Click to play videoChennai: After a gap of eight years since the first PIL was filed at the Madras High Court, the state government is planning to make helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders in Chennai.
“In fifty per cent of the cases people traveling in two wheelers are the victims. In most of these cases, the riders have not been wearing a helmet,” Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Sunil Kumar says.
The order will be issued on March 1 and the rule will be implemented in six corporations in Tamil Nadu from June 1 and the rest of the state from July 1.
“As per the government order, both the rider and the pillion rider are supposed to wear helmets,” Kumar explains.
Over 1,100 fatal cases were reported in Chennai in 2006. Once the law comes into effect, offenders will have to shell out up to Rs 300 as fine if caught without a helmet.
However, reactions to this order have been mixed so far.
“I'm more comfortable not wearing helmets. Now I'm forced to buy a helmet because of the new rule,” a commuter, Ramesh Sathishan complains.
While another commuter argues, “How many accidents have been saved because of helmets?”
But not everyone in the city has become cynical and some say, “Helmets are only to save are lives. So, please wear helmets.”
Helmets cannot bring down the number of accident cases but it can definitely bring down the number of fatal accidents.
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