First aid training, provided by the Red Cross, will now become part of the requirements for a driver’s license in Belgium’s Brussels-Capital Region. The requirement will take effect on Nov. 1.
The goal is to ensure that drivers can “adequately take care of accident victims before the arrival of the emergency services, since the first hour (after a mishap) is considered decisive for the sequels or the chances of survival,” according to Bianca Debaets, Secretary of State for Road Safety in the Brussels Government.
In addition to on-the-road training and an online theoretical test, license applicants are also required to pass a risk perception test to show that they can identify the potential dangers in certain situations.
In several other European countries first aid training has been a requirement for many years. Similarly, a hazard perception test already forms part of the driving test in other EU countries – such as the UK.