Don’t be a hero. Putting others first can cost more lives in emergencies, finds study - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Don’t be a hero. Putting others first can cost more lives in emergencies, finds study

Press Trust of India | By, Toronto
Jun 28, 2017 07:46 AM IST

A Canadian research found that overall survival rates were substantially higher when strong people in a 30-member group reached safety themselves before trying to help weaker people.

Selfless heroism is not the best strategy during life-and-death situations such as accidents or natural disasters, as trying to save others first may lead to more deaths, a study warns.

When strong members try to help weak members before they are secure themselves, both are dragged down and the group as a whole suffers, researchers said.(Shutterstock)
When strong members try to help weak members before they are secure themselves, both are dragged down and the group as a whole suffers, researchers said.(Shutterstock)

Researchers from University of Waterloo in Canada found that overall survival rates were substantially higher when strong people in a 30-member group reached safety themselves before trying to help weaker people.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

When strong members try to help weak members before they are secure themselves, both are dragged down and the group as a whole suffers, researchers said.

“Foolhardiness is not a good strategy for rescuing. In very critical situations, we have to be kind of selfish, but we can still help others if we have proper equipment and proper strategies,” said Eishiro Higo, PhD candidate at University of Waterloo.

Researchers said it was important to understand the difference between being brave and being reckless. (Shutterstock)
Researchers said it was important to understand the difference between being brave and being reckless. (Shutterstock)

Researchers built a two-dimensional computer model of an actual three-level underground space in Kyoto, Japan, that consists of a subway platform, a parking garage and a shopping mall.

The model simulated severe flooding from a nearby river, with a mix of adults and senior citizens who must reach safety via staircases from the subway platform level to the surface.

Researchers ran the model using three different evacuation strategies: one in which people only worried about themselves, one in which people immediately worked together as a group and one in which those capable of saving themselves reached a safe place before trying to save others using a rope.

The team found that in most life-and-death scenarios when variables such as the ratio of adults to seniors were adjusted, the rope strategy resulted in the highest overall survival rate.

In a typical scenario that assumed evacuation efforts beginning at a particular point in time, for example, 12 of 30 people survived using the rope strategy, while there were just five survivors using either of the other two strategies, researchers said.

Researchers found that crucial to the success of the rope strategy, however, was the availability of simple tools for use by rescuers. Design features including handrails and raised areas on stairs for evacuees to brace themselves or rest also markedly increased the chances of survival.

“We have to identify what is brave and what is reckless. Helping people from a safe location is still good behaviour and the result is actually much better,” Higo said.

The study was published in the journal Expert Systems with Applications.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

Oscars 2024: Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, March 18, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On