Safety takes a back seat: Only 1% pillion riders wear helmets in city

92% city bikers put on helmets in 2017 compared to 45% in 2015, according to a road safety study

MUMBAI: Only 20,000 or 1% of the total 20 lakh pillion riders in Mumbai wear helmets, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University and Iit-bombay under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety.

The traffic police have attributed the dismal figure to staff crunch and lack of awareness among people.

After a Bombay high court order in 2016, the transport department made it mandatory for not only bikers but also pillion riders to wear helmets under section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. But the traffic police have not started penalising pillion riders because of manpower crunch.

According to the traffic police, 404 fatal accidents (which result in death/s) involving two-wheelers were reported in Mumbai between 2015 and 2017. Most of the victims in these accidents were pillion riders, said the traffic police.

On the other hand, the number of bikers who wear helmets in Mumbai has increased by more than twice, stated the John Hopkins study. In 2017, 92% of the total Mumbai bikers put on helmets compared to 45% in 2015. Of the total bikers wearing helmets, 46% did not wear them properly.

Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police traffic, said implementing the helmet law for pillions riders is tough, but plans are being made to educate them.

On the increase in the number of helmet-wearing bikers, Kumar said, “The rigorous drives and e-challans have borne fruits. Our focus is on twowheeler riders as they are 26 times more prone to die in a crash than car drivers.”

Officials conducting the drive said most riders blame extreme humidity for not wearing a helmet. “Wearing a good helmet and tying it properly can reduce chance of death by 90% during accidents,” said a traffic police officer.

Traffic experts, however, observed that the police should find more innovative ways to

educate pillion riders.

“The drive should be taken to colleges as many students have two-wheelers,” said Ashutosh Atre, traffic expert, adding that a sturdy helmet approved by the government should be used.

Atre also said buckling helmet is equally important.