Hyderabadis will have no respite from penalties if they are ‘careless’ about wearing the helmet, warns traffic police.
The ongoing crackdown by the Cyberabad traffic police on improper use of helmets is set to intensify, with contact-less fines coming to haunt bikers.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vijay Kumar S.M. told The Hindu that the drive may take years to reach complete implementation but is necessary in the face of increasing cases of road accidents, where bikers are losing their lives because of wearing substandard helmets or wearing their helmets improperly.
“Wearing a helmet without buckling it or wearing a cheap quality one is useless for protection. Many riders are seen doing this to escape fines, but we are going to use photographic evidence and book these violations too,” he said. ‘Not wearing helmet’ challans will be issued against two-wheeler riders who are found wearing low-quality or fake or half/skull cap helmets, the officer said.
“Our endeavour is to increase implementation of Motor Vehicles Act rules not simply for the sake of enactment but to help save hundreds of lives,” Mr. Kumar explained.
On Monday, the Cyberabad traffic police announced the arrest of two persons from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, who manufactured substandard headgears.
Last year alone, 775 people died in various road accidents in Cyberabad, of which 445 are two-wheeler riders or pillion riders. “Among them only 80 people were wearing helmet, rest 375 victims, including pillion riders, were not wearing a helmet or had fastened low-quality helmets,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that more than 300 deaths could have been averted if the rider/pillion rider had worn protective headgears.
“The magnitude of problem is serious,” the officer observed, stating that people should have ‘fear of law’, but not ‘fear of enforcement’.
“People should be more rational. When they are ashamed of wearing a cheap quality dress or saree to a function, they must be ashamed of buying low-quality helmets,” said the DCP, a stickler of rules for strict regimen.
Mincing no words, he said a preventable loss of life is squandered by just wearing a helmet of good quality.
The police have launched a drive to weed out substandard helmets, which are dotting the highways and main thoroughfare.
Expressing concern over political interference even at micro level to overlook the offence of not wearing helmets, Mr. Kumar said that political leaders at all levels must shun from prevailing over the police to look the other way.
“This must stop. Will any leader bring back the lost lives and come to the rescue of bereaved families? The responsibility is upon everyone,” the officer said.
He said they will write to the Bureau of Indian Standards against the ‘misuse’ of ISI certification and check the quality of helmets and take action against the manufacturers.
