Bengaluru: Karnataka will become the first state in India to introduce a legislation to protect those trying to rescue road accident victims.

A bill to this effect, titled “The Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill”, will be tabled in the coming legislature session. A decision in this regard was taken during the cabinet meeting held here on October 9.

The move comes two years after the Supreme Court stressed guidelines for the protection of `Good Samaritans’ or bystanders who immediately reach out to the aid of victims of road accidents.

The apex court’s directive prompted the union road transport ministry to come out with standard operating procedures pertaining to relief in road accidents in January this year, The Times of India reported.

“Karnataka will be the first state in the country to come out with a legislation that prevents good Samaritans from getting embroiled in the protracted police probes and prosecution processes,” said state Law Minister T B Jayachandra.

The minister said a larger percentage of road accident victims can be saved if medical treatment is provided immediately. This can be achieved by motivating people to offer help to accident victims without fearing any criminal or civil liability.

The minister regretted that in several accident cases people were busy clicking pictures or videos instead of rushing them to nearby hospitals.

“Three months ago, I was travelling on the highway when I reached an accident spot where a truck, following brake failure, had run over people who were standing at the nearby bus stop. What shocked me was the reaction of the bystanders. They were dissuading others from reaching out to the victims for fear of getting trapped in legal wrangles.”

The new legislation, he says will save those saving accident victims from harassment from police and court attendance.

Jayachandra said the proposed legislation has earmarked 50 million rupees to be paid toward the expenses incurred by the `good Samaritans’ while saving lives.