Below is my story which has been published by the St John's Ambulance.

Nick Turnbull, a 54 year old cyclist from Burley in Wharfedale is a member of a very informal group of cyclists called the BBC and following a serious road accident last year he will be joined by club members to ride the Tour de Yorkshire route ahead of the race on May 3 and then completing the Coast to Coast in a Day Cycle challenge on 27th June 2015. 

The former policeman and scout leader was riding around a bend on a country road near Bolton Abbey, when he saw the 4 x 4 truck coming the other way and was unable to brake in time. He suffered a punctured lung, broken shoulder blade, wrist and nine ribs in the crash.

Luckily the passenger in the car was a member of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue and a trained first aider. When Nick – unaware of the extent of his injuries – began to get up, the first aider insisted he did not move. He covered Nick with blankets to protect him from the cold and continued to check his condition until the ambulance arrived 40 minutes later. 

Nick believes it was the man's knowledge of first aid and actions that prevented a life-threatening situation from developing. He said: "As soon as he said, 'I'm a first aider', it put my mind at ease. I thought, at least somebody here knows what to do. 

"I was getting up, but he said 'No, you've got to stay down.' I was getting very cold but given that I had a punctured lung and broken ribs, the situation could quickly have been become much more serious.

"I'd advise all cyclists to download the St John Ambulance cyclists' first aid app. It's simple to use and you never know when you might be faced with a situation like mine."

The app was launched last year by St John Ambulance in response to the growing popularity of cycling – and reported accidents. Last year, Department of Transport figures showed that in Yorkshire and the Humber, reported casualties from cycling accidents rose 27% between 2010 and 2013.*

Research by St John Ambulance also found cyclists were nine times more likely to stop and help a fellow cyclist than other road users.

Regional training and community projects manager, David Nicklen, said: "It's wonderful that so many people are taking to their bikes – and events such as Tour de Yorkshire will bring even more people out on the road. 

"Sadly we also know that each year many cyclists have accidents, sometimes resulting in serious injuries, where first aid could have made a difference.

"We want to make sure as many people as possible are able to give first aid in a medical emergency should it happen. With the help of this first aid app for cyclists, we aim to create the world’s largest first aid-equipped cycling community."

The St John Ambulance First Aid for Cyclists app is free and available for all mobiles.

For more information visit www.sja.org.uk/cycling

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