New Delhi, April 30 (IANS): Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said that it has successfully completed a pilot programme of 'First Responder Training' in which it trained 8,500 people, primarily commercial drivers in post-accident emergency care during the 'golden hour' after an accident.

Golden hour after an accident refers to the first hour after an accident during which medical intervention can reduce mortality.

To strengthen its road safety initiatives, the carmaker had partnered with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and International Road Federation (IRF) to provide first aid and trauma care training to commercial drivers at its Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR).

"The company aims to train drivers to become effective first responders during the ‘golden hour’ after accidents. Our customised programme provides practical hands-on life-saving interventions to enable drivers to handle trauma and injuries," Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said in a statement.

The participants received comprehensive training in emergency care in collaboration with Jai Prakash Narayan-AIIMS Trauma Center.

The training provided them with the knowledge and practical skills needed to help road accident victims during the golden hour.

"As trauma is time-sensitive, the training of bystanders who are the real first responders to any road accident can go a long way to reduce the mortality and morbidity following road traffic crashes. Usually, this group of bystanders includes drivers of commercial vehicles," said Dr Amit Gupta, Professor at JPN Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi.