Wear Quality Helmets Save Lives, Dist Police Create Awareness with Bike Jatha

Wear Quality Helmets Save Lives, Dist Police Create Awareness with Bike Jatha

Udupi: The district police along with the District legal authority cell on Wednesday, January 31, organised a campaign on using good – quality helmets that can save riders from injury and death.

The Awareness Jatha was flagged off by the district and sessions judge Venkatesh Naik along with Laxman Nimbargi superintendent of Police Udupi district in front of the district court. The Jatha passed through Diana Circle, KM Marg, Service Bus-stand, City Bus-stand, Kalsanka, and Culminated at the MGM College.

According to the police department, at least four of every 10 motorcyclists dying in road crashes can be saved if they wear appropriate helmets. Going by this estimate, at least 15,000 motorcyclists in India can be saved annually if riders use proper helmets. Wearing an appropriate helmet improves their chances of survival by 42% and helps avoid 69% of injuries to riders.

It doesn’t mean wearing helmets have prevented fatal mishaps. There are accidents in the cases of riders wearing helmets too, but with few casualties.

Speaking to Mangalorean.com Laxman Nimbargi Superintendent of Police Udupi district said that the main reason of this Bike Jatha is to create awareness for two-wheeler riders to use good-quality helmets. Many two-wheeler riders have lost their lives without wearing good quality helmets. The government has made wearing helmets compulsory for the two-wheeler riders but many use low-quality helmets. Wearing an ISI-marked helmet reduced the chances of fatal injury by more than 70%. If anyone is found selling low-quality helmets on roadsides, the public can contact the police control room or the District SP, he said.

According to Latha, secretary of district legal service cell, according to the High Court rule Insurance Companies should not compensate two-wheeler bikers who do not wear ISI marked helmets. The helmets should also display the name of the manufacturer, year of manufacturing and size.

In any two-wheeler rider without wearing the ISI marked helmet is involved in an accident, he will himself bear all the medical, vehicle repair bills etc. The Insurance company is not bound to compensate him, she added.