Crackdown on motorists wearing sub-standard helmets

Mysuru police flags down thousands of two-wheeler riders and pillion riders.

Mysuru City police on Tuesday confiscated helmets that did not conform to standards stipulated by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) from two-wheeler riders and pillion riders. PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

In a major crackdown against motorists wearing sub-standard helmets, the City police flagged down thousands of two-wheeler riders and pillion riders on Tuesday and seized the helmets which did not conform to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Police personnel belonging to traffic as well as law and order, who were involved in the operation, were found seizing helmets without ISI certification and making a mound of them by the roadside. The mounds were later carted off to the nearest police station.

The crackdown comes after a raid by the police authorities on roadside dealers and shops selling substandard helmets.

The police, however, did not penalise the motorists for wearing non-BIS helmets on Tuesday. But, a police official said penalties for wearing helmets without ISI certification will be collected from Wednesday.

Altercations

The surprise action by the police on Tuesday sparked off altercations between the police and the motorists at several places in the City. The motorists, who were caught off-guard by the police, refused to part with the helmets, leading to bitter arguments between them and the police personnel.

By afternoon, shops selling helmets on Chamaraja Double Road and other parts of the City were found crowded by motorists eager to buy for themselves helmets conforming to BIS standards as stipulated by the Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989.