Rye College students take crash course

They were tackling realistic road crash simulations during a two day course

The CRASH First Aid course aims to provide pre-hospital first aid skills at the road-side.

Students tackled crash re-enactments and responded to realistic ‘patients’ under the instruction of ex fire, police and ambulance service staff.

During the course, run by Team Cohesion, actors played out real-life scenarios using dramatic make-up and successful students received an Emergency First Aid at Work certificate.

Director Andy Sullivan said: “Team Cohesion has developed this excellent course to prepare young drivers to deal with the often tragic consequences of road traffic collisions.

“Our intention is that by attending this course they will not only learn life-saving skills but also become safer drivers.”

Air Ambulance Clinical Manager Rob Wilkinson tought students how to give first aid to casualties who have suffered heart attacks, seizures, fractures and head and spinal injuries.

About 40 per cent of the charity helicopter’s calls are to road traffic collisions and vital first aid can mean the difference between life and death.

Rob said: “We believe the course will encourage young drivers to initiate the first aid that will improve patient outcomes and we are happy to support this venture.”

Department of Transport figures show that a total of 1,857 people died on Britain’s roads in 2010 while 20,803 were seriously injured.