The bystander in highway injury accidents

The response of the bystander, or passerby, at the scene of an injury highway accident is an important but neglected aspect of an emergency medical system. Delays in notification, or long distances, may cause an ambulance to take a half-hour or more to get to a crash site, particularly in a rural area. Until medical help arrives there may be a need for someone willing and capable of providing basic life support for the injured. Good Samaritan laws alone cannot be expected to encourage positive bystander responses. What might help is an awareness of the problem and forethought on the part of individuals and communities.