The punishment for riding without a helmet includes severe reprimands, stiff fines and being booked by the officers on duty. However, it was a video that was shot in Karimnagar in Telangana that was somewhat different.
A helmetless motorcycle rider was stopped at the check post and asked for his papers and other details by the cops on duty. Everything was found in order except for the fact that the rider was sans a helmet. What did the cop do next? No he did not swipe out his challan book and levy a stiff fine on the rider. He thought of a novel way instead.
The video shows the rider offering the traffic cop an INR 500 note as bribe. On taking this money, the traffic offender expected the cop will let him go. But instead, he took the money, and the offender’s bike key and sped off on his own bike.
After some time, the police man returns with a box containing a brand new helmet. He then removes the helmet out of the packing and places it on the head of the helmetless rider. The cop then gives the rider a bill for the helmet and the balance change before he pats him on his back and sends him on his way. Surely this is an even more effective way of getting all two wheeler riders to adopt the habit of using a helmet.
Though the video seems staged, it does send out a very strong message. After a careful study of fatal accidents among two wheeler riders it was found mandatory to intensify drive against helmetless riding. The traffic authorities have penalized 2,88,571 bikers for riding without helmets in 2014, as compared to 2,36,207 in 2013 with this year expected to rope in even more helmetless riders as the campaign gets even more intense.
