Empathy on the roads : Can we make helping the norm?

EACH year, India reckons with preventable tragedy on its roads. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), 4,61,312 road accidents occurred in 2022, claiming 1,68,491 lives and injuring 4,43,366 individuals. Despite engineering, enforcement and education efforts, emergency response — often called the fourth ‘E’ of road safety — remains the weakest link. Victims perish due to delayed first aid or lack of transport. Deep-rooted public fear of harassment or legal hassles prevents bystanders from intervening.

To change this narrative, a landmark moment came in 2016 when the Supreme Court, in Savelife Foundation vs Union of India, gave legal force to guidelines protecting Good Samaritans —individuals who voluntarily help accident victims. These guidelines, later formalised through the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 via Section 134A and supported by Central Motor Vehicle Rules 168 and 169, ensure that a Good Samaritan is not harassed by the police, hospitals or the courts.

Importantly, Rule 168(5) makes it mandatory for every hospital, whether public or private, to prominently display information about the rights of Good Samaritans. Sadly, ground realities paint a different picture. Most hospitals remain non-compliant and many citizens, including law enforcement personnel, are unaware of these protections. Consequently, fear continues to outweigh empathy on India’s roads.

The law provides anonymity, shields Good Samaritans from civil or criminal liability and allows them to leave after admitting a victim, without being forced to disclose identity or stay back for formalities. This progressive legal framework is yet to penetrate public consciousness. Bystanders continue to hesitate, haunted by stories of harassment or bureaucratic delays.

What India needs is a cultural shift — one where helping a fellow citizen in distress is seen not just as noble, but normal. To make this happen, we must launch a high-decibel national awareness campaign by leveraging both traditional platforms and digital media influencers. State governments can lead the way by instituting annual awards, public recognitions and medals for Good Samaritans. These are small but powerful gestures that reinforce humane behaviour.

Recognising the financial burden of emergency care and the hesitation it creates, the Government of India has introduced a Cashless Treatment Scheme for Road Accident Victims, which became operational on May 5, 2025. Rooted in the amended Motor Vehicles Act, this scheme provides cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per victim for the first seven days, provided the police are informed within 24 hours. In hit-and-run cases, it offers

Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased.

This initiative, implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) in partnership with state health agencies, hospitals and police departments, is supported by a digital platform — the e-Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) system — which facilitates real-time reporting, verification and claims-processing. Crucially, the scheme targets the “golden hour", the first hour after trauma when medical intervention is most likely to save lives.

The scheme also addresses a psychological barrier: the fear of being burdened with medical bills. By removing financial hesitations, it complements the Good Samaritan law and encourages people to step forward and help.

Yet, laws and financial coverage alone cannot save lives unless backed by a robust trauma care infrastructure. Unfortunately, India’s trauma response capabilities remain patchy and underdeveloped, particularly along national and state highways, where accidents are most frequent. Many district hospitals lack dedicated trauma wards, neurosurgical expertise or 24/7 emergency staffing.

What India needs is a nationwide trauma care network — prioritising accident-prone districts and high-risk corridors. Public-private partnerships, coupled with integration into Ayushman Bharat and other health missions, can help bridge these gaps.

A study in the Lancet has estimated that complete trauma care programmes could save over 2,00,000 lives annually, often through simple interventions like bleeding control and timely imaging.

The World Health Organisation’s World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention highlights that inadequate post-crash care remains a leading contributor to road traffic deaths. It notes that “strengthening emergency and critical care systems is essential for reducing mortality and impairment from road traffic crashes."

Indian studies echo these findings. A survey in Puducherry has revealed that only 55 per cent of the road accident victims reached a hospital within the golden hour; delays are often caused by lack of transport and awareness. Another study conducted in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, revealed that laypersons were the first responders in 67 per cent of the cases, highlighting the role of ordinary citizens in the immediate aftermath of a crash.

The stakes are high. MoRTH data shows that 66.5 per cent road accident victims in 2022 were between 18 and 45 years of age — the most economically productive demographic. According to estimates by the World Bank and WHO, India loses 3-5 per cent of its GDP every year due to road crashes. Timely emergency care not only saves lives but also reduces long-term disability, loss of productivity and economic hardship for families.

In Germany, first-aid training is mandatory to obtain a driver’s licence and citizens are legally obligated to assist accident victims. Sweden’s Vision Zero initiative leverages real-time crash data and in-vehicle telematics to dispatch ambulances instantly. The UK and Australia support rural community responders with paramedic training and legal protection, allowing faster, localised care in remote regions.

These experiences offer valuable lessons: when law, technology and civic duty align, emergency response becomes a collective reflex rather than an exception.

India’s emergency care ecosystem needs to transform from reactive to responsive. We must build awareness using every possible medium — from schools and colleges to social media and survivor stories. Hospitals and police departments must be held accountable for failing to provide or facilitate emergency care. Compliance audits and citizen feedback mechanisms should become the standard practice.

Every life saved is not just a statistic avoided, but a story rewritten. The time to act is now.

Alok Mittal, a senior IPS officer, is ADGP, Anti Corruption Bureau, Haryana. 

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