Citizens
Stop, secure, call.
- Save 112, 108 and 1033 in your phone
- Learn bleeding control and the recovery position
- Know your Good Samaritan rights
Emergency response
Golden Hour: the first 60 minutes that decide survival
After a serious crash, the care a victim gets in the first hour matters more than anything that follows. Indian law defines the golden hour, protects bystanders who help and funds cashless treatment — here is what every citizen and responder should know.
- Call 112 or 108
- Good Samaritans are protected
- Cashless treatment · PM RAHAT
- The golden hour, as defined in law (Sec. 2(12A))
- 60 min
- Cashless treatment per crash victim, up to 7 days
- ₹1.5 L
- Rah-Veer reward for helping a crash victim
- ₹25,000
- Single emergency number · 108 ambulance · 1033 NH helpline
- 112
Why it matters
Survival is decided at the roadside
The Motor Vehicles Act defines the golden hour as “the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care” (Section 2(12A)). The Law Commission of India's 201st Report noted that doctors say at least 50% of fatalities could be averted if victims reach hospital within that first hour.
Section 134A protects Good Samaritans from civil and criminal liability. The Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme (May 2025) covers up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for up to 7 days at designated hospitals, and was launched nationally as PM RAHAT in February 2026, linked to the 112 helpline.
- Good Samaritans can't be held liable for helping
- You don't have to give your name or be a witness
- Hospitals can't detain you or demand payment
- Helpers can receive the ₹25,000 Rah-Veer award
Keep it on
Don't remove a rider's helmet unless their airway is blocked
What to do
The chain of survival
Four links, in order. Anyone can do the first three — no medical training needed.
Secure the scene
Switch on hazard lights, place a warning triangle and stay out of traffic. Don't become the second victim.
Call for help
Dial 112 or 108 (1033 on National Highways). Give the exact location — a landmark, kilometre stone or map pin — and the number of injured.
Stop bleeding, keep breathing
Press firmly on bleeding wounds. If unconscious but breathing, turn them on their side, keeping the head and neck in line.
Get to a hospital
Paramedics stabilise and transport. If no ambulance can come, move the victim carefully to the nearest hospital that can treat trauma.
Minute by minute
Inside the golden hour
- 1
First minutes
Bystanders arrive
Make the scene safe, check who is conscious and call 112.
- 2
Before help arrives
Basic first aid
Control bleeding with firm pressure, keep the airway open and don't move the neck unless there's danger of fire or traffic.
- 3
Ambulance on scene
Stabilise & transport
Paramedics give oxygen, immobilise the spine and alert the receiving hospital.
- 4
Within the hour
Definitive care
The trauma team takes over. Treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh is cashless at designated hospitals.
Why people hesitated
Fear, not indifference, stopped bystanders
SaveLIFE Foundation's study of bystanders in seven cities (fieldwork 2013) found most would not help — mainly for fear of police and hospital hassle. The Good Samaritan law was written to fix this.
The law now removes these fearsGood Samaritan guidelines (2015) were made binding by the Supreme Court in 2016, and Section 134A (2019) shields helpers from civil and criminal liability.
Source: SaveLIFE Foundation — Study on Impediments to Bystander Care in India (2013); SaveLIFE v. Union of India (SC, 30 Mar 2016); MV (Amendment) Act 2019.
Bystander attitudes before the Good Samaritan law
SaveLIFE study, 7 cities (2013)
- Bystanders unlikely to help a seriously injured victim74%
- …of those, fearing police questioning & court appearances88%
- …of those, fearing detention at the hospital77%
Myth vs fact
Don't let these cost a life
Myth: If I take a victim to hospital, I'll be stuck in a police case.
Fact: Under Section 134A and the Supreme Court-backed guidelines, Good Samaritans can't be held liable, needn't reveal their identity, and being a witness is voluntary.
Myth: The hospital will make me pay first.
Fact: Hospitals cannot detain a Good Samaritan or demand payment. Crash victims are covered by cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh.
Myth: Never move an injured person.
Fact: Don't move them without reason — but do move them away from fire or traffic, keeping the head and neck in line.
Myth: Pull off the rider's helmet so they can breathe.
Fact: Leave the helmet on — it protects the neck and spine. Remove it only if the airway is blocked or they are vomiting.
Get involved
Be the first responder someone needs
Hospitals & industry
Close the gap between crash and care.
- Join the cashless treatment network
- Train fleet drivers as first responders
- Support ambulance coverage on highways
Government & police
Make the law work on the ground.
- Publicise Good Samaritan protections
- Drive uptake of PM RAHAT cashless treatment
- Map and close ambulance coverage gaps
Know the scheme
Cashless treatment for every crash victim
Up to ₹1.5 lakh of treatment for up to 7 days at designated hospitals — read how the 2025 scheme (now PM RAHAT) works.
Sources
Figures on this page come from these public sources (checked September 2026).
- 1.Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 — Gazette
- 2.PIB — Cashless Treatment Scheme, 2025
- 3.News on AIR — PM RAHAT launch (Feb 2026)
- 4.MoRTH — Rah-Veer scheme guidelines (2025)
- 5.Law Commission of India — 201st Report (2006)
- 6.SaveLIFE Foundation — Impediments to Bystander Care in India
- 7.Supreme Court — SaveLIFE Foundation v. Union of India (2016)
- 8.IHMCL — 1033 National Highways helpline