Overview of Good Samaritan in road safety

Who is Good Samaritan?

A Good Samaritan is a person who, in good faith, without expectation of payment or reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily comes forward to administer immediate assistance or emergency care to a person injured in an accident, or crash, or emergency medical condition, or emergency situation.

What is Good Samaritan Law?

The Good Samaritan Law allows a person, without expectation of payment or reward and without any duty of care or special relationship, voluntarily come forward to administer immediate assistance or emergency care to a person injured in an accident, or crash, or emergency medical condition. Good Samaritan Law protects Good Samaritans from harassment on the actions being taken by them to save the life of the road accident victims.

Why the need for Good Samaritan law?

India is an unfortunate victim of a large number of road crash fatalities. Three out of four people in the country are hesitant to help injured accident victims on roads due to fear of police harassment, detention at hospitals, and prolonged legal formalities. Even if someone wants to help, these factors stop them from doing so. According to a National Study conducted by the Save LIFE foundation and TNS India Pvt. Ltd.

1. 74% of bystanders are unlikely to assist victims of road accidents;
2. 88% of those bystanders gave the following reasons for their reluctance:  legal hassles, including repeated police questioning and multiple court appearances;
3. 77% of the respondents cited detention at hospitals and having to pay hospital registration fees and other charges as reasons not to help.

How did India get a Good Samaritan Law?

In the last ten years, road crashes have killed over 13 lakh people in India. According to the Law Commission of India, 50% of these victims died of preventable injuries and could have been saved if they had received care on time. The role of the bystander is critical in providing emergency care to the victim. Yet, in India, bystanders have been hesitant to help the injured for fear of legal repercussions and procedural hassles.

In 2012, SaveLIFE Foundation had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India, requesting the Hon'ble court to safeguard Good Samaritans who come forward to help the injured.

Be a Good Samaritan

• Road crashes claimed more than 200,000 lives in India alone and contributed to the economic loss of approximately 3% GDP. 17 people die every hour on Indian roads and around 4.07 LAC.
• As per the reports, nearly 50 per cent of road fatalities would not have happened had medical attention been given within the first hour. Become a GOOD SAMARITAN and help us reduce this number.
• We take this pledge to save someone's life and take it upon as our moral duty being a good citizen.

Source : Ministry of Road Transport & Highways