First aid courses to be made obligatory for new drivers in the UK.

In the past 12 months alone 1,780 people have been killed on British roads – with thousands more being injured. A ten minute rule bill was tabled earlier this month and has been backed by St. John’s Ambulance. The bill specified that new drivers would be unable to take their test without attending a 4 hour first aid course.

“50% of deaths from road collisions occur within a few minutes of a crash, so there is often not time for an ambulance to arrive,” Mr Quince told MPs.

“Knowledge of first aid can be absolutely critical. The immediate initiation of CPR, for example, can double or even quadruple survival from cardiac arrest.”

If this comes into place it will bring the UK in line with the regulations in Switzerland, Germany and other European countries where it is required to attend a first aid course before being able to take your test.