SC approves guidelines to protect Good Samaritans

The Supreme Court on Wednesday approved the Centre’s guidelines to protect Good Samaritans, who help road accident victims, from being unnecessarily harassed by police or any other authority.

A Bench, comprising justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra, asked the Central government to give wide publicity to these guidelines so that people who help others in the time of distress are not victimised by any authority.

Earlier this month, the Apex Court had said that it would pass an order on the recommendations of a committee, headed by its former judge on road safety, which advocated that people saving lives of accident victims need not fear harassment by police or other authorities.

The Bench also took on record the guidelines placed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which were based on the recommendations of the three-member committee, headed by former judge KS Radhakrishnan. The committee had given 12 recommendations, including setting up of State Road Safety Councils, evolving a protocol for identification of black spots, their removal and monitoring to see the effectiveness of the action taken.