TL;DR
A person slumped in a parked car can be asleep, or they can be having a heart attack, a stroke, a diabetic emergency or a seizure. Check, call 112 and do not assume they are fine. Under India's Good Samaritan guidelines you are protected for helping. If the vehicle has a VahanTag, scanning it and selecting SOS sends the vehicle's live location to the owner's emergency contacts without you needing to find their number.
The Situation Most People Walk Past
A man in a car outside an office, a woman in the driver's seat at a petrol pump, an elderly person in a car outside a hospital. Their head is down, the engine is off and nobody is nearby. Most passers-by assume they are resting and keep walking.
Sometimes they are. Sometimes it is a cardiac event, a stroke, low blood sugar, a seizure or heat exhaustion, and every minute counts.
What To Check First
- Knock firmly on the window and call out. Does the person respond?
- Look for breathing. Is the chest moving?
- Look at their colour. Pale, bluish or very flushed skin and heavy sweating are warning signs.
- Check the doors. Try the handle. If it opens, you can check further.
- Note the surroundings. Is the engine running? Is there smoke or a smell of fumes?
A running engine with closed windows can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, especially in an enclosed parking area. If that is the case, treat it as urgent.
Step-by-Step: What To Do
- Call 112 straight away and give the exact location. If you are in a building, get a guard or manager to help.
- Check the windshield for a VahanTag QR sticker. Scan it and choose SOS. The owner's emergency contacts (up to three) receive a WhatsApp and SMS message with the vehicle's live location.
- If the person is not breathing normally and you know CPR, start it on the instruction of the 112 operator. If you do not know CPR, the operator can guide you.
- Do not give food, drink or medicine to an unresponsive person.
- Stay on the scene until help arrives, or hand over to someone who can.
You Are Legally Protected for Helping
The Supreme Court's Good Samaritan guidelines, later given statutory backing, mean a person who helps an injured or ill person in good faith cannot be forced to pay, be detained for long or be made a witness against their wishes. Hospitals cannot demand payment from a Good Samaritan or delay treatment. You can read more in our Good Samaritan Law guide.
The Hard Part: Telling the Family
The person may have no wallet on them, or a phone that is locked or flat. Hospitals will treat them, but family often learns hours later. In emergencies such as strokes and cardiac events, early information can help doctors too: the person's history, medicines and allergies.
A VahanTag SOS closes that gap. Without needing to unlock a phone or know a name, the bystander triggers an alert that goes to the people the owner chose in advance, along with the vehicle's location. Those contacts can reach the hospital, share the medical history and get there quickly.
How To Set It Up Properly
- Add up to three emergency contacts who will pick up. Choose people in different locations if possible.
- Tell them they are on the list and what the alert looks like.
- Keep the sticker visible on the windshield or rear glass.
- Update the contacts from your VahanTag account when anything changes.
A VahanTag does not replace medical identification or a phone's emergency card. It adds a layer that works even when the owner cannot respond.
If you cannot respond, someone else can still make the call that matters.
Set up SOS with up to three emergency contacts. Get VahanTag Digital E-Tag — ₹299 + GST (instant) or Physical Tag — ₹499 + GST. Pay once, use for life.