Leavers 2021: St John’s encourages leavers to take first aid course ahead of regional celebrations

Graduates travelling to the South West for Leavers are being offered free first aid skills ahead of the week of celebrations thanks to St Johns WA.

The free Click to Save first aid program aims to equip young drivers with the skills to respond to an emergency road situation and potentially save a life.

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The program comes after Road Safety Commission figures revealed the number of road fatalities of people after 17 to 19 have doubled between 2019 and 2020.

St John WA critical care paramedic Ben Harris said Click to Save was a great resource to help improve the resilience of young drivers out on the roads.

“There is nothing more heartbreaking to see than a young person in a road accident,” he said.

“Having basic first aid knowledge can be the difference between life and death. As a paramedic, I am so pleased to see people taking the steps to better equip themselves with lifesaving skills.

“This is especially important at this time of year, before young drivers hit the road, sometimes for the first time solo,”

St John WA chief brand and reputation officer Aaron Crowther said thousands of young drivers were expected to take their first long regional drive without supervision in the coming weeks on the way to Leavers celebrations, and may be driving with their friends in the car.

“Clinically, It only takes four minutes for an unconscious road victim with no serious injury to die from a blocked airway,” he said.

“By training new drivers and in basic first aid principles, which include how to unblock an airway, we can strengthen our community and improve the outcomes for people injured in crashes on our roads.

“Click to Save has been designed for young drivers and passengers to easily learn how to respond in the event of an on-road health emergency.”

Up to 15 per cent of road accident deaths preventable by administering basic first aid, the course provides the skills needed to save the life of a friend, family member or stranger involved in a car accident, according to Mr Crowther.

Over the past 12 months, more than 10,000 people have completed the course and 40,000 have used the online platform.

The 2021 ‘Leavers’ celebrations officially run from Monday 22 November through to Thursday 25th November. For more information on St John WA’s Click to Save course, visit: www.clicktosave.com.au.