Often overlooked or not given the same attention are the lasting effects of psychological trauma to either those involved in accidents or family and friends of those involved or even those who witness accidents. In fact, even members of the emergency services or hospital staff may be effected by the scenes they see and injuries they provide treatment for.
The type and extent of psychological disturbance manifests in many forms from feelings of anger, denial, depression, guilt, euphoria, anxiety attacks, apathy…the list goes on! At some level all are effected by accidents and for varying amounts of time and is not necessarily dependent on the type or severity of the accident. In few cases some may even suffer severe effects which may lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and many studies have researched the effects and treatments of all symptoms.
To a certain degree members of the emergency services who regularly attend accident scenes and medics who give treatment to the injured are desensitised, however they are by no means immune.
Witnesses to accidents can also suffer symptoms after seeing a distressing event, especially if they have not done so before and it was totally unexpected.
Family members of victims can also suffer symptoms and these can be long lasting. These are not so much associated with the knowledge of the scene or details of how the accident occurred, but more so with the experience of suffering the loss of a loved one or the associated care that may be required, or how the injuries may have permanent consequences on a loved ones life.
People that are involved in the accident will tend to suffer the varying symptoms and some research has investigated if there is any variation from those who are ‘victims’ and those who are ‘causers’ of accidents. A lot depends on the extent of the accident damage and the extent of injuries or numbers of fatalities and also the age of the persons involved.
Whenever the emergency services are alerted to a road traffic accident, there is a process of information gathering by the emergency call centres from those involved or who are witnesses at the scene. This not only provides vital information so that the crews can mentally prepare how they might tackle the scene but also psychologically prepares the crews to cope with what they might see. Whenever there is a reported incident involving ‘vulnerable road users’ such as motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, etc there is an assumption that there is likely to be more severe injuries involved as there is little or no protection being worn or available, whereas drivers of vehicles such as cars, van, lorries etc have the physical structure of the vehicle that surrounds them that offers greater protection.
So often, we are not only faced with the physical injuries but also we witness many different reactions from people at the scene. Some may be perceived to be appropriate responses and some perceived inappropriate, however the reactions are ‘real’ at the time. Similar to symptoms of stress, they are manifested in many forms and are coping mechanisms that may allow a person to continue to function in a ‘normal’ manner or may restrict that function a great deal.
Within a healthcare system, there is provision to provide treatment for these accident after effects, however many will either not seek treatment or the symptoms may go undetected either by healthcare or mental healthcare professionals, by friends and family members. The level of care given will also be determined on location as different regions and countries will vary through expertise and funding provision. There are more support groups available than ever before and increasingly are accessible online, which may be of great comfort to some.
As riders, we tend not to focus on the ‘What If?’ or certainly not consider so much what the after effects might be. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it may deter a person from ever or continuing to ride, however it may be a useful motivational tool to help develop road awareness, safer riding practices and to apply knowledge to improve decision making.
I am not suggesting that riders should ride at a crawl pace or be paranoid that something may be about to occur, but merely that a rider should factor for this or add this element to their accident avoidance arsenal.
It may also go some way to appease non riding family members and friends who may continually worry for a rider’s wellbeing. By acknowledging their concerns, by reassuring them and demonstrate this awareness and approach to road riding, the rider is engaging themselves and others in this process.
The catalyst for this article has been the feeling that most incidents involving motorcycles could have been avoided and injuries could be minimise and fatalities prevented. Whether the rider, driver or other road user could have done something else to avoid the situation unfolding.
The information is not only based on professional experiences of the air ambulance crews and other emergency service crews, but also on personal and witnessed experiences.
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