The SOA University here has urged the Central Government to declare April 28 as the ‘National Day for Helmet Safety Awareness’ and treat two-wheeler ride without a helmet as dangerous as use of tobacco products. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof Amit Banerjee has suggested that no one should be permitted to ride a two-wheeler in the Smart Cities coming up in the country, including Bhubaneswar, without wearing a proper helmet.
Besides, dedicated institutions should be set up to impart the skill of riding two-wheelers as is being done in case of automobile drivers; and the Government should declare a practicable deadline for zero tolerance to helmetless ride, the letter said, adding the SOA has also coined a slogan for the occasion: “Helmetless Ride, Path to Suicide”.
Stating that April 28 is also being observed as the World Safety and Health at Work Day, Prof Banerjee said the day is being proposed to be notified as the National Day for Helmet Safety Awareness as people need to return home from the workplace safely. The letter pleaded that a deadline also be set for movies and other multimedia productions in the country not to depict anybody, including the pillion rider, riding a bike without a helmet and the CBFC should decline to accept such movies for approval. Every time an actor in a movie is shown riding a two-wheeler without a helmet, a notice should pop up informing the viewers that helmetless ride is nothing but a path to suicide.
Neuro-surgeon Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Director (Health Programs) at SOA, said it is a must for every two-wheeler rider to wear a properly designed helmet and strict rules should be laid down to prevent unnecessary deaths on the roads. “If the helmet is properly designed and properly strapped, there is 75 to 80 per cent possibility of it protecting the brain in case of an accident. The helmet should protect both the brain and the spine,” he said.