Supreme Court approves guidelines issued to protect good Samaritans

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, approved the guidelines by the central government to protect Good Samaritans who come forward to help road accident victims.

In a bid to augment road safety in the country, the Government of India had released guidelines in May 2015 for protection of Good Samaritans. The guidelines issued were based on a petition filed by SaveLIFE Foundation, a Delhi-based independent, non-profit organisation focused on improving road safety.

As per the guidelines, the disclosure of personal information of those who bring an injured person to the hospital has been made voluntary. Moreover, they shall not be made accountable for any civil or criminal liability, and any official who attempts to intimidate the person shall face departmental action. Similarly, a lack of response from a doctor who is expected to provide care during an emergency shall also necessitate disciplinary action.

In the absence of any statutory backing in the past, it was difficult to enforce these guidelines. According to reports, the government approached the Supreme Court to consider issuing these guidelines, by way of an order binding on all states and union territories, until the centre enacts a law to this effect.

Several other provisions to support good Samaritans can be found here.

According to government data accessed by SaveLIFE Foundation, almost 50 percent of road crash victims die of treatable injuries in the country. This decision would now allow for aid to reach injured victims sooner.