First aid for road cyclists - In the event of a cycling accident: First aid tips

For many, being the first person to arrive at an accident is a nightmare - for fear of not being able to help or making things worse. After all, most people's last first aid course was a long time ago. Would you still know how to properly treat wounds, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation or the recovery position? No? Do you have a bandage, plasters or disinfectant in your jersey or saddle bag? No again? High time to change something.

Packing list - what you should always have with you on tour

• Smartphone - When making an emergency call, consider the five W questions: Who, What, Where, How many, Wait for further enquiries? For journeys lasting several days Powerbank be helpful.
• Emergency cards with personal data and mobile phone number of a contact person.
• One Cycle bottle with clear water onlyto carefully rinse out dirty wounds.
• If you are travelling in a group, you can use the First aid equipment divide up. Everything should be sterile packed!
• For tours lasting several days, be sure to take a complete first aid kit (right) with you. Pack it at the top of your pannier.

First aid kit - what should be included

1. Compresses
2. Dressing pack consisting of compress and fixation bandage
3. Adhesive plaster roll
4. Self-protection gloves
5. Plaster set
6. Scissors
7. Splinter tweezers
8. Rescue blanket

Apart from the fact that you are legally obliged to help, the most important steps are not that difficult. "However, many people don't really know where to start and understandably get nervous," says Dr Sebastian Zimatschek, emergency doctor and medical director of the rescue team at the TOUR-Transalp. "Then they only make an emergency call, if at all - also out of fear of doing something wrong." However, in the event of life-threatening injuries, valuable minutes can pass - crucial minutes: "Even for a well-trained person, the oxygen in the blood is only sufficient for around one to two minutes in the event of circulatory arrest, after which the brain and other vital organs are already damaged," Zimatschek points out. "Then it's not enough to just wait for the emergency doctor, even if they arrive within a very short time in most European countries." He can only encourage everyone to help themselves as well and as soon as possible.

It helps to have a clear procedure in mind - even professional helpers follow it in life-threatening cases. It is best to take a first aid course at regular intervals so that you don't forget the steps so quickly and are always up to date.

In the PDF download below you will find life-saving immediate measures, how to secure the accident site and other tips.

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