Two years ago, India’s Good Samaritan law, protecting those who help crash victims, came into force through a Supreme Court ruling. Alliance member SaveLIFE Foundation, which brought the case to the Supreme Court, has published a report analyzing the law’s implementation.
The report found that:
Although 88% of bystanders would now be generally willing to help road victims (up from 29% in 2013), still only 29% would escort a victim to hospital, and only 28% would call an ambulance
62% would not help due to legal hassles or fear of harassment (down from 88% in 2013)
Only 16% were aware of the Good Samaritan law
Of those good samaritans who helped road victims since the new law was implemented:
59% said that they were detained by police and 22% detained at hospitals, despite the new law
43% were asked for their personal details when helping a victim, contrary to the law
Among the police:
64% of police surveyed admitted to taking personal details from good samaritans
62% admitted that no action is taken against police officers who do not comply with the Good Samaritan law
The review demonstrates the work that still needs to be done to ensure that the Good Samaritan law is effective both in educating the public and the officials who must comply with and enforce it.
