Squads of the police and the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) have intensified their surprise checks on national and State highways in Kozhikode district of Kerala following a spike in bike races by youths.
Incidentally, those who fall prey to such amateurish races using altered motorbikes are senior citizens and people on emergency travel.
“Altered motorbikes produce annoying sounds distracting fellow motorists. Moreover, the riders’ attempts to overtake vehicles and stunts in narrow spaces literally terrorise other motorists,” said V. Prasanth, a civil engineer who was witness to a recent motorbike crash near Malaparamba. Pillion riders too are found enjoying such unsafe rides on crowded city roads, he pointed out.
According to MVD officials, untrained riders join road races mainly to upload videos of their stunts on social media pages to build fan base. The propaganda that those who perform well in such rides get opportunities in films is also misleading youths, they said.
Among the riders are also underage people without driving licence. Many of them use altered bikes on rent for taking part in deadly races. The number plates of such vehicles are rarely readable, to evade surveillance cameras and checking.
A preliminary investigation by the Kozhikode City Police confirmed that there were even social media groups that encourage youths to go for risky rides and post their videos and photos to grab attention. Also, the viral videos of professional riders are used to attract local riders to such groups.
Meanwhile, MVD officials made it clear that the licences of those resorting to stunts on the road would be suspended with immediate effect, apart from impounding the vehicles. The licences of over 2,000 reckless riders were suspended during the recent drive. The public can send details of such vehicles to motor vehicle inspectors for spot action, they said.
