E-Paper
Say Yes To Helmets: Cops, you and I, helmets must for all
People need to change their mindset about helmets and focus more on the safety of all
A recent report from the Pune Traffic Department brought to light an alarming figure of 132 deaths due to accidents involving two-wheelers till July 2017 in the city. Citizens and activists have, time and again, questioned the police department of the steps taken to curb such accidents. But, what when they themselves fail to follow the rules that are being enforced on general public?
On this, deputy commissioner of police, traffic, Ashok Morale said, “It is not that all policemen refuse to wear helmets. We have instructed all of them to wear helmets. If they do not wear helmets, proper action will be taken against them. While there is no special provision against policemen who do not wear helmets, they can be given a challan for not wearing one, like normal citizens.”
Meanwhile, the increasing number of people riding two-wheelers in the city of Pune is reflective in the share of two-wheeler riders in the number of people killed in road accidents.
The citizens of Pune are increasingly depending on two and four wheeler vehicles for their daily commute. Even with the metro project work witnessing the light of the day, the immediate lack of public transport has led to it becoming the city with highest number of two-wheelers in the country.
However, why is it that the police have been unable to implement the rules related to wearing helmet? The lack of will among people to wear helmets was blamed by the current as well as the former deputy commissioner of police, traffic, as the reason behind maximum number of people riding without helmets.
“In the year 2002, when I was the DCP of traffic, I had implemented and executed fine collection for three-four days, after a Bombay High Court order. However, I faced resistance from various groups of the society even though maximum number of people had started wearing helmets for those three-four days, in my opinion,” said Ravindra Sengaonkar, additional commissioner of Pune Police, south region.
While speaking to Hindustan Times in June, Ashok Morale had claimed that it is difficult to fine an entire city for not wearing helmets. In another interview in the month of July, he said, "There needs to be greater awareness about wearing helmets. We have been regularly taking action but the attitude of people needs to change."
In the first seven months of 2017, car accidents in the city claimed six lives, leaving 14 injured, bus and truck accidents collectively claimed three lives and left eight injured while two-wheeler accidents claimed 132 lives, leaving 261 grievously injured. With an annual city average of 300 road accidents, the people of Pune need to sit up and take note of the reasons behind road accidents.
In the corresponding period, only 13,830 people were fined for not wearing a helmet as compared to 1,38,289 cases of fine levied for jumping signals.
In the monsoon session of the Parliament in 2016, union minister Nitin Gadkari had proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act in order to make wearing helmets mandatory for everyone above four years of age.
He had proposed, under Section 194(d) of the act, that the fine for not wearing helmets be increased from ₹100 to ₹1,000 along with license disqualification for three months, according to the Prime Minister of India’s website. While additional CP Sengaonkar was in favour of implementing the suggestions made by Gadkari, he has experienced first-hand the citizens’ resistance to stringent execution of helmet rules. “A fine of ₹100 is nothing for the educated masses. Therefore, I agree with the suggestion to increase the fine,” he said.
