Hit-and-run video

[Shawna]

Awww come on! People don't really act like this these days, do they?

Hit and run in Hartford, Connecticut

[MarcM]

That happens all the time out here, sorry to say.

[Levis]

These days and always.

Bystander Effect

There are a million reasons why people wouldn't do anything in a situation like this. Diffusion of responsibility (no one person is responsible for taking charge of the situation); fear of their potential actions being judged by those around them (potential to embarass themselves or make things worse); lack of experience - a doctor or a police officer really would be more qualified to deal with the situation; and just plain old conformity - no one else is doing anything, so why should they?

[Shawna]

that's really interesting stuff to read, Levis. It has not been my fate to run across many injured folks so I haven't had an opportunity to find out what I'd do. My sister, however, has run across a few, and she's the one you want in the case of an accident. She's not a trained EMT, but she'll get right in there and figure out what needs doing, bark orders to get things done, and just give comfort where comfort can be had.

I'm good with animals that way... But I can't imagine allowing someone flattened and bleeding in the street to just lay there without picking up a phone, or at the very least sitting beside him and holding his hand so he'd know he wasn't alone.

[Levis]

If your sister's got training she's automatically got more responsibility in a situation like that. Otherwise - thinking logically - what comes to my mind is you shouldn't move someone who's injured. As for holding his hand - idealistically, yes that would be nice - but he's in the middle of the street, he's not someone you know, when you've been given a shock like that who's going to have the clarity to actually do that and again - best not to move him.

Even phoning the police would seem to be a natural human response, but the person who makes the call becomes 'involved' while the others stay anonymous. Offering help isn't all that easy:

Volunteer's Dilemma

Also, I read somewhere that if you do try to help someone in a situation and their condition worsens or they die, you are the one who will be held accountable. This is all legal stuff I don't know about, really... it's just what I remember from a book.

[Farin]

Also, I read somewhere that if you do try to help someone in a situation and their condition worsens or they die, you are the one who will be held accountable. This is all legal stuff I don't know about, really... it's just what I remember from a book.

no, that's not true

here even the opposite is true - if someone sees an accident and doesn't help (or at least call police, ambulance, etc) then that is considered a crime.

of course, apart from the legal side there's the psychological pressure to not make any mistakes

on another note, I once saw a BBC documentary, where they explained that the more witnesses (= potential helpers) there are, the less likely it is that they help. That's because if the witness is alone, the sole responsebility lies on himself, if there are 20 others he can think "even if I do nothing, someone is sure to help, so I don't take any risks"

[Levis]

Hmm... maybe I recall wrong, or phrase wrong or something. It was to do with a story of a man who tried to help a young prostitute who had overdosed. He took her home and tried to look after her but she died in his care and he was charged. I don't remember much more, or I'd have looked it up.

As for your second point - yep, that's what I mean by diffusion of responsibility. If there's one bystander he is 100% responsible for helping the person. if there are 20, each of them has only 5% of the responsibility (Unless one of them is in a position of considerably more authority for such a case).

[The Seeker]

I know the 'reasons' and theories and stats and such, and I guess I do understand them to some extent, but it never ceases to amaze me. At the very least call the police, put up a warning triangle, try to write down the licence plate number. You don't need any kind of experience for that.

That said, I've never been in such a situation, and I can't know for sure what I'd do.

[Levis]

And as social psych experiments tell us - what you think you'll do is often VERY different from what you'd actually do

History tells us much the same thing

[_Laurie_]

About the giving care...In my trainings they told us that you won't be charged with anything as long as you don't try to perform some kind of surgery (yikes!)on the person...you can do things such as stop the bleeding, etc...and if someone isn't comfortable with that, than other things like calling 911, getting a plate number, etc.....should be done....

I've been in a very tragic situation at work...I did my best at what I knew, but the outcome was not good.....That was very hard emotionally, and took a long time to get over it...you say to yourself, well maybe I should of done this or done that...believe me....when you're in a situation it's true you don't know what you'll do untill it happens....

Edited June 6, 2008 by Guest