Two hundred students, who grabbed not just their bikes but also their helmets for an awareness rally around the city, have trained the spotlight yet again on the issue of road safety: with over seven months between the second enforcement of the helmet rule, the rally hoped to revive the clamour for safer roads for motorists as well as pedestrians.
Organised by the extension services of Holy Cross College, the rally was flagged off at the college by Mayor, A. Jaya. The Mayor countered the various excuses people came up with for not wearing helmet. “Helmets are safety devices designed to protect you from brain injuries rather than appear attractive. However, recent models are made with lighter materials and have more ventilation making them more comfortable than earlier ones,” she pointed out.
And to those who hesitated to wear helmets either because they have never worn one before or because there are many others who don’t wear continue to avoid it, she says the helmet can only save those who wear it, in case of an accident.
The rally participants, drawn from the college’s NCC, NSS, Red Ribbon Club, Rotaract Club, AICUF, EXNORA, Women’s Cell and Youth Red Cross, were accompanied by a group of 20 faculty members. “After being flagged off at the college, the rally covered a distance of 15 kilometres passing through areas like Chathram bus stand, Thillai Nagar, Central bus stand, railway junction, Melapudur and Palakarai,” said Sujatha Ilangovan, Staff Coordinator, Rotaract Club, Holy Cross College. She added that this was the first such rally organised by the college.
Besides helmets, the girls who rode their bikes took other precautions as well: “Since it is very sunny today, most of us will be protecting our skin with gloves and our dupattas,” said Sathya Parthasarathy, President, Rotaract Club, Holy Cross College.
Pillion riders carried placards exhorting the importance of starting early, wearing the helmet and of adhering to road safety guidelines set up the traffic police.
