No one is immune from an accident on the road, but we can do our best to minimize its risk. To do this, it is necessary to follow simple safety rules, not to violate traffic rules and be careful on the road. But what to do if an accident did happen? Specialists from the General Directorate of Road Safety of Spain (DTG) give advice on how to act if you have witnessed or been involved in a road traffic accident.
Provide, inform, help
DTG employees advise learning this formula by heart so as not to get confused at the right moment and not to forget the sequence of actions in the event of a road accident: secure the scene and yourself; report what happened to the rescue service and the police; help the victims.
Secure the scene in Spain
It is about wearing a reflective vest and displaying triangular emergency stop signs that warn other drivers of the danger.
Report an accident in Spain
You should then call 911 and report the accident, giving information about the location of the accident and the presence of victims and describing in as much detail as possible what you see in front of you, as every detail can be important to the rescue team (for example, they will know what to take with you special equipment). At the same time, it is important to remain calm and clearly answer the operator’s questions.
Help victims in Spain
If the person who survived the accident is conscious, it is important to calm them down, and your calm demeanor will play a big role here. If the victim is unconscious, it is necessary to check whether he shows signs of life (breathing, pulse, heartbeat). Then you need to try to bring the person to consciousness by lightly patting him on the cheeks or splashing his face with water, and also make sure that his limbs have not lost sensitivity. It is also necessary to examine the items of clothing that can squeeze parts of the victim’s body, causing him discomfort, and then loosen the belt, remove bracelets and watches, unbutton the top buttons of the shirt, etc.
If you see that the victim’s vital signs are rapidly weakening, you should try to resuscitate him with heart massage and artificial respiration. Of course, it is better to be prepared for everything and learn the basics of first aid in advance, but if you have not done this, there are mobile programs that describe the process in detail step by step.
In case of bleeding, you should try to stop the bleeding by applying a clean cloth (bandage, handkerchief) to the wound. If a fracture is suspected, it is recommended not to take any action, so as not to cause even more damage. In the event of a burn, wash the damaged area with cool water and cover with a sterile bandage.
It is also important to know that people in a state of shock or in the presence of blood loss lose body temperature very quickly, so the victim should be covered with a warm blanket or something else as soon as possible to prevent hypothermia.
It is recommended to have a first aid kit in the car, which can help significantly in case of need: you will have bandages, scissors, antiseptics, etc. at hand.
What can’t be done?
- No medicine or water can be given to the victims.
- It is not allowed to remove the helmet from a motorcyclist who was injured in an accident.
- It is impossible to move a wounded person in the presence of bleeding, so as not to inadvertently increase blood loss.
Road accident with victims in Spain
If people are injured in an accident, in addition to an ambulance , police or Civil Guard officers (depending on the road where the accident occurred) arrive at the scene. They draw up a report, interview witnesses, collect evidence, take samples for alcohol and drugs, check documents to build a picture of what happened and identify the cause of the incident and possible culprits.
Road accident without casualties in Spain
If no one was injured in the accident (no one was injured or killed), and no signs of a crime threatening road safety were found, which includes, for example, an increased blood alcohol content of the driver – more than 0.60 mg/l in the air, exhaled, or 1.2 g/l, the case does not open.
When it comes to a minor accident, the police may not come to the scene at all. In this case, the drivers of both vehicles come to a mutual agreement regarding the causes of the accident and provide the following actions to their insurance companies.
If the drivers cannot come to an agreement, the police or the Civil Guard are called to the scene (call 062), which undertakes the task of finding out the causes of the accident and establishing the culprit. It is also necessary to contact the police if there is serious material damage.
Insurance in Spain
In Spain, there is mandatory civil liability insurance, which in the event of a road accident covers compensation for material or bodily damage caused to third parties. However, this insurance does not include coverage for losses caused to the policyholder: this option is available to purchase a so-called all-risks insurance policy.
However, insurance is not always valid. For example, if your MOT is overdue and you get into an accident that happens because of the technical condition of your vehicle , the insurance company has the right to refuse compensation for damage caused to third parties, and the necessary amount will have to be paid out of pocket to either the policy holder or the landlord the car or the driver.
In Spain, the Baremo system is used to assess damages, which guarantees equal financial compensation for the same injuries, regardless of where the accident occurred and who is handling the case.
Telephone numbers of emergency services in Spain
- The single emergency number throughout Europe is 112
- Police – 091
- Civil Guard – 062
- Fire service – 080 or 085
- Ambulance – 061
- Assistance in the event of a road accident outside the city limits – 062
- Information on road conditions – 900 123 505
- Emergency service of the Red Cross – 901 222 222
- Red cross – 22 22 22
- Civil defense – 1006
- Helpline – 003
- National police – 091
- Local police – 092