Govt. offers protection to those who help accident victims

Thanks to BHPian mints21 for sharing this information with other enthusiasts.

Till now, bystanders and Samaritans in India used to refrain from helping accident victims because they feared harassment from the authorities. Now, the Government of India has issued guidelines to protect their interests.

The notification No. 25035/101/2014RS dated 12th May 2015 highlights the following points:

• A bystander or good Samaritan including an eyewitness of a road accident may take an injured person to the nearest hospital and he/she would be allowed to leave immediately and no question shall be asked.
• A bystander or good Samaritan shall be suitably rewarded or compensated to encourage other citizens to come forward and help accident victims in a manner as may be specified by the State Governments.
• A bystander or good Samaritan shall not be liable for any civil or criminal liability.
• A bystander or good Samaritan who makes a phone call to inform police or emergency services shall not be compelled to reveal his name or personal details on the phone or in person.
• The disclosure of personal information shall be voluntary or optional including in the Medico Legal Cases.
• If a bystander or good Samaritan is an eye witness to an accident and needs to be examined for the purpose of investigation by the police or during the trial, such person shall be examined on a single occasion and the state governments will develop the standard operating procedures to ensure that the person is not harassed or intimidated.
• It also has a provision to initiate disciplinary or departmental action against officers who coerce or intimidate a bystander or good Samaritan for revealing his name or personal details.
• Lack of response by a doctor in an emergency situation pertaining to road accidents, where he is expected to provide care, shall constitute "Professional Misconduct" under chapter 7 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation, 2002 and disciplinary action shall be taken against such a doctor under chapter 8 of the said regulations.

Click here to read the full Notification