Helmet Checks To Intensify In Ballari From Nov. 2, Police To Curb Underage Driving
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Ballari Superintendent of Police Dr Suman D Pennekar said the decision to intensify enforcement follows a review of recent road accidents in the district.
Ballari: Concerned over the declining use of helmets among two-wheeler riders and the number of fatal accidents involving riders without helmets, Ballari district police have decided to strictly enforce the helmet rule from November 2. The police will also take steps to prevent minors from riding motor vehicles.
Helmet use had been made mandatory in the district from June 1 this year. The initiative initially received a good response, with many riders developing the habit of wearing helmets. However, as police checks became less frequent, the number of riders wearing helmets, particularly in urban areas, gradually declined.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Ballari Superintendent of Police Dr Suman D Pennekar said the decision to intensify enforcement follows a review of recent road accidents in the district. Several victims who died or suffered serious injuries in these accidents were not wearing helmets.
In many cases, riders sustained head injuries that required hospitalisation, with some subsequently succumbing to their injuries.
The statement cited a recent incident where a 16-year-old student died after his motorcycle crashed into an electricity pole on a road divider near Kurihatti on Siruguppa Road (NH-150A) around 7.30 am on October 15. The student was allegedly riding negligently when he lost control of the motorcycle and hit the pole. He fell onto the road and sustained severe head injuries. Despite treatment, he could not be saved.
The statement said several other accidents had also resulted in deaths and serious injuries, stressing the need for stricter enforcement of helmet rules.
The Superintendent of Police said the renewed enforcement drive was aimed at preventing loss of life and permanent disabilities caused by road accidents.
The police have appealed to two-wheeler riders to wear helmets without fail and cooperate with the enforcement drive. They also warned that steps would be taken to prevent underage driving.