Why India needs to rethink what happens after a road crash

On World Trauma Day, October 17, India needs to think about stronger coordination between emergency services, hospitals, and public authorities, supported by reliable referral pathways and trauma-care protocols

Every road crash sets off a chain of events that can determine whether a person survives, recovers or lives with a permanent disability. While road safety discussions in India often focus on preventing crashes, enforcing traffic laws and improving road infrastructure, post-crash care deserves equal attention. Its quality and coordination can make the difference between life and death.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India recorded 1,77,175 road crash fatalities in 2024. These deaths highlight the need to view road safety as a continuum encompassing prevention, emergency response, medical treatment, and long-term rehabilitation.

The race against time

The concept of the golden hour underscores the importance of prompt medical attention following traumatic injuries. Efficient ambulance dispatch, timely transportation, and access to appropriately equipped hospitals are critical. Delays in emergency response, transportation or referral can compromise outcomes.

National initiatives supporting ambulance services and cashless treatment offer an opportunity to strengthen post-crash care. The implementation of the PM RAHAT cashless emergency treatment scheme needs to be accelerated through wider onboarding of public and private hospitals and training for district-level police and healthcare personnel. A coordinated emergency response system is equally important. Ensuring effective access to the universal emergency number 112 across the country, alongside better coordination with existing services such as 108 and 1033, can help reduce delays in seeking assistance.

A connected system

Post-crash response involves bystanders, police, ambulance teams, emergency physicians, trauma specialists, and rehabilitation professionals. Its effectiveness depends on how well these stakeholders work together.

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, strengthened protections for Good Samaritans who assist crash victims. Public awareness and basic first-aid training can encourage timely assistance before professional responders arrive.

Community members must be better prepared to provide basic first response. The PM Rah-Veer scheme can support this effort, but its implementation needs to be consistent across States, particularly those reporting high fatalities.

India needs stronger coordination between emergency services, hospitals and public authorities, supported by reliable referral pathways and trauma-care protocols.

Regular assessments of trauma care preparedness can help identify gaps in infrastructure, staffing and emergency response. District hospitals must be better equipped to manage traumatic brain injuries and poly-trauma, with support from State-level apex trauma care centres. Expanding trauma and emergency care departments and postgraduate training seats in medical colleges is essential to build a skilled workforce.

The severity of injuries is influenced by impact speed, road design, and the protection available to road users. Scientific speed management, safer road design, and effective enforcement can reduce severe injuries, particularly among pedestrians and two-wheeler users.

Assessments of high-risk corridors should combine crash data with information on road conditions, traffic patterns and emergency response times. This can help authorities prioritise engineering improvements, deploy ambulances strategically and improve access to trauma facilities.

Emergency preparedness must extend to workplaces. Construction workers, workers employed at heights, and industrial workers exposed to falls and burns need access to emergency care at their workplaces, alongside adequate health insurance to ensure timely treatment without financial barriers.

Survival is essential, but it should not be the endpoint of trauma care. Serious injuries can cause long-term physical impairments, chronic pain, psychological distress and loss of livelihood, affecting survivors and their families.

Rehabilitation must be integrated into the trauma care pathway. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological support and regular follow-up can help survivors regain independence and improve their quality of life. Trauma care outcomes should therefore be measured not only by survival, but also by functional recovery and reintegration into the community.

India needs sustained investment in emergency medical services, equipped trauma facilities and trained personnel. Reliable data on ambulance response times, referral delays, treatment outcomes and rehabilitation needs can help identify gaps and establish accountability.

Regular preparedness assessments, wider hospital participation in cashless treatment schemes, stronger specialist training and community involvement must be backed by clear implementation targets and monitoring.

World Trauma Day, observed on October 17 every year, is an opportunity to recognise that saving lives after a road crash requires more than an ambulance arriving at the scene. It requires a connected system that moves injured people to the right facility, provides timely treatment and supports recovery beyond hospitalisation.

Preventing crashes remains fundamental. But a comprehensive road safety strategy must also ensure that avoidable delays, fragmented services and inadequate access to care do not compromise survival or recovery. The true measure of progress is not only fewer crashes, but fewer preventable deaths and disabilities, and better outcomes for survivors.