People in the taluk prefer to ride bare-headed, despite the risks.
Fatal accidents in Gangavathi are increasing every year. Traffic police blame the citizens for not wearing helmets. Prakash Male, traffic police inspector said that in all recorded accidents, not even a single person was wearing a helmet. “Fatality of accidents increases when people do not wear helmets. It is sheer carelessness of people here,” he said.
Under section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, two-wheeler riders must wear helmets in Karnataka.
Male explained that in 2018 the number of fatal accidents was 49, in 2019 there were 52, in 2020 they reached 57, in 2021, 59 accidents were reported and in 2022 the number was 62. Therefore, each year the number is increasing but people are not getting cautious at all he said.
Suffering comes onto the families of those people who caught in fatal accidents because of not wearing helmets at the time of accident Kamala, a middle-aged woman shared her son’s devastating experience. She said, “My son suffered a severe head injury six months ago in a bike accident. He was not wearing a helmet and is still on bed rest, unable to perform daily tasks.” Kamala’s son was the sole earning member of the family. After his accident Kamala started selling flowers in front of the temple.
People of Gangavathi seem unaware of the consequence of not wearing helmets. Prabhu a middle-aged man sitting on his bike was not wearing a helmet said that he didn’t wear a helmet because it was too hot. “I don’t even own a helmet,” he said. “No one here wears a helmet as it’s too hot.”
Another man, Ravindra, who was on his two-wheeler without a helmet said that he was never fined for not wearing a helmet. “Traffic police are lazy here, they either come to regulate traffic or if some big accident happens and sometimes to collect parking fines but for helmets, they never insist,” he said.
Ismail Sam, an inspector in the traffic police department of Gangavathi said that people do not have a habit of wearing helmets here as it seems an extra burden to them and also the weather is very hot here. On the contrary he said, “But we are planning to promote this habit so that fatality in accidents can decline.”
According to data shared by Jean Todt, 47,000 Indians died due to not wearing helmets in 2021. Jean Todt is the United Nations (UN) secretary general’s special envoy for road-safety in Southeast Asia to advocate for helmets and safe mobility for all.
Dr Hitesh Kundu a general physician said that helmets provide protection to the head and are very beneficial for two-wheeler riders. He explained that in an accident there is the possibility of getting hit in the head which can lead to trauma to the head which can cause a concussion. Brain injury can lead to minor cognitive impairment. Therefore wearing a helmet reduces the risk of fatality in head injury cases.
According to Koppal district police rules and regulations there is a fine of Rs. 100 for riding vehicle without wearing helmet but traffic police in Gangavathi has no record of collection of fines in this case. Meanwhile public in Gangavathi freely ride two-wheelers even in front of the traffic police station without wearing a helmet.
