Good Samaritans who help road accident victims will no longer be unnecessarily harassed by police or any other authority as the Supreme Court has approved the guidelines by the Centre. The bench comprising justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra directed 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.
Based on the recommendations of the three-member committee headed by former judge K S Radhakrishnan which was recorded by the bench, the guidelines were placed by the bench.
The Apex committee gave suggestions to strengthen enforcement relating to drunken driving, over-speeding, red light jumping and helmet and seat belt laws. Additionally, it also gave 12 major recommendations which included setting up of State Road Safety Councils, evolving a protocol for identification of black spots along with their removal and monitoring to see the effectiveness of the action taken.
A statement also mentioned that in the absence of any statutory backing, it was not possible to enforce these guidelines and that is why the Apex Court was brought into the picture.
