<p>A year since the implementation of the Supreme Court rule on helmets for two-wheeler riders and pillions, the police have booked 6.95 lakh cases against motorcyclists and 5.84 lakh cases against pillion passengers till June 2018.</p>.<p>The rule making helmets mandatory for even pillion riders came into force in January 2016, following the Supreme Court order. The city traffic police have made wearing helmets compulsory for both the rider and the pillion passenger.</p>.<p>Violators have to pay a fine of Rs 100, which the police are collecting during special drives across the city. According to the traffic police data accessed by <span class="italic">DH</span>, most cases booked in the city are from these two violations.</p>.<p>Recently, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara shared data on his Twitter handle, where he revealed that in 2017, of the 73 people killed in accidents in the city, 66 died because they were not wearing helmets.</p>.<p>Similarly, in 2018 (to date), there have been 44 deaths due to accidents, of which 40 were owing to not wearing helmets.</p>.<p>M N Srihari, traffic expert and former advisor to the state government on matters of traffic and infrastructure, said that creating awareness, enforcing the penalty strictly and cancelling the licences of motorists involved in repeat offences can bring down cases related to riding without helmets.</p>.<p>"Of the 40 lakh two-wheeler riders in the city, about 60% of them don't wear helmets. Most two-wheeler riders on interior roads don't wear helmets. The traffic police have to conduct drives in residential roads, too, where riders seldom follow rules," said Srihari. "If the police conduct these special drives effectively, the number of cases of helmet violations may rise to more than 10 lakh," he noted.</p>.<p>Speaking to <span class="italic">DH</span>, additional commissioner of police (Traffic), R Hithendra attributed the rise in cases booked to heightened enforcement of traffic rules in the city. "Despite special drives and awareness campaigns, motorists are not bothered about wearing helmets. Hence, we are conducting special drives against those not wearing helmets."</p>
<p>A year since the implementation of the Supreme Court rule on helmets for two-wheeler riders and pillions, the police have booked 6.95 lakh cases against motorcyclists and 5.84 lakh cases against pillion passengers till June 2018.</p>.<p>The rule making helmets mandatory for even pillion riders came into force in January 2016, following the Supreme Court order. The city traffic police have made wearing helmets compulsory for both the rider and the pillion passenger.</p>.<p>Violators have to pay a fine of Rs 100, which the police are collecting during special drives across the city. According to the traffic police data accessed by <span class="italic">DH</span>, most cases booked in the city are from these two violations.</p>.<p>Recently, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara shared data on his Twitter handle, where he revealed that in 2017, of the 73 people killed in accidents in the city, 66 died because they were not wearing helmets.</p>.<p>Similarly, in 2018 (to date), there have been 44 deaths due to accidents, of which 40 were owing to not wearing helmets.</p>.<p>M N Srihari, traffic expert and former advisor to the state government on matters of traffic and infrastructure, said that creating awareness, enforcing the penalty strictly and cancelling the licences of motorists involved in repeat offences can bring down cases related to riding without helmets.</p>.<p>"Of the 40 lakh two-wheeler riders in the city, about 60% of them don't wear helmets. Most two-wheeler riders on interior roads don't wear helmets. The traffic police have to conduct drives in residential roads, too, where riders seldom follow rules," said Srihari. "If the police conduct these special drives effectively, the number of cases of helmet violations may rise to more than 10 lakh," he noted.</p>.<p>Speaking to <span class="italic">DH</span>, additional commissioner of police (Traffic), R Hithendra attributed the rise in cases booked to heightened enforcement of traffic rules in the city. "Despite special drives and awareness campaigns, motorists are not bothered about wearing helmets. Hence, we are conducting special drives against those not wearing helmets."</p>
