Without a care in the world

In the last month alone, the City has seen at least three two-wheeler riders die in freak road accidents. And in many of these cases, the motorists flaunt rules and regulations by not wearing their helmets, even when riding short distances.

At times, even if the rider has safety gear on, the pillion rider, who isn’t required to wear a helmet, suffers. But now, the Transport Department is contemplating making it mandatory for the pillion rider to wear a helmet as well.

While some people find the new ruling a little unreasonable, others think it’s a good move because they feel pillion passengers are prone to more injuries than the rider. NIMHANS has engaged itself in studies related to injuries from non-usage of helmets and has concluded that nearly 70 per cent of two-wheeler riders who are killed or injured in a crash suffer injury to the brain.

G Gururaj,  professor and head, department of epidemiology at NIMHANS, points out that wearing a helmet may seem like an uncomfortable proposition for some but it must be worn for safety.

“When on a two-wheeler, the risk of exposure is the same for both the rider and the pillion. Two-wheeler riders are prone to brain injuries and injuries to vital areas of the face more than any other category of motorists. These injuries not only take a long time to heal but leave long-terms effects as well,” he explains.

He also states that their research and studies on the nature of road accidents point towards how two-wheeler riders are always tempted to increase speed and find it difficult to slow down immediately. “This is one of the main reasons for increasing accidents among two-wheeler riders in the City and not wearing a helmet makes it worse,” he adds.

Most Bengalureans claim that they abide by the rules of wearing a helmet. But poor law enforcement by the traffic police gives people a chance to break the rules and get away with it. Worse is when riders give their helmets a miss during short trips.

Guruprasad R Rao, a software professional, says, “You must wear a helmet all the time. I use one whenever I step out, even if it’s to a nearby shop. It’s a safety gear that must be taken seriously. The idea to get a pillion to wear a helmet is a good move because pillions always suffer more.”

The fine amount for not wearing a helmet, as stipulated in the Motor Vehicles Act, is Rs 100 and citizens feel that this amount doesn’t instill any fear in people. Dilip Marar, a professional, says, “When people can pay a fine of Rs 100 and get away, why would they bother wearing a helmet? And when traffic police don’t strictly enforce the existing rules regarding wearing a helmet people tend to take the rules for granted.”

Ashish Patel, a senior engineer, confesses that he has seen too many of his friends injured in two-wheeler related accidents and this prompted him to always wear a helmet. He adds, “I wear a helmet at all times and have always got the pillion to wear one as well. It is a necessity and there’s no debate on whether it should be worn or not.”