Kerala's roads witness over 40,000 accidents annually, yet the state has failed to activate the central government's Good Samaritan scheme, introduced in 2020 and later renamed Rah-Veer, which aims to incentivize bystanders to assist accident victims without fear of legal hassles. This program emphasizes the critical "golden hour" after an accident, where timely medical aid can save lives.

Despite directives from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2021, urging all states to implement it, Kerala has not rewarded a single individual in five years. The scheme offers Rs 25,000 per case, along with certificates and national awards of Rs 1 lakh for top contributors, but bureaucratic inertia has kept it on paper.

Under the guidelines, rescuers should receive acknowledgments from police or hospitals, reviewed by district committees led by District Collectors, with final approvals from the Transport Commissioner. However, Kerala's monitoring committees, formed in 2022 and reconstituted this year, remain inactive. Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chilakam admitted the scheme's potential but cited a lack of proposals from districts, attributing it to awareness gaps among police and health officials. As a reimbursement model, the state could initially fund rewards and get reimbursed by the center, yet no steps have been taken.

Police data underscores the urgency: last year saw 48,834 accidents resulting in 3,880 deaths and 54,796 injuries, with 28,724 accidents, 2,107 fatalities, and 32,569 injuries reported by July this year. A district transport officer noted that while people often help victims, they are unaware of the acknowledgment process, preventing any claims.

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Road safety expert Upendra Narayan, a former rally driver, argues for prevention over rewards, highlighting mismatches between high-speed vehicles and road designs meant for lower speeds. He advocates integrating traffic education in schools to teach rules and emergency response, potentially reducing accidents by 40%. This inaction on the scheme reflects broader challenges in addressing Kerala's road safety crisis.

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