Seven days after implementing helmet laws, Bhatkal riders hesitant in wearing one

Bhatkal 6 August 2018: (Bhatkallys News Bureau) Bhatkal Police Department earlier last week implemented new regulation of making helmets compulsory for two-wheeler drivers and pillion riders, a Supreme Court order that was not implemented here in the coastal town earlier. Speaking to Bhatkallys.com Bhatkal Dy.SP Valentine D'Souza had confirmed a couple of days back that the police personnel have been deployed to regulate the law and regular checking of vehicles is also in place with those not abiding by the law are being fined or are being booked under law, to send a strong message to the riders to follow traffic rules. But as the implementation reached the seventh day today, the riders are still hesitant of wearing helmets and a ride on Bhatkal roads witness only a handful of riders wearing helmets which are meant to be for their own safety. A two-wheeler rider who was not wearing helmet reasoned the 'high temperatures and humidity' the helmet brings in with it, that is stopping him from wearing the helmet, while another claimed feeling of suffocation to be his reason. Hundreds of people we speak to and hundreds of reason/excuses we are subjected to receive from those not wearing helmets, but the hard hitting question that remains is 'Does your safety matters to you'? and they remain silent. Some even went on as far as saying that helmets muddle into their looks and spoil it or at least it looks 'odd' to wear a helmet and ride around the city while those without helmets giving 'weird stares'. It is duly acceptable that riding bikes with helmet on will altogether be a new experience for most of the local youngsters, but the fact remains, who will it be more beneficial too? Local social workers took to social media groups to write about the importance of wearing helmets and more importantly co-operating with the police officials who have regulated the rule in the best of interest for public's safety from the fatality of road accidents, but unfortunately their efforts did not pay off and had no or little impact on the local riders who remain to ride their bikes on the road without helmets, some of whom flaunting their daring of breaking the laws. Meanwhile, the police department is adapting to 'No Tolerance For Ignorance' policy and is giving thoughts to implementing the rule in stricter manner as evident by a statement from Valentine D'Souza who added "As this is the beginning, we are just fining a minimal amount to those not following it, in the next few days we will increase the amount of the fines and make people wear helmet forcefully if they don't abide by it and co-operate with us, the first thing they should understand is it is for their own safety". It is high time we as the society buckle up ourselves and be more responsible towards our social responsibilities and acknowledge the fact that these little thing are only good for us, it is better we accept it and abide by it rather than being made follow it forcefully or to be punished for not. (Bhatkallys News Bureau/ Ismail Zaorez)