helmets are back, but only a few more
Madurai Police Commissioner springs a surprise for Independence day. He announced two days earlier that two-wheeler riders must wear helmets and the rule will be strictly enforced (again) from Independence day.
The immediate provocation seems to be that recent road-accident deaths were mostly two-wheelers riders with head injuries. Traffic police have started imposing fines for riders without helmets at various points. But riders are not yet returning to helmet usage in large numbers. Earlier it will be 1 in 100, now it seems to be about 10 riders out of 100 use helmets.
Police have also took up a persuasive way from Independence day. They are now visiting schools to ask kids to remind their parents, elder brothers & sisters to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers. After all marketers are targeting kids to persuade their parents into buying consumer durables.
With the rains, the city roads were full of sand dust, which alone could force people to wear full mask helmets. With improved roads, and higher capacity bikes, the average speeds have actually increased in arterial roads (except in peak hours). But Maduraiites are still very defiant in using helmets, why?
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As long as people are going to view this as a rule that is enforced by someone else, there is no fruition in the effort.
Its going to be an awful waste of time. Helmet wearing, seat belt wearing are basic tenets of driving that the world has moved on to long ago. It will do Madurai’ citizens a world of good to move there as well. Soon !
Quite a few have their helmets dangling in their bikes, apparently to wear it if they see policemen checking 2-wheeler riders.
It shows how much we are averse to wear helmets. It should change.