SMIDSY LBFTS "Sorry, Mate, I didn't see you"

No, not me :)

First Aid training today, my 3-year 'FAW' - first aid at work' course requalification (with Berkshire St John Ambulance - highly recommended).

Which, as always (partly because there are always changes to the content, and partly because of seeing other trainers at work) was interesting and raised some intriguing points.

The idea of 'blind hazards' was introduced. The particular situation was a 'work' accident where there were three casualties - but one was ignored by most people as it wasn't so 'obvious' as the other two. In this scenario it was actually the most 'important', or highest priority, of the three as he was the unconcscious one. However, as he was partially hidden, and not moving, we weren't immediately aware of him.

The motorcycling parallel, of course, is the rider approaching a 'busy' junction, where drivers will have more important (ie bigger, heavier, more threatening) things to take their attention. The rider is there, in clear view, but is a 'blind hazard'. The well-known SMIDSY crash, or LBFTS - 'looked, but failed to see' crash.

No, I'm not suggestion you become threatening! But remember that you need to be somewhere in clear view of drivers to stand a chance of being seen, and by moving across the lane width you make yourself more obvious and attract attention.

In other words, be a flower . . .