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CNN Saturday Morning News

What to do When Involved in a Car Accident

Aired May 26, 2001 - 07:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Even the best-laid travel plans can hit a roadblock here or there. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some tips on what to do if you're in an accident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LT. JULIO DIAZ, DEKALB EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES: Tag 22 is going to be Nicodemus and Freeze (ph).

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Julio Diaz worries every Memorial Day weekend. He's a paramedic supervisor in DeKalb County in Georgia.

DIAZ: Lot of accidents, a lot of movement, and a lot of people partying, picnic. What we're going to do at DeKalb is, we try to again staff the P towers (ph), see if we need to pull up more units.

GUPTA: Lieutenant Diaz has some simple advice.

DIAZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is, don't drink and drive, no cell phone. You have to wear your seat belt and pay attention, focus on what you're doing.

GUPTA: And don't forget your children.

DIAZ: The kids are the worst. We've seen kids ejected because they weren't seat belted.

GUPTA (on camera): There are more than 187 million licensed drivers in the United States, and extremely high volumes of traffic are expected this weekend. Despite your most careful driving, you may find yourself in everyone's worst nightmare, a car accident.

So what do you do after it happens?

(voice-over): Fear is a natural first reaction. But Lieutenant Diaz warns us not to let it affect our judgment.

DIAZ: I think one of the things they do is, they panic. Either they hit and run, we've seen that. You know, they have a car wreck and they take off.

GUPTA: Diaz warns that if you feel numbness or tingling in your arms or legs, or significant neck or back pain, it's best to stay in the car till the ambulance arrives. Moving in these situations could cause an injury to the spine and possible paralysis.

However...

DIAZ: If you smell gasoline, get out.

GUPTA: And if you're not directly involved in the wreck, what can you do to help? The American Trauma Society offers guidelines. Park well away from the crash site. Call 911 for help. Only move a crash victim if there is immediate life-threatening danger.

Check for breathing and clear the airway if it's obstructed. Perform CPR if necessary only if you're trained and certified. Check for significant bleeding and stop it by applying direct pressure to the wound with a cloth or pad.

And, of course, let the paramedics take over when they arrive.

Lieutenant Diaz says his paramedics take care of one of the busiest cities in America and are among the best in the world. The patients, he says, appreciate the care.

But while it's great to have satisfied clients, this Memorial Day weekend, he'd rather have no clients at all.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, DeKalb County, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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