An emergency is the one part of driving you hope never to use — which is exactly why it's worth learning properly now, while it's quiet. When it does happen, you won't have time to look anything up. You'll fall back on whatever is already in your head, so let's put the right things there.
The theory test asks about three scenes: a breakdown, a fire, and a collision. Across all three the pattern is the same. First make yourself and the area safe, then call for the right help, then help anyone hurt — in that order, never the other way round. A rescuer who becomes a second casualty helps no one.
None of this requires medical training. It's a short list of plain, sensible actions: warn other traffic, get behind a barrier, keep an airway open, press on a bleed. Learn the order, and the panic that usually fills these moments has somewhere useful to go.
Study time
27 min
Level
Advanced
Confidence
+10%
Practice
15 Qs
What you'll be able to do
- Understand exactly what to do, and in what order, if you're first to arrive at a crash.
- Understand the simple, safe things you can do for an injured person until help arrives.
- Understand what to do if you break down — and the one place you must never use a warning triangle.
The facts that matter
- At a collision: stop, hazard lights on, make the area safe, then call 999 for any injury or a blocked road.
- Don't move casualties unless they're in real danger — for example, a fire or oncoming traffic.
- Never remove a motorcyclist's helmet unless it's essential to keep them breathing.
- First aid order: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing (DR ABC).
- Cool a burn with clean, cool running water for at least 10 minutes; don't burst blisters.
Make it stick
Memory anchors
DR ABC
Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing. Check the scene is safe, see if they answer, tilt the head gently to open the airway, then look and listen for breathing. Same four steps every time.
Safe, then call, then help
Always this order. If you rush to a casualty across a live road, there may soon be two people needing help instead of one.
Cool for ten
Burns get at least ten minutes under clean, cool water. Don't touch the burn, don't burst blisters, don't peel away anything stuck to it.
Stay sharp
The mistakes everyone makes
Helping before the scene is safe
The instinct to run straight to an injured person is strong, but a live carriageway is deadly. Warn traffic and protect yourself first — you're no use as a second casualty.
Moving a casualty for comfort
Unless there's danger like fire, leave them where they are. Moving someone with a hidden neck or spine injury can make it far worse. Reassure and keep them warm instead.
Pulling off a bike helmet
A motorcyclist's helmet stays on unless removing it is the only way to keep them breathing. Taking it off carelessly can turn a survivable injury into a fatal one.
Out on the road
What this looks like in real life
The motorway hard shoulder
You've limped onto the hard shoulder, hazards on. You get out on the left, away from traffic, climb over the barrier and wait there with your phone. No warning triangle, no lifting the bonnet — the safest place is behind the barrier, not beside the car.
First on the scene
A car has hit a wall on a quiet road. You stop, switch on your hazards and check for danger before approaching. The driver is conscious but shaken, so you call 999, keep her still and warm, and stay talking to her until the ambulance arrives.
Go deeper
Lessons on this topic
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
When should I call 999 after a collision?
Call straight away if anyone is injured, if the road is blocked, or if there's any danger such as fire or spilt fuel. Give a clear location. If in doubt, call — it's far better to call and not need them.
Should I move an injured person out of the car?
Only if they're in genuine danger, such as fire or oncoming traffic. Otherwise leave them where they are, as moving someone can worsen a spine or neck injury. Reassure them, keep them warm, and wait for the ambulance.
How do I deal with serious bleeding?
Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or your hand, and keep the pressure on. If you can, raise the injured part above the level of the heart to help slow the flow. Keep pressing until help arrives.
What do I do if I break down on a motorway?
Get onto the hard shoulder or into an emergency refuge area, put your hazard lights on, and leave the vehicle by the left-hand door. Wait behind the safety barrier and call for help. Never try to fix the car on the hard shoulder.
When can I use a warning triangle?
On ordinary roads, place a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle to alert other drivers — but only where it's safe. Never use one on a motorway; walking out to place it puts you in serious danger.
Turn incidents and emergencies into marks
Reading builds understanding — practice makes it stick. Pick up where this guide leaves off, free.
Revision checklist
0/5Tick each point once you can explain it without looking.