IMPACT: The Unsung Force Behind Devon’s Life-Saving Road Collision Care
Behind every life saved on the roadside in Devon and Cornwall, IMPACT is quietly rewriting the rulebook on what post-crash survival looks like.
You’ve heard of Devon Air Ambulance, the big red whirly birds in the sky that swoop in when it all goes very wrong. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find another important arm of the charity, IMPACT.
It’s also called the Centre for Post-Collision Care, and it’s quietly revolutionising what happens after a crash. And if you think that sounds boring, think again—because what IMPACT is doing could be the difference between walking away from a smash, or not walking at all. While the helicopters grab the headlines, IMPACT is embedded behind the scenes, shaping how post-collision care is delivered across the UK. Its goal? Simple but ambitious: end preventable death, disability, and suffering from serious road traffic collisions.
From Scene to Surgery, and Beyond
It’s not just about getting people to the hospital faster, though that’s part of it. IMPACT is leading the charge on everything from faster extrication of trapped riders and drivers to improving triage at the roadside. It’s the science behind the sirens, and it’s making a tangible difference.
By bringing together experts in emergency medicine, biomechanics, engineering, and public health, IMPACT can answer the important questions, like how long should it take to free someone from a mangled car or pinned motorcycle? What does “optimal” recovery look like six months down the line? And how can we design systems so that bystanders and first responders make the right call, at the right time?
Research with a Motor
At its core, IMPACT is about translating cutting-edge research into real-world action. This means its work doesn’t get stuck in journals, it ends up in protocols used by paramedics, hospital staff, and policymakers. Whether it’s trialling new triage models or developing tech that reduces rescue times, everything they do points back to one goal: better outcomes for people who’ve had the worst day of their lives.
They’re not going it alone, either. By working closely with clinicians, academics, and frontline responders, IMPACT acts as a hub of shared knowledge, mentoring new researchers and bringing different disciplines together to move the needle on trauma care.
Why It Matters to You
Whether you’re a biker, a commuter, or just someone who enjoys a blast on country roads, this is stuff that affects all of us. Road collisions don’t discriminate, and the work IMPACT is doing could mean that if the worst ever does happen, the response is faster, smarter, and more likely to save your life or your mate’s.
So next time you see a Devon Air Ambulance overhead, spare a thought for the quiet force working in the background. Because IMPACT might not make much noise, but the work they’re doing is changing lives, one collision at a time.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
