Driver First Assist (DFA) has joined forces with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to promote the benefits of early incident response.

A person can die from a blocked airway within four minutes, but in the UK the ambulance target response time is twice that.

The DFA course trains drivers how to deal with the aftermath of a crash before the arrival of the emergency services. This includes guidance on how to secure the scene, administer basic first aid and provide accurate information to the emergency services when needed. DFA members act in a voluntary position and as such are regarded as Samaritans, meaning that there are no legal ramifications for their actions, and DFAs are under no obligation to assist if they aren't comfortable with doing so.

While the initial focus for the training is fleet drivers, anyone can become a DFA member. Over the coming months the IAM and DFA will be working together to promote the scheme through the IAM's group network, with reciprocal membership benefits for both IAM and DFA members.