<p>In the last month alone, the City has seen at least three two-wheeler riders die in freak road accidents. And in many of these cases, the motorists flaunt rules and regulations by not wearing their helmets, even when riding short distances.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At times, even if the rider has safety gear on, the pillion rider, who isn’t required to wear a helmet, suffers. But now, the Transport Department is contemplating making it mandatory for the pillion rider to wear a helmet as well.<br /><br />While some people find the new ruling a little unreasonable, others think it’s a good move because they feel pillion passengers are prone to more injuries than the rider. NIMHANS has engaged itself in studies related to injuries from non-usage of helmets and has concluded that nearly 70 per cent of two-wheeler riders who are killed or injured in a crash suffer injury to the brain.<br /><br />G Gururaj, professor and head, department of epidemiology at NIMHANS, points out that wearing a helmet may seem like an uncomfortable proposition for some but it must be worn for safety.<br /><br />“When on a two-wheeler, the risk of exposure is the same for both the rider and the pillion. Two-wheeler riders are prone to brain injuries and injuries to vital areas of the face more than any other category of motorists. These injuries not only take a long time to heal but leave long-terms effects as well,” he explains.<br /><br />He also states that their research and studies on the nature of road accidents point towards how two-wheeler riders are always tempted to increase speed and find it difficult to slow down immediately. “This is one of the main reasons for increasing accidents among two-wheeler riders in the City and not wearing a helmet makes it worse,” he adds.<br /><br />Most Bengalureans claim that they abide by the rules of wearing a helmet. But poor law enforcement by the traffic police gives people a chance to break the rules and get away with it. Worse is when riders give their helmets a miss during short trips.<br /><br />Guruprasad R Rao, a software professional, says, “You must wear a helmet all the time. I use one whenever I step out, even if it’s to a nearby shop. It’s a safety gear that must be taken seriously. The idea to get a pillion to wear a helmet is a good move because pillions always suffer more.”<br /><br />The fine amount for not wearing a helmet, as stipulated in the Motor Vehicles Act, is Rs 100 and citizens feel that this amount doesn’t instill any fear in people. Dilip Marar, a professional, says, “When people can pay a fine of Rs 100 and get away, why would they bother wearing a helmet? And when traffic police don’t strictly enforce the existing rules regarding wearing a helmet people tend to take the rules for granted.”<br /><br />Ashish Patel, a senior engineer, confesses that he has seen too many of his friends injured in two-wheeler related accidents and this prompted him to always wear a helmet. He adds, “I wear a helmet at all times and have always got the pillion to wear one as well. It is a necessity and there’s no debate on whether it should be worn or not.”</p>
<p>In the last month alone, the City has seen at least three two-wheeler riders die in freak road accidents. And in many of these cases, the motorists flaunt rules and regulations by not wearing their helmets, even when riding short distances.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At times, even if the rider has safety gear on, the pillion rider, who isn’t required to wear a helmet, suffers. But now, the Transport Department is contemplating making it mandatory for the pillion rider to wear a helmet as well.<br /><br />While some people find the new ruling a little unreasonable, others think it’s a good move because they feel pillion passengers are prone to more injuries than the rider. NIMHANS has engaged itself in studies related to injuries from non-usage of helmets and has concluded that nearly 70 per cent of two-wheeler riders who are killed or injured in a crash suffer injury to the brain.<br /><br />G Gururaj, professor and head, department of epidemiology at NIMHANS, points out that wearing a helmet may seem like an uncomfortable proposition for some but it must be worn for safety.<br /><br />“When on a two-wheeler, the risk of exposure is the same for both the rider and the pillion. Two-wheeler riders are prone to brain injuries and injuries to vital areas of the face more than any other category of motorists. These injuries not only take a long time to heal but leave long-terms effects as well,” he explains.<br /><br />He also states that their research and studies on the nature of road accidents point towards how two-wheeler riders are always tempted to increase speed and find it difficult to slow down immediately. “This is one of the main reasons for increasing accidents among two-wheeler riders in the City and not wearing a helmet makes it worse,” he adds.<br /><br />Most Bengalureans claim that they abide by the rules of wearing a helmet. But poor law enforcement by the traffic police gives people a chance to break the rules and get away with it. Worse is when riders give their helmets a miss during short trips.<br /><br />Guruprasad R Rao, a software professional, says, “You must wear a helmet all the time. I use one whenever I step out, even if it’s to a nearby shop. It’s a safety gear that must be taken seriously. The idea to get a pillion to wear a helmet is a good move because pillions always suffer more.”<br /><br />The fine amount for not wearing a helmet, as stipulated in the Motor Vehicles Act, is Rs 100 and citizens feel that this amount doesn’t instill any fear in people. Dilip Marar, a professional, says, “When people can pay a fine of Rs 100 and get away, why would they bother wearing a helmet? And when traffic police don’t strictly enforce the existing rules regarding wearing a helmet people tend to take the rules for granted.”<br /><br />Ashish Patel, a senior engineer, confesses that he has seen too many of his friends injured in two-wheeler related accidents and this prompted him to always wear a helmet. He adds, “I wear a helmet at all times and have always got the pillion to wear one as well. It is a necessity and there’s no debate on whether it should be worn or not.”</p>