NS Initiative of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Rewarding good people with cash prizes for saving lives of road accident victims is a welcome effort to reduce the annual death rate from accidents in India. Ranked third among the 20 countries with the most accidents, India fares far worse on an important metric – the cases-to-death ratio – than the US and Japan, which have reported more accidents but fewer deaths. During 2020, even with severely disrupted mobility due to COVID-19, National Crime Records Bureau Data In 1,20,716 cases, 1,33,715 people lost their lives due to negligence related to road accidents. Under motor vehicle law, a Good Samaritan voluntarily helps the victim of an accident without expectation of payment or reward, and has no legal obligation to record his involvement in the matter or assist in the investigation. Despite an entire chapter being added to the Motor Vehicles Act last year to sensitize police forces and hospitals, altruism is plagued by the perception of harassment and legal complications. The ministry’s latest move seeks to do away with frugality by rewarding socially minded individuals, who provide immediate assistance and take the victim to the hospital, Rs 5,000 and a certificate of recognition for saving a life. The state governments are responsible for the scheme, the center provides an initial grant, but the union transport ministry will give its own award of ₹1 lakh to the 10 best people in a year.
Action has been set on a number of factors, starting with scientific road design and standards and zero tolerance enforcement, to achieve a reduction in mortality on India’s largely lawless roads. It was only on September 3 that the Center notified the long-pending National Road Safety Board to frame standards for, among other things, safety and trauma management, capacity building among traffic police and a scientist on accident. With a mandate to investigate. Still, on enforcement, state police forces generally appear to favor a populist approach of least engagement; The regional transport bureaucracy – compared to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari for robbing Chambal dacoits in 2015 – could also benefit from the shake-up. As a country with a constant motor drive, the goal should be to reduce accidents and reduce the proportion of cases of deaths and injuries. The Good Samaritan scheme can work well if the district committees that reward these individuals easily recognize their contributions, aided by police, hospitals and RTOs. Many more will continue to be motivated by sheer altruism to help road users involved in accidents, and governments must remove bureaucratic hurdles.
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