SaveLIFE Foundation

SaveLIFE Foundation

Founded	February 29, 2008
Type	Non-governmental Organisation
Headquarters	New Delhi, India
Slogan	Improving Road Safety And Emergency Care Across India
Website	http://www.savelifefoundation.org

SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on improving road safety and emergency medical care across India. SLF combines innovative on-ground interventions with advocacy for stronger national level policies to establish a sustainable framework for Road Safety and Emergency Medical Care.

SLF is registered as a Public Charitable Trust under Sections 12A & 80G of the (Indian) Income Tax Act, 1961.

Background

In the past decade, over 10 lakh people have been killed in road accidents and over 50 lakh have been seriously injured or permanently disabled.^[1] Road accidents are also the single biggest killer of young people, aged 15–45, in India. An alarming number of families have fallen into poverty after losing their primary breadwinners to such accidents, also causing a 3% GDP loss in India each year.^[2][3] In August 2013, the Honorable Supreme Court of India has called the problem of road accident deaths a “National Emergency”.^[4]

History

SLF was founded on February 29, 2008 by Piyush Tewari following the death of his 17-year-old cousin, Shivam Bajpai, in a road accident in 2007. After his incident, Piyush started studying the space of emergency care. He discovered that according to the Law Commission of India, 50%^[3] of all the road accident deaths in India can be prevented if the victims were to get care on time.

He then invited his friend and mentor Krishen Mehta^[5] to join him in setting up the organization with a mission to enable Bystander Care — the immediate care that Police and public can provide emergency victims, especially those of road accidents, to enhance their chances of survival — in India.

SLF started with training police personnel — the first responders at most accidents — in basic trauma and life support skills.^[6] During the research, SLF identified various gaps in the existing legal framework around road safety and emergency care in India, hence started developing legal recommendations also. Today, SaveLIFE Foundation focuses on advocating for stronger policies, intervening through the courts to address gaps in existing laws and building proofs of concept through on-ground interventions.

Intervention Model

To achieve its objectives, SLF operates in two broad areas, 1. Accident Prevention 2. Post-Accident Response

In both of these areas, SLF’s model includes Policy Advocacy, Strategic Public Interest Litigation and On-ground Interventions.^[7]

Initiatives — Accident Prevention

1. Advocating for a comprehensive National Road Safety Law^[8]
2. Appealing in the Supreme Court of India to address deaths and injuries caused by trucks carrying protruding rods and stationary trucks on the road^[9]
3. Expanding the Accident Prevention and Anticipatory Driving Training (ADAPT) program targeting high-risk commercial drivers. The program is conducted over 4 hours and uses blended learning techniques to reinforce 5 – 6 key strategies for accident prevention. This is a travelling program and can be conducted by SLF anywhere in the country.
4. Creating India's first-ever "Zero Fatality Corridor" at Mumbai-Pune Expressway by designing and implementing 360 degree interventions around Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care and Education.

Initiatives — Post-Accident Response^[10]

1. Working with the Supreme Court of India to develop guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans who assist injured persons^[11]
2. Appealing to the Supreme Court of India to mandate a comprehensive nationwide framework for trauma care for injured persons
3. Training Police personnel and citizen volunteers to become medical first responders to road accident victims – The program is conducted over 4 hours and covers 3 main techniques to save a critically injured victim’s life. The module is 80% practical and 20% theoretical with a mandatory refresher after 3 months. This is a travelling program and can be conducted by SLF anywhere in the country.^[6]

Policy Advocacy

Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014^[12]

The causes for India’s exceptionally high number of road accidents include bad road user behaviour, flawed road design and engineering, weak enforcement of traffic laws and the lack of rapid trauma care. The sole statute governing Road Safety in India, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) has proved ineffective in addressing any of the aforementioned issues decisively. The Act has seen no amendments in the past 13 years.

SaveLIFE Foundation, in March and April 2014 organized high-level consultation meetings involving participants from 10 States across India to deliberate the need for a comprehensive national road safety law and develop specific, actionable recommendations to address 10 key issues identified by experts as needing urgent legislative attention. The meetings in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai brought together Secretaries to Central and State governments, senior Police officers, experts from institutions such as World Bank, Embarq, IIT, IISc, senior lawyers and doctors, and industry and civil society leaders. The primary recommendation from these meetings was that India needs a comprehensive Road Safety Law. It was therefore recommended that the current Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 be repealed and a new comprehensive law including protection and regulation for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and children, be introduced.^[13] Subsequently, on SLF’s advocacy with the Government of India, these recommendations were merged into the Road Transport & Safety Bill, 2014 which was released on September 13, 2014. The Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament in the 2015 Budget Session.^[14]

Good Samaritan Law^[11]

The Law Commission of India states that 50%^[3] of those who die on Indian roads can be saved if they receive timely medical attention including assistance from bystanders and passers-by. But, most bystanders and passers-by choose to remain mute spectators due to prolonged legal hassles and severe inconvenience and intimidation at the hands of the legal system.

SaveLIFE Foundation moved the Supreme Court of India to issue directions for protection of Good Samaritans. Accordingly, in October 2014, the Supreme Court directed the Government of India to issue directions in this regard by January 28, 2015.^[15] Furthermore, a Private Members Bill titled Good Samaritan (Protection from Civil and Criminal Liabilities) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2014 was introduced by Member of Parliament Smt. Kirron Kher in December 2014.^[16] SLF also started a petition asking the Union Health Minister, Shri J.P.Nadda to introduce a Good Samaritan Law in India. This Law will protect and encourage Good Samaritans to help injured person on the road.

PIL 1: Guidelines to protect Good Samaritans from harassment, intimidation & coercion and ensuring effective Trauma services across the country

Writ Petition 235 of 2012 – SaveLIFE Foundation & Anr. versus Union of India & Anr.^[17]

In October 2013, the Supreme Court appointed a committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, to study the issues mentioned in the petition in detail and submit a final report to the Court on the same.^[18] The final report was submitted to the Court in January 2014.^[19] The Court then directed the Ministries of Law and Justice and Road Transport and Highways to issue necessary directions with regard to the protection of Good Samaritans until appropriate legislation is made by the Union Legislature. The deadline to issue these directions was January 28, 2015.^[20]

In the Writ Petition the SaveLIFE Foundation and another v. Union of India, 2012, the Supreme Court of India on October 29, 2014, directed the Central Government to issue necessary guidelines with regard to the protection of Good Samaritans until appropriate legislation is made by the Union Legislature. In a Gazette notification dated May 12, 2015, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India notified said guidelines. As per the guidelines, the disclosure of personal information by a Good Samaritan who brings an injured person to the hospital has been made voluntary. Further, the guidelines provide that a Good Samaritan shall not be liable for any civil or criminal liability.^[21] Pursuant to the PIL filed by SaveLIFE Foundation, on January 22, 2016, the Government issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the examination of Good Samaritans by the Police or during trial.^[22]

PIL 2: Highlights deficiencies and gaps in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 as the principal legislations around Road Safety in India

Writ Petition 427 of 2013 – SaveLIFE Foundation & Anr. versus Union of India & Anr prays for striking down Rule 93(8) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules which allows for protruding rods, mandating that they be carried only in covered trailers and fixing criminal liability on violators once the rule is struck down. It also looks at ensuring uniform regulations, particularly in respect of stationary or stalled vehicles on highways and expressways.

Based on SLF’s PIL, the Government of India, on March 5, 2014, issued a notification striking down the proviso in Rule 93(8) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989.^[23][24] The case is still being heard the Supreme Court of India on the remaining issues of ensuring uniform regulations for stationary trucks and mandating that rods are only carried in covered trailers.

Report A Truck Campaign

More than 9,000 people are killed across India every year, in accidents with trucks carrying overhanging sharp cargo and protruding rods. Almost another 30,000 survive with serious injuries.

Through the popular television show, Satyamev Jayate,^[25] SLF started a campaign by asking citizens to report trucks carrying protruding roads using Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, email and website.^[26] Pictures of almost 1500 vehicles carrying protruding rods have been received within first three months. The Foundation dispatched these reports to the concerned authorities of respective States/Union Territories and also to senior officials in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, to bring the prevalence of this violation to their notice. Consequently, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan Police have directed the concerned authorities under their jurisdiction to take appropriate action against these trucks. Recently a strongly-worded advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs urged administrations in all States and Union Territories to ensure no vehicle is allowed to carry “protruding loads” and take “strict action” against all violators.^[27]

Impact

• The NGO has secured a ban on trucks from carrying protruding rods, an order that is expected to save 9,000 lives per year.^[28][29]
• In the past two years, over 1,50,000 lives have been saved by 7,500 police personnel and hundreds of citizen volunteers in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra trained by SLF.^[7]
• SaveLIFE Foundation has also successfully advocated and built public support for a comprehensive national road safety law, expected to be introduced in the 2015 Budget Session of Parliament.^[30][31]
• SLF’s policy advocacy efforts have resulted in a Private Members Legislation protection for Good Samaritans being introduced. The Delhi Police also issued notice stating that Good Samaritans will not be detained in the hospitals.^[32]
• The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of SaveLIFE Foundation and another V/s. Union Of India and another in Writ Petition directed the Central Government to issue guidelines with regard to the protection of Good Samaritans until appropriate legislation is made by the Union Legislature.^[33] Consequently, on January 22, 2016, the Government issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the examination of Good Samaritans by the Police or during trial.^[22]

Awards/Achievements

2014

• Received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award^[34][35]
• Invited to become a member of Clinton Global Initiative^[36]
• Awarded NGO of the year 2014 in the small category by Resource Alliance, Rockefeller Foundation and EdelGive Foundation^[37]

2013

• Appointed full-voting member of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety^[38]
• Awarded the Ashoka Fellowship^[39]

2012

• Faculty from the Film School at University of Colorado Denver released a feature documentary on SaveLIFE Foundation titled The Golden Hour. The documentary won the Best Documentary Award at the Indian International Film Festival of Huston in 2013 and was nominated for various other international awards^[40]
• Awarded the Echoing Green Fellowship^[41]

2011

• Received letters of commendation from Delhi Police (2011) and National Security Guard (NSG, 2009) for its efforts to equip first responders with life-saving skills.
• Invited to the National Committee constituted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India and WHO to frame guidelines for pre-hospital trauma care.

2010

• Won the Rolex Award for Enterprise^[42]
• Invited to join the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National Core Group on Road Safety and present its model to a national audience.

References