Bengaluru Traffic Police takes page out of Studio Ghibli to point out how uncool 'wheelie' is

Bengaluru: Chances are, your social media is being flooded with ‘Spirited Away’ or ‘Howl’s Movie Castle’ inspired photos and videos, the latest obsession of Gen Z/Millennials. AI tools like Midjourney and CapCut let them turn scenes from their mundane life into a Studio Ghibli film.

But on Sunday, Bengaluru Traffic Police too drew inspiration from the ‘Ghibli’ rage for its social media campaign against wheelies.

A wheelie is a manoeuvre where a rider lifts the vehicle's front wheel off the ground and continues moving only on the rear wheel. Youngsters often indulge in it in groups, pumped by the instant adrenaline rush it offers.

But showing off on motorcycles has become a huge menace for the safety of road users. On March 27, Bengaluru Traffic Police booked nearly 60 cases of wheelie offenders, arresting 45 of them.

So, taking advantage of the trend, traffic police have cloaked their 'wheelie mantra' – “stay grounded, stay safe” -- in Studio Ghibli's pastoral charm to hook the younger crowd.

"Even in the whimsical world of Ghibli, wheeling is no fairytale -- it's dangerous and punishable. For your safety and the safety of others, follow traffic rules. Ride responsibly!", read the post accompanying the AI-generated Ghibli-esque 15-second video, driving home the point how uncool a wheelie is.

Considering that police data pegs the age group of 21-30 as the most susceptible for wheelies, Bengaluru Traffic Police is clearly tapping into the pop culture to get the message across to the Gen Zs and Millennials.

When the sun-dappled Ghibli-filter is applied, for instance, even the regular police photo handouts -- where policemen stand with the arrested in front of the police station -- does look whimsical enough to catch the attention.

"We're using every creative tool at our disposal, like Ghibli-inspired visuals, to get across our message," agreed an official working closely with the Social Media Wing of the Bengaluru Traffic Police.

Incidentally, in 2022, right after Argentina won the World Cup, the Social Media Wing again tapped into the historically significant moment and released a meme.

"Argentina took 36 long years to regain the Football World Cup... As road users, can't we wait for a few seconds to get the green signal at Traffic signal junction?" read the meme posted on December 26, 2022, garnering more than 80,000 views.

With the current campaign, the message that the police want to send across is that performing a wheelie isn't bravery, it is recklessness, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), M N Anucheth.

According to him, most often police end up catching minors for wheelies and are forced to book cases against their guardians.

He also said wheelie is often a group activity. For instance, on Thursday, when the police ended up arresting 45, some of them minors. The officials got a tip-off saying that a group of wheelie performers had gathered at Avalahalli, said the JCP (Traffic).

"Wheelie endangers not just the rider, but everyone around them, and it's a punishable offence. We care deeply, and we'll keep innovating until every citizen, especially our youth, understands that being responsible and following traffic rules is the real trend. That's what's smart, that's what's cool," said Anucheth to PTI.

The issue is so grave that last August a case had surfaced where enraged motorists threw two scooters off the Nelamangala Flyover, on the Bengaluru-Tumkuru national highway, after catching two individuals performing dangerous wheelie stunts on the busy road.

The entire incident was documented by someone who had then posted it online. That got the internet buzzing, with people urging police to take severe action against those involved in such stunts.

"The court imposes a fine up to Rs 25,000 and we seize the vehicles involved and send the registration certificate (RC) for cancellation or suspension," added the JCP, emphasising that Bengaluru police is committed to bring to book the offenders.

Those indulging in wheelies often gather at Old Madras Road, Tumakuru Road, especially near Peenya Flyover, International Airport Road elevated corridor, said police sources.