Riders without helmets made to see condition of mishap victims

The novel initiative of traffic police to ensure that the commuters strictly adhere to the helmet rule and the riders who fail to follow the order especially college students, are taken to visit the emergency wards with accident cases at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).

Police have worked towards increasing awareness among the youngsters. Doctors stress on the need for this initiative to be implemented across the state to avoid deaths due to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) which is the highest in Tamil Nadu.

Stating that by showing the youngsters the condition of those injured due to RTAs can help them understand the risks better, Dr P Nilam, a Counsellor said, “Each time they think of avoiding helmets, they will recall the picture they saw in the hospital, which will force them to comply with the rule. This is a very noble initiative and if done more often, it can help to keep in check the number of deaths due to RTAs.”

It may be noted that in the last year, the city traffic police have booked over 3 lakh cases for riding two-wheelers without helmets.

“A helmet certainly brings down fatality in case of accidents involving in two-wheeler riders and somehow people do not realise the implications it can have on the violator,” said Dr K Kannan, a Neurologist. If the initiative taken up by the police can help to keep a check on the number of deaths, the police should come forward and team up with all Government Hospitals to carry out the programme on a larger front, he said.

“Tamil Nadu has the title of the state with the highest number of deaths due to RTAs and if this is a step forward in reducing the number of deaths, it must be taken,” he opined.