Extending Social Security to Gratuitous Passengers and Hit-and-run Victims in India

Abstract

Road transport in India accounts for the greatest share of passenger and
freight traffic, therefore the rising number of road accidents draws the
attention of policy scholars towards enlarging the concept of social security,
leaving no one behind. Since a large majority of the Indian population
works in the informal economy, they remain outside the social security
coverage. In addition, the third-party insurance policy for motor vehicles
holds the government unaccountable to the victims of road accidents.
Insurance companies also are non-liable to victims of hit-and-run drivers
and pillion riding. This paper discusses the importance of extending social
security to gratuitous passengers and hit-and-run victims in the light of the
findings drawn from an illustrative case study that reviewed documents
about social security, road accidents, motor vehicle insurance and victim
compensations in India.