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Next week, on September 16, European First Aid Day is being celebrated and yesterday members of the Balearic branch of the Spanish Red Cross set up information desks across the region informing people of traffic accident prevention and what to do in case of emergency. In Majorca, a special tent was set up in the Plaza Mayor in Palma with members of the Red Cross handing out information leaflets and carrying out demonstrations of basic first aid. Under the slogan “a correct response could save someone's life” the campaign will continue until the European First Aid Day at the end of next week. Special informative videos are being screened at the information posts and leaflets given out explaining how to make a sling and how to make the maximum use of simple first aid kits. According to the Red Cross, 57 per cent of road deaths happen within minutes of an accident and at the scene of the crash. The Red Cross maintains that the first few minutes after an accident are vital and that fellow drivers could help to save a life with simple first aid knowledge. Every year in Majorca alone, the Red Cross trains around 500 people in first aid and many volunteer to help the Red Cross during the summer. This year the number of fatal accidents in the Balearics, in particular Majorca, has shown a dramatic rise. The road death toll for January to August matched last year's total number of fatalities. Traffic police chiefs are calling for a radical shake up in driving tests and tougher fines for speeding and drink driving.