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CRASH Card Scheme

The ambulance service and the Essex Casualty Reduction Board are backing a new initiative which aimed at helping motorcyclists involved in an accident get the aid they need as quickly as possible.

The card was the idea of the members of the Ambulance Motorcycle Club of Essex. The card carrying vital information to help in an emergency goes inside a motorcyclist’s helmet to be easily found by 999 crews in the event of an accident.

The card has been designed with the funding and support of the Essex Casualty Reduction Board and is the first of its kind in the UK. It will be made available to bikers at major events and motorcycle dealers across the county.

South Essex paramedic Ian Burrell, chairman of the Ambulance Motorcycle Club, said: “The subject of how the club could assist the motorcycling community has been a topic talked about in the committee for a while now

“This card is borne out of experience – it has been designed by serving paramedics who have been on both sides of an accident as the injured rider or attending as medical help.

“If a biker is injured and unable to talk coherently because of concussion or having been knocked out, how does the ambulance crew find out who the patient is, what medication they take, or medical history? What information does the 999 call centre need? How can a passer by help the rider who is injured?”

Designed to be an aid to both the person making the 999 call and the crew who attend, one side of the card carries the mnemonic CRASH for helpful hints which will assist the 999 call taker.

The other side gives riders space to write their name, date of birth and medication, so when an ambulance crew arrives at the scene of an accident they will identify the rider has a card in their helmet by a small green dot which should be placed at the side of the visor on their helmet.

An information letter will be given to all riders with the card with full instructions where to place the card and where to place the green dot. The letter also makes it clear that only experienced emergency personnel should ever remove a helmet following an accident.

Hayden Newton, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service, is delighted to be backing the campaign: “I am thrilled that the ambulance service is supporting such an excellent initiative, both from a professional point of view and as a keen motorcyclist myself.

"This work between the Casualty Reduction Board and our own paramedics should get across the message that the kind of information the card carries can help ensure the best possible emergency response, and prompt motorcyclists to think about responsible riding and enjoying the roads safely this summer."

Information about the card and where it can be collected can be accessed through the following website - www.ambulancemotorcycleclub.150m.com

The list of distributors will be updated every month. Clubs and organisations can contact the motorcycle club through the website for help in implementing the card in their area.