This chapter considers the role of voluntary community groups in providing support to people affected by road trauma. It argues that many of these services have more or less well-developed informal peer networks, some of which have formal psychological debriefings and one-to-one support which can be used by those affected by road trauma. Others affected by such trauma have no support groups. Self-help groups both challenge and complement health and legal services, by lobbying for change, acting on behalf of consumers, and promoting alternative models of care. Although their resources are very limited, they can sometimes provide services not available from other agencies, and may appeal to accident survivors for other reasons, for example they are less formal. They can also help those witnesses and helpers at the scene of an accident, who can also experience considerable, if not severe, psychological stress. Several existing voluntary community organisations offer services to road accident survivors in the UK, the USA, Australia, and elsewhere. The Road Trauma Support Team in Tasmania is described, which may act as a model for other community-based groups, but it has so far had little statistical recording or evaluation, due to limited funds. Some challenges for road trauma support teams are discussed.
Abstract