Helmet violation: 32,000 violators booked in Chennai

The traffic enforcement cops came down hard on the riders from day one (July 1) of the mandatory helmet rule after directions from the state government based on a Madras High Court Order. The order managed to persist this time in spite of resistance from a few groups across the state even after the rule came into implementation, a senior police officer said adding that those opposing the rule did so just for the sake of protesting.

The DMK government had made helmets mandatory back in 2007. However the campaign lost sheen after activists went on a tirade against the government accusing it of siding with helmet manufacturers for gain.

Though the government order denoted that pillion riders should also be booked in case of violation, cops actually went soft on the riders. "As there was an awareness drive before the rule got implemented, more than 90 % of two wheeler riders strapped on their helmets from day one," claimed a traffic police officer adding that "There was a traffic block on General Patters road, a day before the mandatory helmet rule came into existence."

Police are also studying the effect of the rule on accident rates. "A rough analysis has suggested that the number of accidents, especially fatalities, has come down. However, we will be doing a comparative analysis in the coming week," said a senior police officer.

While there is a visible change in the attitude of the people towards the rule, the enforcement can still be better, they feel. "What is the point of enforcement if pillion riders are spared? Cops should start booking more violators as ours is the only state where the rule is not followed properly," said M.Patel (25), a senior software engineer at a IT firm.