37.15. If a person is unconscious and has no injuries, you should:
UAЯкщо людина знаходиться без свідомості і не має травм, її треба:
Question without image
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns first aid at the scene of a traffic accident and overall road safety. In real-life situations on the road, a driver may be the first to find an unconscious victim, and the correct basic actions determine whether normal breathing is maintained until medical professionals arrive. This topic is important not only for the theoretical exam but also for practical application: an unconscious person cannot control the muscles of the tongue and swallowing, which creates a risk of airway obstruction and choking on saliva or vomit.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the traffic rules regarding the driver's duties in the event of involvement in a road traffic accident (Traffic Rules, point 2.10), which explicitly states the need to take possible measures to provide first aid and call an ambulance. In the context of first aid for an unconscious person without obvious injuries, the basic action is to place them in the recovery position, which maintains airway patency and reduces the risk of aspiration.
The analysis of the answer options comes down to breathing safety. Sitting the victim up with their head raised may seem logical, but an unconscious person cannot hold their head and this may further complicate breathing or cause them to fall; therefore, this is not the standard for first aid. The option "do not touch" is also dangerous: leaving someone on their back increases the risk of tongue obstruction and choking. The recovery position on the side is the correct solution for a situation without signs of injury, although in cases of suspected spinal or pelvic injury, unnecessary movement should be limited and emergency help called immediately.
Clause 1.10 (the term "Road Traffic Accident")
Road traffic accident — an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle, as a result of which people were killed or injured, or material damage was caused.
Clause 2.10 (driver's duties in case of involvement in a road traffic accident), subclause "e"
A driver involved in a road traffic accident is obliged to: take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to the victims, call an emergency (ambulance) medical team.
Brief application to the question: the "recovery position" is a typical measure of pre-medical assistance for an unconscious person without obvious injuries (to ensure airway patency and prevent aspiration of vomit).
Clause 2.10 (driver's duties in case of involvement in a road traffic accident), subclause "ye"
A driver involved in a road traffic accident is obliged: if it is impossible to call an emergency (ambulance) medical team or if it is impossible for it to arrive — to send the victims to the nearest medical facility by passing transport, and if this is not possible — to transport them in their own vehicle, having first recorded the location of the accident traces, as well as the position of the vehicle after it stopped; at the medical facility, to report their surname and the registration number of the vehicle (presenting an identity document or driver's license and vehicle registration document) and return to the scene of the accident.
Brief application to the question: before the possible need to transport the victim, pre-medical assistance includes, in particular, ensuring the safe position of the body of an unconscious person.
Thus, the correct answer is "Place in the recovery position," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, the driver is obliged to take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to the victim, and the recovery lateral position is a basic action for the safety of an unconscious person without signs of injury.
Imagine a situation on the road: a person is lying unconscious, does not respond to being addressed, but there are no visible injuries. In this case, the main task of first aid for the driver is not to “bring the person to their senses” at any cost, but to ensure safe breathing for the person until the medics arrive.
When a person is unconscious, they do not control the muscles of the tongue and swallowing. If you leave them lying on their back, the tongue may partially block the airway, and in case of vomiting or saliva, there is a risk of choking. This is one of the most common causes of sudden deterioration in the condition of unconscious people, even if at first it seems that “nothing serious has happened.”
That is why, within the topic of pre-medical aid on the traffic rules exam, the correct solution is considered to be the stable side position. In this position, the airways remain more open, and fluids (saliva, vomit) do not enter the trachea and lungs. Typically, this position looks as follows: the victim lies on their side facing you, the lower arm is used as a support under the head, the upper leg is bent at the knee so that the body does not roll onto the back or stomach.
It is important to understand the limit: the stable position is used when there is no suspicion of spinal or pelvic injury. In traffic accidents, falls, head impacts, or situations where cervical spine damage is possible, the person should not be turned over without necessity to avoid worsening possible internal injuries. But in the context of the question, it is directly stated: there are no injuries, so the key risk is precisely breathing impairment due to tongue obstruction or aspiration.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Place in a stable side position," because for an unconscious person without obvious injuries, this is the safest way to maintain airway patency and reduce the risk of suffocation until the ambulance arrives.