‘Not much done to sensitise public on necessity of helmets’

The division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, said, “It is very unfortunate that for nearly eight long years, the government has done virtually nothing to implement its own Government Order issued in 2007.”

“The police are bound to enforce the law and the orders already issued by this court and not to give an impression, as if, it is the court, which insists on wearing helmets by riders and pillion riders,” the bench added.

Also, on noting that the status report failed to state the steps taken by the State to create awareness amongst people, the bench said, “Rider or pillion, is vulnerable to sustain head injuries in road accidents. Wearing of helmet would reduce the possibility of an accident becoming fatal. A rider or pillion may not be aware of the laws or even ignore the safety measure, that is wearing of a helmet, but that does not mean that the government have no role in enforcing the safety measure.”

Further, the bench, on holding that as per the DGP’s reports during the past 10 years, as many 42.53 Lakh cases have been filed in Tamil Nadu for non-wearing of helmets while during the same period as many as 41,330 people have died owing to non-wearing of helmets, said, “Nothing much seems to have happened after the positive mandate by this Court was passed for enforcement of wearing of helmet. Despite the alarming figure, still the state government is claiming that steps are being taken to bring about awareness.”

Directing the government to enforce the GO issued in 2007 making helmets compulsory, the bench directed the registry to post the writ petition on October 23 for the government to file an affidavit with regard to the programmes to be conducted in the meantime and a road map, as to how the orders of this Court, would be implemented in letter and spirit and the status report on the action taken, in the next date of filing.