Before you can take a driving test in Germany, you have to attend a course called “Unterweisung in lebensrettenden Sofortmaßnahmen” which takes about a day and is intended to ensure that all new drivers have basic first aid skills.  There is also a full-blown first aid course available which lasts two days, but is only compulsory for certain types of vehicle.

So when the automobile club ADAC recently commissioned a survey on first aid skills as part of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Red Cross, there were some shocking results.  Whilst 73% of those asked felt they were able to offer first aid, 68% did not know the steps they should take if they were first on the scene at an accident.  9% did not even know the emergency number (in Germany “112”).

In practical tests, just over half of those surveyed were unable to put someone in the recovery position [Read more…]