3-Feb-2022: Scheme for Good Samaritan

The Ministry has launched the “Scheme for grant of Award to the Good Samaritan who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment" on 03.10.2021.  As per the Scheme Guidelines, the amount of award for each Good Samaritan would be Rs. 5,000/- per incident. The Scheme has been widely publicized through social media including PIB Note.

As per the information available with the Ministry, total number of road accidents in the country during the last three calendar years from 2018 to 2020 is given in the table below:

As may be seen, there is marginal decrease in the number of road accidents.

Based on the FIR data received from various States/UTs, the yearly analysis are done at Transport Research Wing of this Ministry. As per analysis of the reasons for road accidents, these mainly occur due to multiple causes such as over speeding, use of Mobile phone, drunken driving/consumption of alcohol / drug, overloaded Vehicle, vehicular condition, poor light condition, jumping red light, overtaking, neglect of civic bodies, weather condition, fault of driver, driving on wrong side, defect in road condition, defect in condition of motor vehicle, fault of cyclist, fault of pedestrian etc.  Further, based upon the various studies the Ministry has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care.

As part of operation and maintenance of the National Highways under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), there is provision of Ambulances with paramedical staff / Emergency Medical team with Technician / Nurse which are stationed near the toll plazas. 

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has formulated Rules regarding the rights of Good Samaritan vide notification dated 29.09.2020 (GSR 594(E) to motivate the general public to help the road accident victims in emergency situation. As per the notification, a Good Samaritan who has informed the police of any accident involving a motor vehicle, or who has transported a victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle to the hospital, shall not be subjected to any further requirements by the police or the hospital, and shall be permitted to leave immediately. Besides, this Ministry has also issued a scheme on 21.09.2021, namely “Scheme of Financial Assistance for Administering Road Safety Advocacy and Awards for the outstanding work done in the field of road safety” through which various NGOs and other organizations organize different road safety related activities including activities to motivate general public to help the road accident victims in emergency situation and awareness about it.

5-Oct-2021: Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Launches Rewarding Scheme for Grant of Award to the Good Samaritan who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle

Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways(MoRTH) issued Guidelines for the “Scheme for grant of Award to the Good Samaritan who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital/Trauma Care Centre within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment”. The Scheme mainly aims to motivate the general public to help the road accident victims in emergency situation, inspire and motivate others to save innocent lives on road. 

Any individual who has saved life of a victim of a fatal accident involving a motor vehicle by administering immediate assistance and rushing to Hospital within the Golden Hour of the accident to provide medical treatment would be eligible for the award.  An individual Good Samaritan can be awarded maximum 5 times in a year.

The amount of award for the Good Samaritan(s) would be Rs.5,000/- per incident. On receipt of communication from the Police Station/Hospital, District Level Appraisal Committee shall review and approve the proposals on a monthly basis. The Appraisal Committee at the District Level comprising District Magistrate, SSP, Chief Medical and Health Officer, RTO (Transport Department) of the concerned District would sanction and send the cases to the concerned State/UT Transport Depart for making the payment to the Good Samaritans.

MoRTH will provide Rs. 5 Lakhs as initial grant to the Transport Department of the State/UT for making payment to the Good Samaritans. Subsequently, Ministry would reimburse the amount to the States/UTs on monthly basis.

A State Level Monitoring Committee under Chairmanship of Principal Secretary (Home)  having  Commissioner (Health)  and ADGP (Traffic & Road Safety) as Members and Transport Commissioner as Member Secretary shall do Quarterly Meetings to monitor the proper implementation of scheme.

Every year, the State Level Monitoring Committee of each State/UT will nominate three most worthy proposals for national level awards on yearly basis to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for further consideration. MoRTH would have an Appraisal Committee for this purpose and they shall review the proposals received from the States / UTs and select the best ten Good Samaritans of the year. They will be awarded with Rs. 1,00,000/- each along with a Certificate and trophy during National Road Safety Month (NRSM) in Delhi. 

The Scheme would be effective w.e.f 15th of October, 2021. Details of the Scheme are available on the Ministry’s Portal.

6-Jan-2017: Delhi government approves ‘Good Samaritan Policy’

Under this policy, a monetary incentive of Rs 2,000 and appreciation certificate will be given to people who help road accident victims in the national capital.

The scheme is intended to encourage people to take accident victims in emergency situation to hospitals so that someone’s life could be saved.

Most of people are unwilling to help, mainly because they are scared that they may land in trouble or may be harassed. In some cases, doctors also cite reasons behind the death of accident victim that if he or she could be admitted in hospital on time, his or her life could have been saved.

Mumbai is the city with maximum road accidents in the country and the number of deaths in road mishaps is highest in Delhi, according to the ‘Road Accidents in India’ report by Road Transport and Highways Ministry.