Police Commissioner Sharanappa S.D. has called upon people to change their attitude and come forward to help victims during road accidents as the law gives them protection from any legal interventions.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a World Trauma Day event at United Hospital here on Thursday, he said: “Don’t fear odds, step forward to help accident victims.”
The Supreme Court has passed a landmark ruling, introducing a good Samaritan law, which states that anyone who saves the life of a road accident victim by shifting him to the nearest hospital within the golden hour will be rewarded, he said.
Mr. Sharanappa said that an accident not only claims lives but also a most valuable human resource. Besides temporary disability, a victim has to suffer psychiatric symptoms and disorder frequently after major or minor road accident injury.
The officer said that India accounts for 10%-12% of the world’s road accident fatalities. According to a recent survey, India has the highest number of road accident fatalities in the world.
In 2022, 1.68 lakh people died in road accidents in India, which indicates around 460 people died due to road accidents every day in the country, Mr. Sharanappa added.
The police officer said that there is a tendency among youngsters to violate traffic rules, thus increasing the chances of accidents. “We have failed to reduce accidents,” he added.
He urged the common people, road transportation department, traffic officials to work in coordination and organise road safety awareness programmes to address the issue and reduce traffic accidents.
“The common people must understand that the traffic rules are imposed to ensure public safety and not to harass people,” Dr. Sharanappa reiterated.
Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu also spoke on the occasion.
United Hospital chairman and managing director Vikram Siddareddy and hospital director and ophthalmologist Veena Siddareddy were present.
Published - October 17, 2024 10:44 pm IST
