Chennai: A total of 11,964 cases were registered against two-wheeler riders in the last two weeks, of which over-speeding and not using helmets were the highest. Top traffic police officials say, “We are doing our bit of enforcement but the public has to be more aware and use it for their own safety.”
Of the 2,500 emergency calls that the 108 ambulance services receive in a day, 24 per cent are for road traffic accidents second only to calls for pregnancy related cases which comprise 26 per cent, says Prabhudoss B, regional director, GVK EMRI
Dr R. Bhagyam, senior consultant at Apollo hospitals, said, “In spite of being a very crucial safety device, many ignore helmets. When vital parts of the brain are injured, a person can go into coma or even lose his or her life. Treatment of head related injuries is also difficult compared to other injuries like fractures. Recovery too takes longer for head injuries and often the victim can have paralysis of the limbs. Wearing helmets is not an option, in developed countries even cyclists wear helmets,” she said.
