Years ago, I would, but not today. I'd be one of the ones that would call 911, but that's it. Why? One word sticks out in very bold letters...…….LIABILITY. Today people are sue happy. That being that if, somehow, I done something wrong while assisting or even hurt myself, well. I think today, fire department personnel, as well as law enforcement, ask for any kind of medical credentials a person helping would have. Not only that, if you seen the accident happen, and were talked to by law enforcement, you could be summons into court. In the "good old days", when I, like Ken Anderson, were in EMS, stopping to help out at an accident was just common. Of course, when a person is currently working in EMS, they will have some type of ID proving that or give the name of the company they work for. But, even when I wasn't working in EMS, at the time, I would stop for an accident and help out (where I could). Today...…just too financially dangerous (for me, that is). Then again, at our age, just what could we do? Sure hope Ken Anderson says something here in this thread.
I'd stop to call for help but other than that, I'd be useless and might do more harm. When I lived in Hungary from 1997-2003 it was the law there...first person at the scene had to stop and try and help even...required by law to have first aid kit in car. Don't know if that's still the law but it was then.
Thing is, I have a full First Aid Kit in both vehicles along with a fire extinguisher and road flares. These items are mainly for our use, but, I'd probably use them on someone else's vehicle...…..if need be. I'd really hate to drive by a car fire and nobody trying to put it out, because they didn't have an extinguisher. Then again, I have to think about my own life, and my wife's, in case there was an explosion. In those situations, a person has to definitely "think before acting". I have the EMS background, but it's been years upon years since I used it, BUT, absolutely know I could for wife or I.
That would depend on whether I thought I could be useful. Before cellular phones, lives could be saved by people who took the time to stop. While that could still be the case today, normally every accident results in multiple calls to 9-1-1 as everyone, although they may not stop, will call to report the accident. So if I am in a city, the police and the ambulance are going to be there in a moment and my car would simply be in the way if I were to pull over. However, when I travel north, there are hundreds of miles between towns large enough to have a police department, let alone an ambulance service, so I would be more likely to stop. I can sometimes drive a couple of hundred miles without meeting another car so it's not a given that an accident has even been reported. As I am no longer licensed as an EMT or paramedic, I couldn't act as such on the scene of an accident, but most, if not all, states have Good Samaritan Laws that do a much better job of protecting civilians against liability than they do for licensed or certified medical personnel, so I wouldn't worry so much about liability. There are no laws against civilians helping out in the things that civilians might be trained to do, such as rendering first aid, CPR, or etc. I carry heavy-duty trauma pads and bandages in the event that I was to be involved in a chainsaw accident or something while working alone on my land, but I don't carry much for minor injuries, or splinting supplies, or any of that. For a few years, after I let my paramedic license go, I still carried a bag-valve-mask because, since I managed twenty years as an EMT and paramedic without doing mouth-to-mouth, I didn't want to start now. I understand that the new civilian CPR no longer includes mouth-to-mouth, probably because no one wanted to do that.
I would definitely stop, and help if I felt I could be useful, otherwise I would immediately call 999 if I was the first on the scene.. Here in the Uk we don't have the same sue happy culture as the USA so most people will try and do what they can for anyone in distress if they are able...
Although logically I tell myself that I should not, in practice I find that I cannot help but help without feeling less than a man. It is true about the liability though. There was a case when a man was robbing a store and held a gun to the head of the female cashier threatening to kill her. A legally armed civilian shot the robber and as the robber fell to the ground the hostage fell and got hurt. She sued the guy who saved her life claiming that had he not interfered she would not have been harmed despite the threats since she was complying. 8 years ago I stepped on front of a young armed man who was headed towards get cashier after waiting for her to be alone. He had a gun and I had a gun but I held my ground and left. I always say to myself that my first duty is to protect myself and my family since if I die my wife will be without me. Yet when it became time to hide or do something, I felt compelled to get involved. I am just hardwired that way and damn logic or what is best for me. I
Armed or not, I don't think I'd interfere in a robbery of someone else's store. Usually, they have policies that call for their own employees to comply with the robber's wishes so I see no reason to interfere unless I felt threatened.