Introduction: In 2021, 6.438 road traffic accidents with minor or serious injuries were
registered in Slovenia, 114 of which resulted in death. Injuries resulting from road traffic
accidents require appropriate first aid as soon as possible, even before the emergency
services arrive. Previous studies have shown that drivers are not sufficiently informed about
the contents and proper use of the first aid kit in the car and do not know how to use the
equipment it contains. In Slovenia, around 334.000 such kits expire every year. Aim: The
aim of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge of motor vehicle drivers about the
contents of the first aid kit and to compare the results with the findings of a similar study
conducted 15 years ago. Methods: A review of professional and scientific literature in
Slovenian and English was conducted. The literature for the theoretical findings was
searched in the COBISS, Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect and DiKul databases.
In the empirical part, we conducted a quantitative study. We collected the data using a
specially developed online questionnaire on the 1 KA platform and analyzed them using
Microsoft Excel, version 2016. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 189 people.
99 % have a first aid kit in their vehicle. The most frequently recognized accessory among
the respondents is the first aid bandage. Only 21 % answered correctly that the first aid kit
does not contain absorbent cotton. 51 % of respondents believe that a first aid kit is no longer
usable without a protective film. Discussion and conclusion: The improvement in drivers`
knowledge compared to 2009 is noticeable. Refresher training in first aid is necessary and
more attention should be paid to the contents of the car first aid kit, the correct use of the
individual tools and the legislation regarding the kit. It is necessary to check the contents of
the first aid kit and update it if necessary. It is necessary to find out why less than half of the
tractor drivers have a first aid kit installed in the tractor and to improve this. The public is
insufficiently informed about what they can do with their expired first aid kit. Therefore,
more attention should be paid to this issue, as there are many useful solutions that are better
than simply throwing it away.
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