Bengaluru Traffic police

helmets and safety

helmets

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By Pragna L Krupajoins hands with fuel stations owners to spread awareness aboutGet ready to be surprised at the petrol pumps as they have been directed by the city traffic police to not to give fuel to the bikers who are not wearing helmets. Following Noida and Aligarh’s ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ rule, the city traffic police too have taken up the initiative and have started conducting meetings with the fuel station owners to create an awareness among the two-wheeler riders.Additional commissioner of police (traffic), P Harisekaran said that in his recent meetings with the traffic police, he has directed all 44 inspectors, seven assistant commissioner of police and three deputy commissioner of police to start interacting with the fuel station owners and ask them to join the traffic police to create awareness and educate the public about the importance of wearing helmets. He said, “We are asking the fuel station owners to cooperate with us and stop giving fuel to the riders riding without a helmet. We are spreading awareness about the importance of wearingand are trying to educate people.”With the increasing number of accidents involving two wheelers in the city, the city traffic police decided to spread awareness by holding meetings with the owners. According to the traffic police, in the year 2018, about 150 riders were killed in fatal road accidents and 1,296 injured against 140 riders killed and 1,311 injured in 2017. In 2019, till June 30, 105 riders were killed and 667 injured.A senior officer said that most of the accidents, riders riding without a helmet often end up sustaining severe head injuries and get killed. “Riders think that wearing a helmet makes them look uncool especially children and teenagers while adults neglect wearing it thinking that they are the safest riders and they do not need it. It is very dangerous and they do not realise that it may result in death or severe brain damage,” the officer said.He added that there is a need of spreading awareness about it and educating people about the importance of helmets. “We tried conducting several awareness programs and special drives including bringing ‘Yamaraja’ - the God of death, to the roads to warn the riders and yet, the bikers still continue to ride without helmets. This time we are trying to create awareness through petrol pumps. This technique seems to be working in other cities like Noida and Aligarh, we are also planning to follow and are conducting meetings with the owners of the fuel stations,” he said.