Concerned over rising cases of causalities during road mishaps, the Traffic Police have decided to launch a drive to nail the vendors selling sub-standard helmets. The vendors found selling helmets other than having ISI mark on it will be taken to task.
Officials of the department said that the use of substandard helmets by the motorcyclists is unsafe and several causalities have taken place in recent past.
In a very recent fatal mishap taken place in front of Jugsalai police station last week, a 20-year-old youth was killed after being hit by a bus. Though the victim had used a helmet, but it broke into pieces.
later a team of traffic police established that the helmet was of sub-standard making.
In another mishap taken place on Agrico-Bhuiyandih Road, a 23-year-old girl who was a pillion rider died, but her father who was riding the two-wheeler escaped any grievous injury as he had put on a helmet having ISI marks.
Deputy superintendent of police (Traffic) Rakesh Mohan Sinha said that they would soon conduct raids at the shops and even over the vendors selling helmets on the road sides.
"We want to stop them selling such product as because this is directly linked to a question of life and death of a person," said Sinha. The DSP (traffic) said that they have information that there are two-wheeler riders who use helmets which are made of either card-boards or sub standard materials.
"During our investigation we have found that the two-wheeler riders are using the sub-standard helmets not to save their lives in case of a road mishap, but only to protect them from the helmet-checking drive which has become a regular exercise by the traffic police,” said Sinha.
Most of the youths also said they were using helmets not for their safety but to avoid ticketing against traffic rules violation.
“The youths use helmets just to safe themselves from the wrath of the police. Moreover these helmets are manufactured in Delhi and cost approximately between `60 and `300. Helmets that resemble headgear worn by cricketers are a favourite,” said a local dealer of Sakchi. Interestingly, motorcyclists are using helmets made of cheap plastic material because of their cheap rates, thus putting their lives in danger.