When several motorists continue to ignore their safety by not wearing helmets, R. Pavithra, a class IX student, has thought of a way to make helmet use compulsory.
The student of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Arakkonam, with the help of her science teacher B. Sathish Kumar, has come up with a project in which a motorist will be able to start his two-wheeler only after he wears helmet.
The helmet, which consists of micro sensors, works in such a way that it ignites the engine of a two-wheeler once it is put on. “When a person wears the helmet, the micro sensors turn on ignition. It turns off ignition when the person removes the helmet. The helmet is also connected to the speed controller, and sets off a sound if a rider exceeds 70 km per hour. This way, the motorist can reduce the speed too,” she said.
Collector’s prize
Her “modern helmet” was among several exhibits at the Science Technology Engineering Mathematics exhibition organised by the School Education Department recently. The project fetched her prize from Collector S.A. Raman as he lauded her work on Monday.
She said the helmet also consisted of flash light and head phone. “Sometimes, motorists answer calls while riding, putting them at risk. They can instead use the head phone,” she said.
A hosteller staying at Government BC Girls Hostel, Arakkonam, she said the idea behind this project was to reduce road accidents as lives can be saved if people wear helmets.
Mr. Kumar said students of the school won two first prizes for their works at the exhibition. “One project was to convert empty water cans into a two-seater boat that can be used at times of floods. The second project was on generating electricity while exercising,” he said.
