On February 19, S. Durga Prasad (31) was going from the city to Gajuwaka to a friend’s house along with his wife S. Lalitha (27) and their two children aged five and three on a motorcycle.
On the National Highway near Gajuwaka junction, a van hit them. While Lalita died on the spot, Durga Prasad suffered fatal head injuries and died three days later while undergoing treatment in a hospital.
The couple would have survived and their children would not have become orphans had they put on helmets, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Kinjarapu Prabhakar.
“Helmet is a must for two-wheeler riders. It is the best way to prevent fatal injuries,” he said.
Narrating another instance, he said, “E. Lokeswara Rao riding a two-wheeler collided with another motorcyclist near New Colony Circle on February 10. In the process, his head hit a divider. But he survived as he was wearing a helmet,” Mr. Prabhakar said.
The city police are gearing up to make helmet mandatory from March 5. To create awareness, the traffic police have printed one lakh pamphlets and started distributing them at all major junctions. The department is also seeking the help of schoolchildren and Scouts and Guides in the distribution of pamphlets.
According to Mr. Prabhakar, the helmet absorbs the force of the impact and, as per a study by the WHO, the risk of head injury is mitigated to the extent of 85 to 88 per cent.
In 2014, there were 119 fatalities involving two-wheeler riders and 65 per cent of the riders had died of head injuries. And, they were not wearing helmets.
“So far this year, we have 12 such cases and seven died for not wearing a helmet,” said Mr. Prabhakar.
On the enforcement side, to begin with, the traffic department will go ahead with the existing law, where the fine is bare minimal.
The traffic police are hopeful that the proposed law, which is awaiting amendment, will come into force shortly.
“As per the proposed law, the fine can go up to Rs. 2,000 for not wearing a helmet. Two-wheeler riders should feel the pinch of the fine amount. Only then will the enforcement be effective,” he said.
