Abstract Manager

Post-crash care has been recognized in Canada and internationally as one of the pillars of the Safe System. Yet, Safe Mobility Plans across the country have primarily focused on the other pillars, with little attention to post-crash care. This is due in large part to the reliance on emergency response and management to fulfil this function. In remote areas, challenges in post-crash response are the most significant due to the response time and distance; but some chellenges persist accross rural and urban jurisdictions, related to infastructure, securing the scene, and post-crash driver behaviour. While the success of this pillar is dependent on emergency response staff and the quality of care, this has left opportunities unexplored, including: 1) opportunities for data collection at the collision scene; 2) improvements to infrastructure that can assist mergency response times; 3) public education regarding post-crash care; 4) opportunities for both data collection and education at the various stages of health care - including ambulance, emergency and trauma centres, and in recovery. This presentation will synthesize best practices internationally that may be explored in Canada, as well as examples within Canada - from northern and indigenous communities to more urban municipalities - too illustrate both the challenges and the oportunities in support of this pillar of the Safe System.