Post-crash response project picks up top PMIRSA award
The 2022 Prince Michael Premier Award has been presented to a UK-based project which has the potential to change post-crash response and save lives. The EXtrication In Trauma (EXIT) Project was founded back in 2007 by professor Tim Nutbeam and Rob Fenwick.
The project received funding from the Road Safety Trust in 2017, in order to carry out further research into the effect of extrication techniques applied to casualties following road traffic collisions. Its work has explored a different approach to how emergency services respond to motor vehicle collisions to reduce both deaths and disabilities.
Last year there were 128,209 casualties and 1,558 deaths in Great Britain caused by motor vehicle collisions. In the same period, more than 7,000 patients needed to be assisted to leave the vehicle by a process known as extrication. During this process, which has been the ‘gold standard’ since the 1960’s patients may remain in the vehicles for on average 30 minutes as slow, careful movements are used to avoid potential spinal injuries.
Pic: Chris Fossey