Road mishap victims to get cashless cover

New Delhi: In a desperate bid to bring down the number of deaths on the country's roads, the government is looking to provide cashless cover to all road accident victims. Recognising that the first hour after an accident is the "golden hour" during which many lives can be saved if appropriate medical assistance is provided, it intends to bear all expenses incurred by an accident victim in the first 48 hours.

The government might, in turn, pay the hospitals via an escrow account. Moreover, the government intends to earmark 1% of its earnings from the cess on diesel and petrol for road safety.

A report on road safety released by World Health Organisation in August pointed out that India accounts for most road accident fatalities. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), road accidents account for 33% of all accidental deaths. NCRB records show 1,14,590 people died in road accidents in 2007.

This data has goaded the government to table a bill for formation of a National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board in the winter session of parliament, which began on Thursday.

The board, which will recommend safety standards, will comprise experts from the field of road engineering, automobile engineering, traffic laws and medical care and oversee road safety activities in the country.

"In order to maintain the board's independence, it is proposed to give it financial autonomy by way of creating a National Road Safety Fund by earmarking 1% of the total proceeds of cess on petrol and diesel," an official from the ministry of shipping, road transport and highways said.

The board will work in consultation with the Indian Road Congress for designing, constructing, and operating national highways. It will also lay down guidelines for multi-disciplinary crash investigations and for collecting, reporting and analysing data of accidents by the different agencies involved.

The board will maintain a comprehensive database on road safety related matters.

Source-http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_road-mishap-victims-to-get-cashless-cover_1313977