For many of us, saving a life could be the most important thing we’ll ever do. So, if the situation arises, it’s best to be prepared.
Unfortunately, even though 33% of Australian adults recently surveyed by St John Ambulance had witnessed a health or medical emergency in last 12 months, First Aid training in Australia is quite low compared to other countries.
NatRoad is working hard to change this and get more truckies trained to make a difference on the road. It’s why NatRoad partnered with St John Ambulance to launch Truckie First Aid in October 2023. Truckie First Aid is a free, online training that includes a wide range of first-aid skills relevant to our industry. We recently reached the milestone of 1500 truckies trained in first aid.
Now, I’m pleased to announce the launch of this life-saving program in a range of different languages, to make it even easier for those with English as a second language to participate.
In 2023, 30.7% of Australia’s population was born overseas, with the largest populations coming from England, India, China and New Zealand. It simply makes sense to offer these life-saving courses in people’s native languages.
The first two languages will be Punjabi and Mandarin, two of the most commonly spoken in the industry after English, with additional languages to be added by the end of the year. Our aim is to give as many truck drivers as possible the opportunity to learn and take these skills on the road with them.
Truckie First Aid covers essential skills including CPR, how to operate a defibrillator, manage different types of bleeds, and a range of other techniques that can be used to save lives and minimise long-term harm.
Anyone who has been a first responder knows it can be extremely stressful. Knowing what to do can improve the mental health outcomes in the aftermath of an incident. A recent national survey by St John Ambulance found that people who had undertaken first aid training were significantly more likely to have confidence in their ability to provide care in an emergency (74%) compared to those that had not undertaken first aid training (31%).
As a nation, these skills are clearly needed. In 2024, there were 1,306 road fatalities in Australia, while in 2021 road accidents sent 39,505 people to hospital. The estimated impact of road crashes to our economy reached $30 billion per annum.
Economic impact aside, making our roads safer is a key focus at NatRoad. Truckie First Aid is just one of the initiatives that will help us get there.
The translation of Truckie First Aid into multiple languages is funded through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) supported by the Australian Government.
NatRoad will officially launch the new language versions of Truckie First Aid at the Brisbane Truck Show on 15th – 18th May. We will be giving away free Resuscitation Face Shields, attached to a keychain, so you can always have it handy when you’re out and about, and protect yourself if you perform CPR. There’s also a QR code on the keychain, taking you directly to the website where you can complete the online training in just 30- 40 minutes.
Our aim is to deliver a safer, more sustainable road freight industry for our members, so please come and see our team at our Brisbane Truck Show stand and let us work together to achieve this.
Truckie First Aid is a training that takes 30-40min, is available to everyone, everywhere, even on your phone at a rest stop. Truckies can save lives, do the training and be ready.
This free, online Truckie First Aid training is available to complete any time at: truckiefirstaid.org.au
Comprehensive first aid kits that complement the Truckie First Aid course can be purchased through the St John Ambulance National Online Shop (https://shop.stjohn.org.au/).
*Warren Clark is CEO of the National Road Transport Association.
