Despite awareness drives and penalties, young two-wheeler riders continue to skip helmets — citing everything from heat to hairdos, leaving police and citizens alarmed.
Hyderabad: “Can’t ruin my 2,000-buck hairstyle for a Rs 500 challan. I can sway the bike and avoid the cops,” says a college student when asked why he was wearing a helmet. From not ruining their hairstyle to only going around the corner, citizens are dodging actual safety precautions.
Despite multiple initiatives and awareness campaigns by the police, including social media drives, two-wheeler riders always have a reason to skip the helmet. Some suggest that a challan of Rs 500 challan is not forcing people into wearing the helmet and a stricter enforcement of the rule is a must. Officers, meanwhile, are stressing the need for behavioural change among riders to ensure road safety and avoid fatal mishaps.
According to M. Vamsee Naga Sai, a software developer, “One who does not obey proper discipline on the roads may end up causing major mishaps… Helmets are obviously not comfortable, but they ensure safety. One must use them and adhere to the rules, which are only meant for our safety.”
Owning a strong helmet, he emphasises that not using it will only land one in trouble, leading to fatal damage, which is not just expensive but a huge loss. “Assuming the current traffic enforcement is effective, hopefully the challans are pushing bikers to follow the rules,” he explained.
While riders who use helmets expressed their confidence in following the rules, those who did not argue that they trust their driving even without helmets.
A two-wheeler rider, M Samuel, 28, who drives a stretch of 40 kilometres to and fro, said that his helmet is his safety. “I wear a helmet because it protects me and also saves me from pollution and dust. But when I look at the stupid mistakes riders make — like not using mirrors, not using indicators, not being aware of their surroundings, switching lanes abruptly, pushing into gaps amidst heavy vehicles, and even carrying goods as if it is a goods carrier — it is worrying,” he observed.
However, he opined that enforcement needs to get stricter. “Fines are being charged. But some will pay the fine, while some do not. There are people who have pending challans worth `50,000 and above, but they still roam around on the road. Licence suspension is one of the best ways this can be prevented. More use of technology, like tracking number plates automatically and catching violators on the spot, will help.”
A student who does not use a helmet boasted about his hairstyle and said he is confident in his driving. “We need to show off our faces and hairstyle for our crushes. How will the helmet help? It doesn’t even match — it’s just black or some colours,” he said, explaining why he and his friends do not use helmets.
While some are crazy about showing themselves off and not using helmets, others give lame reasons like losing their helmet — again. Some students are too confident in their driving, and some say it is just too hot, and the helmet makes their head look big.
“As a responsible citizen, I advocate wearing a helmet and ensuring all my loved ones wear it,” said P Deepika, a private employee.
“Nobody has the patience to wait. For the last one year, I have noticed that basic road discipline is lost. From RTC drivers to both majors and minors, many drive rashly. They block free lefts; if a person is taking a left with an indicator, others just come in without signals. Many don't use indicators. But I personally feel it is the rider’s responsibility. No traffic police can come and inculcate these behaviours,” he explained.
When asked if she experienced an accident due to such mistakes, Deepika said, “Yes, a big yes. I was hit thrice between August and December last year and got injuries on my hands and legs. I had done nothing wrong. Twice it was near a signal, which was red, and rash heavy vehicles hit me from behind. Many of my acquaintances — women — were hit by rash cabs.”
According to police, the youth can come up with various reasons.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, ACP Dhanalaxmi said, “I sometimes do not know what to say about their reasons. They come up with rationales like hairstyle and even the weight of the helmet. Some say it causes headaches; some say they are just going around the corner. It is the behaviour that must change.”
Some very common mistakes riders commit include wrong-side driving and using mobile phones while driving, which are also very serious. “One such violation we noticed is number plate tampering. They either fold the number plate to avoid cameras capturing the details or use a marker to alter it. We issue challans, and if the number does not even exist, they are detained,” she explained.
A few two-wheeler drivers not only avoid using helmets but recklessly hang them on the bike’s tail, with some helmets half open, which is always an alarm for the following rider. Most IT employees, with their ID tags out in style, keep their helmets in their pockets, with the tag hanging out, and any accident caused by it may lead to ‘Final Destination’-style accidents.
