Bengaluru: Around three in four eligible hit-and-run victims and their families miss out on compensation, according to a new Primus Partners report calling for police-initiated digital claims and direct benefit transfers. With nearly 70,000 hit-and-run accidents causing more than 30,000 deaths and 16,000 grievous injuries annually, the report urges a shift from families pursuing assistance to the system proactively reaching them.
The Primus report titled “Rethinking Compensation for Hit-and-Run Victims: How Automation Can Put ₹600 Crore of Aid Within Reach,” highlights a stark delivery gap. The 2022 compensation scheme provides ₹2 lakh for death and ₹50,000 for grievous injury. Yet, against an estimated annual compensation obligation exceeding ₹600 crore, less than ₹300 crore was disbursed across four years of implementation.
Pragya Priyadarshini, Managing Director, Primus Partners, said, “Families dealing with the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident should not have to navigate complex paperwork, multiple government departments and uncertain timelines to access statutory assistance.” She added, “The focus must shift from a claimant having to pursue the system to the system proactively reaching the claimant.”
Giridhar Aramane, former Defence Secretary and former Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said that “A reformed architecture should seek to balance adequacy of compensation, ease of access, speed of settlement, accountability and financial sustainability, while ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most.”
The report identifies physical applications in the accident’s jurisdiction, limited awareness, extensive documentation and fragmented administrative responsibilities as barriers to access. It recommends making district police the nodal agency, with the classification of an accident as a hit-and-run case triggering the compensation process.
Claims should be integrated with the electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform, enabling secure submission of beneficiary details and unique tracking IDs. Linking the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund with eDAR could support district-level direct benefit transfers and shorten the time between approval and payment. Common Service Centres should help families submit digital claims, supported by wider public awareness campaigns.
Primus Partners also recommends formula-based annual revisions to compensation and additional funding through Central Government budgetary support and penalties under the Motor Vehicles Act. Greater use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and Vehicle-to-Everything technologies could help identify offending vehicles, enabling victims to pursue compensation through Motor Accident Claims Tribunals.
The Primus report places compensation reform within the wider road safety agenda. Its central message is clear: statutory assistance must translate into timely support for victims and families.
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