Due to an increase in deadly traffic accidents in the Union Territory, the Puducherry government has mandated that drivers of two-wheelers and passengers wear helmets at all times. A notification requiring helmet use for two-wheeler riders has been issued, according to Transport Commissioner A S Sivakumar.
He stated in a news release on Saturday that first-time offenders will face fines of Rs 1,000 apiece for riding two-wheelers without using helmets and for riding pillion without using helmets. In addition, defaulters would have their driving privileges banned for three months. In addition to not wearing a helmet, violators would also be punished for using a phone while operating a vehicle.
It should be noted that Puducherry has not yet made helmet use mandatory. In Puducherry, according to Sivakumar, the number of traffic accidents has increased. According to him, 3,410 incidents happened on UT highways between 2019 and 2021. According to the Transport Commissioner, 445 two-wheeler riders perished in crashes, and it was discovered that they did not wear helmets while operating the machines.
He claimed that in the previous four days, four people riding two-wheelers perished in road accidents in Puducherry, including one youngster who passed away from head injuries in Karaikal. It was discovered that none of the victims were wearing helmets while operating two-wheelers. In the UT, Sivakumar said that between 2021 and 2022, 181 individuals who had not worn helmets perished in traffic accidents.
The government has recently announced a number of initiatives to make helmet use on two-wheelers mandatory going forward. For the examinations, Sivakumar advised people applying for driving licences at the Transport Department to bring helmets. Buyers of two-wheelers, such as scooters and motorbikes, should be forced to purchase high-quality helmets from showrooms that display these vehicles.
According to the official, there have also been instances of young boys riding two-wheelers with their parents’ approval. He stated that in addition to a punishment of Rs 25,000, parents who permit their children to operate vehicles without valid licences face a three-year prison sentence. The driver’s licence would be seized for a year.
The Transport Commissioner urged individuals to wear helmets, drive defensively, and abstain from driving while intoxicated for the benefit of their own safety and the protection of other road users. In the past, the government tried to make helmet use mandatory, but opposition came from a number of sources, including a number of political groups.
People who opposed the government’s requirement that all drivers wear helmets argued that the administration should first educate the public about the value of wearing a helmet before enforcing the requirement. Kiran Bedi, a retired IPS officer, toured numerous locations in the UT infamous for traffic jams while serving as the lieutenant governor of Puducherry, advising drivers to wear helmets.
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