Traffic cops to fine their colleagues flouting helmet rule

A day before the traffic police's ambitious initiative Compulsory Helmet Campaign' in City, a policeman was spotted riding the official bike without wearing a helmet near Aralimara Junction on Chord Road near Toll Gate Magadi Road. DH Photo by Jagadish Angadi.The police will not spare their colleagues while enforcing the helmet rule.

From February 1, wearing ISI mark helmets will be mandatory in the city not only for the city's motorists but for policemen too.

The city traffic police have decided to conduct surprise visits to all police stations from next month to check whether their peers are following the new helmet rule or not. If not, the police personnel too will also be penalised,  additional commissioner of police (traffic) R Hithendra told DH.

"Initially, we will conduct an awareness drive among our personnel about wearing ISI-marked helmets. We will check all the police personnel on the roads and also in police stations during our surprise visits," he said.

"This initiative will motivate members of the public also to wear ISI helmets," he added.

The olive green helmets used by the law and order police and the white helmets used by the traffic police in the state are basically riot helmets used to protect themselves when there is a mob attack or during stone-throwing incidents.

Recently, the home department announced that two-wheeler riders and pillion riders must wear only helmets certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards.