Accident Reporting

An enhanced, interactive version of this guide is available in the London Dynamo Knowledgebase.
The incident response in order, with a quick-reference card worth saving.

In the Event of an Incident or Accident

If you witness an incident or accident involving a club member, follow the steps below in order. Your calm and clear actions can make a significant difference in a stressful moment. This list is not exhaustive: use your judgement and prioritise the safety and well-being of all involved.

When in doubt, sit them out. When in doubt, call 999. Notify a committee member as soon as reasonably possible. Document what you saw.

Make the Scene Safe

Move yourself and others out of harm’s way, particularly if the incident occurred on a road or in traffic. Get bystanders, other riders and yourself clear of moving traffic before doing anything else.
Do NOT attempt to move the casualty unless they are in immediate danger from traffic or fire. Moving someone with a possible spinal injury can cause permanent damage.
Warn oncoming traffic. Make the scene as safe as possible: wave down approaching vehicles, and position bikes across the road behind the casualty as a visible barrier so drivers see something is wrong before they see the rider.

Assess the Situation

Is the rider conscious? Breathing? Responsive? Speak to them and ask their name. If they are unresponsive, call 999 now, not later. Heavy bleeding is also a 999 call.
Suspect a head, neck or spinal injury? Treat any high-speed crash, any fall onto the head or shoulders, or any complaint of neck pain as a possible spinal injury. Keep them still. Do not remove their helmet. Call 999.

Concussion: The Invisible Danger

Be aware of a possible concussion, even if there is no physical evidence of trauma to the head. A concussion can happen with no visible damage to the head.
Concussion is a brain injury, not a bump. It is caused by a blow to the head, face, neck or body that causes rapid head movement. The rider may not have hit their head at all. They may seem fine. They may not be. Loss of consciousness is NOT required.
Suspected concussion? Remove the rider from the ride. Now. Do not allow return to cycling the same day. When in doubt, sit them out. If a neck or spinal injury is suspected as well, follow spinal injury procedures and call 999.
Signs and symptoms (mild concussion): pressure in the head, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or sound, mood changes, balance issues, feeling “in a fog”. For suspected mild concussion without red flags, UK guidance recommends contacting NHS 111 or a GP as soon as possible.
Signs and symptoms (severe concussion), red flags: worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizure, loss of consciousness, limb weakness or tingling, increasing confusion, verbal or behavioural repetition, double vision, neck pain. Any one of these: call 999 immediately.

Call Emergency Services

Dial 999 for serious injury or any doubt, especially around suspected head injury or concussion. Do not delay this step and do not wait to see if it gets better. The cost of an unnecessary ambulance is nothing. The cost of a missed brain bleed is everything.
Give clear information: location (road name, postcode, GPS coordinates if you have them), number of people involved, nature of the injuries, and whether the casualty is conscious. Stay on the line until told you can hang up.

First Aid & Identification

Provide first aid only within your training. If you are first-aid trained, give assistance within your capabilities. If you are not, ask nearby riders or members of the public if anyone is. Do not improvise techniques you do not know.
Do not move the injured person unless there is immediate danger (traffic, fire, water). Stabilise them where they are, reassure them and keep them warm.
Identify the rider: name, gender, clothing, bike model and colour. Look for a medical alert bracelet or necklace, or a medical ID on their phone (accessible from the lock screen on most smartphones). Ask the riders who were near them whether they know the person.

Notify a Committee Member

Contact the club Chairman and/or our Welfare Officer via phone, text, or WhatsApp as soon as reasonably possible or ask another member to do so. If they are uncontactable or unreachable, then contact any other member of the club committee (in no particular order). Do not wait until you get home: the Chairman or Welfare Officer should hear from you within minutes, not hours.
Use email only as a last resort if you cannot reach anyone immediately.
Provide basic details: who was involved, what happened, location, steps already taken and, if they have been taken to hospital, the name of the hospital. Keep it factual: your job is to inform, not speculate.

Belongings, Bike & Going Home

Arrange transport for the bike and kit. If the member is taken to hospital or cannot continue riding, a fellow member may need to ride or transport their bike, or secure it until further help arrives. Do not leave a bike on the road.
Help them get home. If the rider is cleared by medical personnel but unable to continue on their own, help them make arrangements: train, taxi, a lift from family.
Find someone to travel home with them. Concussion symptoms can develop hours later, so nobody who has had a head impact should travel home alone.

Support & Documentation

Note witnesses and their details: names and contact details of anyone who saw the incident, club members or members of the public. Follow-up may be required by the club, the police or insurers.
Take photos of the scene, safely and respectfully: the road surface, vehicle positions, damage to the bike and conditions. Do not photograph the casualty’s injuries or face without consent.
Be prepared to provide a written account. The club, emergency services or insurers may ask for one later. Write it down while it is fresh, even if nobody has asked yet: times, sequence of events, what you saw and what you did.
Look after the other members. Witnessing a crash is distressing, so check in on the riders who were on scene with a short conversation, a coffee or a follow-up message later that day.

Two Final Principles

If in doubt, err on the side of caution. Call 999. You are not a doctor and you cannot rule out a brain bleed at the side of the road. Nobody has ever been criticised for calling 999 unnecessarily, plenty have for not calling.
Get first-aid trained. London Dynamo organises yearly First Aid training courses specifically for cyclists. We strongly recommend every member, and certainly every marshal, be first-aid trained.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY: London Dynamo accepts no responsibility or liability for any accidents, injuries, losses, or incidents that may occur during club-organised activities, rides, or events. All participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety and actions at all times.