My fellow citizens, a new rule has been implemented in India. We know quite well that Indiaโs drivers are used to breaking the rules, skipping signals, overtaking other drivers, going through a few rounds of legal questions when caught, the shameful face of bribing, and even breaking the recent rules of the odd and even days. Amongst all this craziness that prevails on our roads, we have a new rule which says that pillion riders must wear helmets.
First, letโs take into considerationย why people refrain from wearing helmets:
1.Loss of hair
The helmets are used to protect your skulls and not your hair. Yes, the heat absorbed inside the helmet leads to the untimely fall of your tresses. However, your life is more precious!
2.โPeople need to know that Iโm ridingโ-syndrome!
People believe that thereโs no use in riding a bike that costs them a million bucks just so that their face ends up hidden by a mask. They love to boast and show-off, not just the bike but also the girl sitting on the pillion!
So now letโs take a look at the facts:
India is rated as having the highest number of road accidents globally, overtaking China in its game. It has earned the title of being a dangerous and unsafe place for people on the road.
With this impressive (not really) record in our hands, we are reminded that people die in these accidents every minute. Call it irresponsible or the intervention of fate, but reports suggest that many people would be alive now if they had strapped their helmets to protect their skulls from fatal blows.
People wearing helmets are 37% less likely to get killed in an accident!
Although these rules are already in force, the people of our beloved country refuse to accept the rules and thus fail to follow them. The government has gone and taken another step by enforcing helmets for theย pillion riders too.
This enforcement came into force with a jolt, and only a few cities in India have been placed under the jurisdiction of following it while the other cities are in queue to do so. The Andra Pradesh government and the Kerala government are in the process of getting it on the roads.
For Bangalore, this rule comes into force from theย 12th of January.
There was, however, news of it being implemented by the 20th of January! Theย RTO (Regional Transport Office) officers have taken a lenient turn on this issue since the awareness still needs to reach all the corners of the state, and there is also the factor of people purchasing the helmets.
Rules for the kind of helmets that one can purchase!
You canโt go and select a funky, stylish helmet for your skull from now on. The rules are hell-bent on looking after your safety, and hence the helmets are supposed to consist of the ISI marks, which proves their quality.
Remember, folks, helmets are not for the sake of a trend, but for the safety of your heads, and there sure are a lot of people who live for your life and your smile. You need to be safe for them, if not for yourselves.
No Fine for the Pillion riders but for the Driver!
All of you must be wondering what the fine amount is. If you are a rich kid with a heavy wallet and donโt mind paying, hereโs the cliche:
โThe fine is not for the pillion riders but the rider himself.โ
In the initial days, it would only be a fine of a hundred rupees. If you are caught with the same blunder a few times, they are bound to seize your vehicle, and then legal rules come into play.
So all the riders out there, your friend isnโt going to pay for you. Hence make sure you protect your head, the pillion riderโs head, and your wallet! Accept the rule with a warm heart and make Indian roads a safer place to be.
