Sustainable Futures (Dec 2024)
Exploring the obstacles preventing good samaritans’ attending the road crash victims: A case of a developing nation, India
Abstract
The present study addresses the reluctance among individuals in low- and middle-income countries like India to assist victims of road crashes, despite their potential to save lives. Through surveying 551 respondents, it prioritizes obstacles hindering Good Samaritan behaviour, such as legal harassment, the bystander effect, fear of bloodshed, lack of altruism, and knowledge deficits. This study employs the concept of normative conformity by using indirect questions about potential reasons why peers or close relatives might not assist a road crash victim. This approach helps to minimize bias, as direct questions could lead respondents to feel socially pressured to claim they would help, potentially resulting in insincere responses. Analytically, the present study follows the rank-ordered logit model with correlated errors to analyse and rank these obstacles based on their influence on dissuading potential Good Samaritans from offering assistance. The findings reveals that females are particularly sensitive to witnessing bloodshed as the major hindrance in assisting road crash victims, while higher education correlates with better understanding of legal and societal aspects. Income level influences perceptions of altruism and the bystander effect. The findings from the present study suggests that there is a pressing need for public awareness campaigns to educate individuals about their legal rights and protections as Good Samaritans. Secondly, efforts should be directed towards enhancing education and training programs, particularly targeting individuals with lower levels of education and income.
