Safe in the Back

22 July 2024

Incidents have been identified across the country of road traffic collisions (RTCs) involving ambulances that have resulted in casualties or fatalities of staff and patients. On average, at least one road traffic collision that happens each day will involve an ambulance – resulting in minor bumps and scrapes – to major accidents.

The # SafeInTheBack campaign is being led by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) on behalf of all UK ambulance services and is designed to highlight the serious implications of not wearing seatbelts or harnessing patients properly in the back of ambulance vehicles.

Some of the key findings showed:

• Many staff did not know that it was the driver’s ultimate responsibility to ensure that all staff and patients in the vehicle were wearing seatbelts / harnesses before setting off.
• A high proportion of staff did not wear a seat belt during any part of their most recent journey in an ambulance.
• A relatively low percentage of staff wore seat belts during their entire most recent journey in an ambulance.