Two Helmets & a Helmet Lock with Every New Bike – Madras HC Promoting Road Safety

The Madras High Court is taking every possible step to ensure that riders of two-wheelers in Tamil Nadu wear helmets under all conditions. Here’s what the recent order passed by the court says.

Many riders of two wheelers in Tamil Nadu have been obediently wearing helmets since July 1, when Justice N Kirubakaran passed a judicial order making helmets compulsory in the state. This compliance has been seen because of the threat that all vehicle documents of violators will be confiscated.

Adding on to this order, the Madras High Court said on Tuesday that two helmets should be provided with every two-wheeler at the time of purchase.

Photo Credit: Rajarshi MITRA/Flickr

The order also said that a new component called the helmet lock should be added to two wheelers when they are manufactured, in order to boost the use of helmets.

According to a report in the Times of India, Justice N Kirubakaran has directed the centre to issue directives to manufacturers of two-wheelers that helmet locks should be installed as a component and not as an accessory. This will ensure that users don’t have to worry about their helmets being stolen because of which they sometimes avoid using them.

According to the judge, who has been issuing a series of orders for enforcement of the mandatory helmet rule, prevention of road accident deaths is the constitutional duty of governments and courts. In Tamil Nadu, the number of such deaths came down from 582 in June to 498 in July 2015. But the number again increased to 571 in August 2015, and there were 289 deaths up to September 15, 2015. Talking about this data, furnished by the state government, the judge noted that the helmet rule has clearly been followed strictly only in July.

“It is also evident that only in urban and semi-urban areas people have started wearing helmets. The rule is not implemented in rural areas. Hence, the state government is directed to implement the rule rigorously in all areas,” he was quoted saying in Times of India.

He emphasized on the Motor Vehicle Act which mandates bike manufacturers to provide helmets confirming to BIS standards to the buyers. The idea that celebrities should also help in popularising the rule also came up. Actor Kamal Haasan is already advocating the cause. The matter has been posted on Oct. 30, 2015 for further hearing.

This step will hopefully encourage more and more two-wheeler riders to start using helmets for their own safety.

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