By Viju Mangalore - Daijiworld.com
Mangalore, Jul 6: This news may make all motorbike riders feel heavy on their head. The same would be heavy on their pockets too.
The much talked about proposal of the state government to make wearing of helmets compulsory is now at hand. With effect from Aug 1, 2006, all persons riding a motor cycle and the pillion rider of any type of motor cycle will have to compulsorily wear helmet while traveling within the limits of Mangalore City corporation.
After a long session of dilly dallying the amendment to Rule 230 of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rule 1989 has brought about this rule in the state.
Mangalore is not alone to implement this new rule. It will be applicable to the limits of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and City Corporation limits of Mysore, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga.
The rule also specifies that the helmets should be of such quality as will reduce head injuries to riders of two wheelers resulting from road impacts.
That’s not all breach of this rule would lead to punishment as per the Indian Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
Now, this is a real head away in the helmet issue, which came to debate on several occasions. A powerful lobby of helmet manufacturers is said to have worked to bring about this rule. But what is delightful is that the rule would reduce deaths on road to a great extent.
The resistance to this order would be inevitable as every motor cycle rider will have an additional expenditure on helmets, but Prof K Ganapathy who in the last 29 years has personally managed over 8000 head injuries tells on the need to wear a helmet.
“Indian statistics only show that Head Injury is the sixth commonest cause of death. Statistics only indicate the enormous on going economic loss due to severe head injuries sustained by the unprotected head,” he said.
The Neurological Society of India, the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgery and the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies have full endorsed the stand that use of protective headgear is the simplest, quickest and most effective method of reducing the number of severe head injuries.
The rule is at hand and although it would be heavy on the pocket, it’s worth a head!