Mangaluru: ‘She would have Survived if She Wore a Helmet’- Bajpe Police

Mangaluru: Seems like every two-wheeler follows the new helmet rule only during day time and when the traffic cops are on duty. And during any other time nearly 95% of two-wheeler riders/pillion riders don’t wear helmets,or hold helmet in their hands- and this happens after the cops cease their duty. Doesn’t make any sense to me that many of the two-wheeler/pillion riders only wear the helmets during day time when cops are around, but in the absence of the traffic cops they break the rules. So the question arises here is that whether the rule to wear helmet is to protect yourself from head injuries or death through head injuries, or just to please the cops and avoid getting fined. With riders wearing helmets only when cops are present, it seems like accidents or death through accidents occur only during those times. How about night time or the wee hours or early mornings? Accidents could take place during these hours also, and why are two-wheeler riders/pillion riders not serious about wearing their helmets.

I have witnessed that about 95-98% of two-wheeler riders/pillion riders are not wearing helmets- in some cases I saw the riders keep their helmet on the mirror, or around their arm, or carry in their hand, or anywhere except their stupid little head. All I can say is that these guys are a special kind of stupid, aren’t they? They somehow find the time in their busy schedule of daily life, and buy a cheap non-ISI helmet. Oh but they are too busy to actually put it on when they are riding! So they leave it lying somewhere on the bike, only to put it on when they see a cop in the distance. During the past couple of days there were few two-wheeler accidents, and in most of these cases either the rider or the pillion rider lost their lives by not wearing their helmets-following are the examples:

A 47-year-old pillion rider was killed after the motorcycle she was riding on was hit by a speeding car at Nooyi near Adduru in Bajpe Police station limits on Sunday-the deceased was identified as Hemavathi Acharya, a resident of Bhandaribettu in Bantwal Tq. According to Bajpe Police station, the victim was riding with her husband and they were going to the death ceremony of a relative, Bhagya who had died in a accident on Feb 3. At the time of accident according to police, Hemavathi was carrying a helmet in her hand, and not wearing it on her head. “She would have survived if she wore a helmet” said police sources. A case has been registered in the Bajpe police station.

There were couple of two-wheeler related accidents-A 20-year-old student of Government First Grade College in Belthangady was killed and his friend sustained injuries in a road accident at Aladangaivillage near Vennur on Monday.The police said the car, going towards Beltangady from Karkala, overtook a vehicle and hit the motorcycle that Hitesh (20) was riding. Hitesh and his friend Santosh (22) fell off the motorcycle. Hitesh died while he was being taken to a hospital. Santosh has been admitted in a private hospital in Mangaluru. In another accident, a 25-year-old man was killed and his 20-year-old sister was injured after their motorcycle was hit by a lorry in Addahole near Uppinangady on Monday. According to the police, Ibrahim (25) and Sabiya (20) were on their way to Mangaluru from Champaknagar in Sakleshpur. At Addahole, the motorcycle was hit by a lorry that was going towards Sakleshpur. Ibrahim died on the spot, while Sabiya has been shifted to a nearby hospital. No reports whether the riders or pillion riders were wearing helmets.

In spite of so many awareness programmes relating to wearing helmets to save lives, still people don’t care about it. There’s a reason why wearing a helmet is mandated by law, and the reason is that no one would like little pieces of your brain to mess up their paint jobs. I personally don’t give a damn about you not wearing a helmet, hitting a wall and splitting open down center. What I do care about is not to see your blood stains on your bike/scooter or on the road, and may be come to the mortuary to make a report after your post-mortem paperwork is done. Looking at the scenes as how two-wheeler riders move around, many folks wear helmets only to avoid fine by the police and not for protection. That’s simple. Just like it is with so many other laws, people wear helmet because it is mandated by law, not because it saves them.

I believe most people feel invincible until something terrible happens to them. I personally know friends who could have reduced the extent of damage by simply securing the strap on their helmets! Use safety during your respective rides, stay safe. Remember the helmet rule to wear helmet is not just for name sake- it has been implemented/enforced by SC/Government and law enforcement for your safety and your precious life. So next time you sit on a two-wheeler, make sure you wear a helmet, whether you are a rider or a pillion rider.

Note : Photos for illustration only