GUNTUR: The helmets being sold for cheap beside the roads are posing a threat to the life of motorists. With the police department intensifying the checking and imposing fines on violators, a few roadside vendors are making money of the demand by selling helmets without bills at a cheaper price. Certainly, these helmets would help motorists comply with the helmet rule but would fail to serve the actual purpose of safety. The Guntur police booked 12,768 cases for violation of helmet norm till now. An average of 1,000 cases are being registered per day for violation of the helmet rule which is a worrying fact.
The helmets having ISI mark on them are priced at Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500 per piece basing on the quality. Meanwhile, many people have a feeling that the helmet rule would be implemented strictly only a for a short period and so are not willing to spend heavily on the helmets manufactured with the safety standards. Many of the roadside vendors are from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and other states and the helmets they sell cost something between Rs 200 and Rs 450, basing on the design. B. Varun, a resident of Cobaltpeta, said that the government had not implemented the helmet rule strictly in the last few decades. It will be strictly followed only for 2-3 months only, after the announcement. Later, it will be conveniently forgotten by the police department, he said.
Many of the motorists are not preferring to wear the helmet as it would lead to sweating. Even in rainy and winter seasons, wearing a helmet is not that comfortable in the city, said P. Seshagiri Rao, a resident of Arundalpeta. Social activist P. Nageswara Rao said wearing a helmet is advisable as accidents can occur at any place and any time. Police should inculcate the habit of people wearing a helmet, complying with the quality standards, while riding on a motorcycle, he said. The police officials are conducting awareness programmes and campaigns emphasising the need to wear helmets.
