety at the scene of the accident. The rules of first aid start with the same thing: first your own safety and the safety of the scene, then assessing the casualty and calling for help on 112.
Legal basis: Art. 44 para. 1 point 1 and 2 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)