The Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section) is offering travellers a free copy of their leaflet Safe Outback Travel and Basic First Aid, which contains valuable advice for anyone heading inland this summer.
The comprehensive leaflet offers tips and hints on how to prepare for your trip, how to drive on unsealed roads, what to do if your car breaks down, safety advice for exploring on foot as well as basic first aid advice and emergency contacts for the Royal Flying Doctor Service throughout Australia.
“Approximately 20% of the emergency callouts we respond to are from city dwellers or tourists visiting the outback,” says RFDS (South Eastern Section) executive director Clyde Thomson. “That figure increases during the holiday season when we respond to numerous vehicle accidents and roll overs, many of which could have been avoided,” he adds.
Driving on unsealed roads in the outback can be hazardous for those not accustomed to the conditions. Some of the driving tips in the leaflet include the following:
• Avoid driving at dawn, dusk or night, when kangaroos, cattle and other animals are active. They can swerve in front of your car and cause accidents.
• If you are lost or your vehicle breaks down, do not leave your vehicle. Missing vehicles are easier to spot than missing people. Stay with your vehicle and use it for shade and shelter.
• Reduce speed on unsealed roads and always brake before you reach a corner. If you break whilst cornering you are likely to skid.
• Secure all items in the vehicle in case of a rollover. Unsecured items can cause serious injuries. Consider installing a cargo barrier in station wagons and 4WDs.
The leaflet also contains comprehensive first aid advice, from how to deal with a snake bite, to what to do for someone suffering heat exposure, convulsions, broken bones and burns or scalds.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is the largest, most comprehensive aeromedical organisation in the world, covering 80% of Australia. No patient is more than two hours away from help. In one year, RFDS pilots fly over 23 million kilometres, their doctors and flight nurses carry out nearly 36,000 emergency evacuations and they treat over 260,000 patients – that’s an average of one every two minutes.
The RFDS receives some government funding but it relies on the generosity of individuals, organisations and corporations to help replace aircraft and purchase vital medical supplies and equipment. To make a donation please visit www.flyingdoctors.org.au or call 1300 669 569.
For your free copy of the leaflet please send a stamped, self addressed envelope to:
RFDS, Safe Outback Travel, GPO Box 3537 Sydney NSW 2001.
Royal Flying Doctor Service wrote this article
