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Bengaluru traffic cops penalise riders for wearing half-helmetsTraffic police have also written to the Bengaluru commissioner to act against people selling non-standard helmets in the city
Udbhavi Balakrishna
DHNS
Last Updated IST
Half-helmets do not provide facial protection or ensure complete skull protection because of the substandard materials used in their manufacturing. Credit: DH Photo
Half-helmets do not provide facial protection or ensure complete skull protection because of the substandard materials used in their manufacturing. Credit: DH Photo

If you own a two-wheeler or are planning to buy one, make sure you only buy an ISI-certified helmet. Otherwise, Bengaluru traffic police can and will book you for a traffic violation.

Half-helmets do not provide facial protection or ensure complete skull protection because of the substandard materials used in their manufacturing.

"Wearing half-helmets or any other non-standard helmet is considered not wearing a helmet at all," Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem said. He added that there was no separate violations section dedicated to booking riders who use non-standard helmets.

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"Anything that is not approved as protective headgear is booked as a violation under Sections 129 and 129 (a) of the Motor Vehicles Act,” he said.

Due to this specification, the number of cases against people riding two-wheelers without helmets has increased significantly this year. In just three months, 10,50,958 cases were registered against traffic violators for not wearing helmets. This included over 8,84,000 cases against two-wheeler riders and over 1,66,000 cases against pillion riders.

Traffic police have also written to the Bengaluru commissioner to act against people selling non-standard helmets in the city.

If half-helmets and other non-standard forms of helmets are banned, pushing people to invest in ISI-approved helmets, it could also reduce the number of fatalities among two-wheeler users, Saleem said. "About 55 per cent of all fatalities on Bengaluru's roads involve two-wheelers. A standard helmet could significantly impact these numbers," he added.'

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(Published 13 April 2023, 22:49 IST)