Coming to the rescue of good Samaritans who help road accident victims, the Supreme Court today directed the Centre to ensure that such persons are not harassed by the police. It also approved the road safety guidelines formulated by the central government, which focus primarily on preventing public from being inconvenienced for coming forward to help accident cases.
The bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra asked the centre to publish these rules in print media and broadcast on television and radio to create awareness. According to the new framework, police will not force them to reveal their personal details. Those calling up either the police or ambulance for aid will not be asked to give details about themselves.
The hospitals have also been instructed to immediately start with treatment instead of waiting to complete legal formalities. The good Samaritans won’t have to stay back for the police to complete their procedure as per the new guidelines. Hospitals failing to treat accident victims will be charged with professional misconduct.
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