St John Ambulance Launches Campaign To Mandate First Aid Training For New Drivers

St John Ambulance will launch a campaign on Wednesday calling for mandatory online first aid courses for those wishing to obtain their licence.

The push comes in an effort reduce the road toll by equipping drivers with the knowledge to be able to save people from treatable injuries who may otherwise die in a matter of minutes.

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National St John Ambulance Australia chief executive Brendan Maher told the Herald Sun bystanders with “basic knowledge” could take lifesaving steps before emergency services arrive.

“We know that it takes four minutes for a person to die from a blocked airway,” he said.

“The simple act of lifting an unconscious person’s chin to unblock their airway, could save their life.”

St John Ambulance’s course is free, available online, made for young drivers and takes just 30 minutes to complete.

Mr Maher acknowledged some people may disagree with the added requirement to obtain a driver’s licence and said it would “take time” to be implemented in Australia.

“These things take time. It wasn’t that long ago that the seatbelts weren’t compulsory in Australia.

“We really, really hope that they (drivers) will step away from (the course) feeling more confident and more empowered and not ultimately being in a situation where they’re wondering what they could have done to help someone.”

On Australian roads each year, around 1,200 people are killed and 44,000 are seriously injured.

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