Crash Cards NI

Ride It Right is supporting a new motorcycle safety initiative, the Motorbike Crash Cards for Northern Ireland (MCCNI) which aims to introduce a CRASH Card scheme to Northern Ireland.

The CRASH Card scheme, which was created by the committee of the Ambulance Motorcycle Club, has been in use for nearly two years in England, Scotland and Wales.

The scheme encourages motorcyclists to place a card inside their crash helmet as a medic alert. This card holds valuable information to aid treatment from the ambulance service in case of an accident, the card also has a gives helpful advice if a rider comes across a road traffic collision, helping the emergency services get the right resources to the scene as quickly as possible.

In the UK the CRASH card is accompanied by an explanatory letter which contains a self adhesive green dot. The letter explains that riders should affix the dot to the right hand side of their helmets or visor to help alert the attending medical staff to the presence of the card.

Currently the MCCNI’s base is The Maiden City, Northern Ireland and is non-profit with the mission to make Northern Ireland’s bikers safer, reducing road fatalities of riders and pillions alike, through the objectives to:

  1. Promote the CRASH card scheme in as many ways as possible e.g. through other organisations, bike meets, emergency services and word of mouth.
  2. Gain support from the Emergency Services of Northern Ireland.
  3. Gain support from ministers.
  4. Get motorcyclists to accept and use the CRASH cards in Northern Ireland

Trevor Baird from Ride It Right and Northern Ireland’s motorcycle lobby organisation, Right To Ride said, “ The CRASH Card scheme is an excellent tool for motorcyclists in improving survival if involved in, or coming across any type of accident especially on a rural road.” adding, “We support this scheme driven by motorcyclists and look forward to its acceptance by government departments and agencies, because it is more than that just a good idea.”

As a rider you can support the introduction of the crash Card scheme on the MCCNI Facebook page – Click Here

And by visiting their website at www.motorbikecrashcardsforni.weebly.com

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  1. From CRASH Cards for Northern Ireland
    A video explaining what the CRASH Card is all about.
    http://www.furryfeet.tv/cotswolds/venue_video.php?footprint=357
    Crash Cards
    After a number of years of this scheme being successful in the East of the UK, the National launch of CRASH was on the 31st March 2011. With support and backing from Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS), Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and other partners, a local launch took place at the Lower Lode Inn, Forthampton on Wed 1st June.
    This crash card is designed for all sizes of powered two wheelers, mopeds to super bikes and cruisers to tourers, for all motorcycle journeys i.e. to school, for leisure, work and commuting, including professionals.

  2. Improved for Northern Ireland
    We at CRASH Cards for Northern Ireland stepped back and took a good look at the original CRASH Card scheme and though….how could it be better.
    From this we got involved with local motorcycle instructors, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and together made slight modification to the original CRASH Card scheme to make it, in our view, more effective.
    First Change
    With input from a local motorcycle instructor and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) we looked into improvements to the problems of stickers being removed from helmets in an accident, and bystanders removing
    helmets from downed bikers causing damage to the neck and spinal cord.
    After exhaustive research and design we returned to stickers as the easiest to use and most effective form of ‘CRASH Card Inside’ identification.
    In addition a white cross has been added to help make stickers stand out and be more easily seen by attending rescue services and text giving a warning to bystanders to not remove the helmet has was added.
    Second Change
    The second change was brought about by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
    The issue we had was if a downed rider is suspected of having neck or spinal injury the helmet will not be removed.
    Other ways of carrying the cards were looked at but were less effective.
    The solution in the end was to introduce an additional card which would be kept inside the motorcycles tax disk holder (behind the tax disk).
    This combats the issue effectively and in addition allows fire and rescue to retrieve a card for arriving ambulance crews if they arrive on scene first, speeding up tailored treatment for the downed rider.

  3. I have often considered the single green dot a problem if it is scraped off or otherwise lost during an accident. Two dots would do better.
    Some riders do not display their tax discs anymore for fear of having them stolen, so thats another problem.
    Quite right warning of the danger of removing a crash helmet. It should only be done by the emergency services when they arrive, unless of course the casualty is not breathing and extending the head and neck doesnt work. under those circumstance, no matter what other injury to the neck may be suspected. rescucitation must be given and the helmet removed for that purpose, unless it a flip front.

    • Thanks Bob for your comments.
      There will always be possible senarios if the dot is missing or perhaps the placing of the dot on the helmet may help.
      The tax disc idea was as far, as I am aware, a back up to the dot.
      So worse case no tax disc and the dot is missing.
      Re the warning danger onthe sticker of the danger of removing a helmet, personally I do not think that this should on the helmet.
      I have completed a First Aid For Riders course http://www.firstaodforriders.org which included helmet removal.
      My own personal opinion is if I am faced with two casualties, when doing an initial assesment for response and I see a sticker saying “Do Not Remove Helmet” I will go to the other casualty. first.

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