Reporting of road accidents by news agencies in India! Lets look at it differently

[tibby]

Valid discussion brought in Sunil. I do see news reports where they mention whether the rider was wearing a helmet or not, but this element is not always captured.
I think xBhp can do a lot in this regard, as we now have a presence in the print media. I'm sure we will slowly & steadily build strong relationships will big print media houses and we can use this to convey the importance of including the helmet element in the news articles.

PS: I think another big & burning issue currently is spreading helmet awareness.
To quote an example, wearing helmets is mandatory for two-wheeler riders (& not for pillions) here in Bangalore. One barely sees 1-2% of riders riding helmetless, but of the others who ride with a helmet, about 20-25% wear a half-face like the one in the attachment (some even have the audacity to wear cricket helmets or construction caps), and most others wear the full face ones where the strap isn't fastened.
The number of people who actually wear full face helmets & strap them in position is very small. Most of them fail to realise that wearing a helmet can save their life, and only see wearing helmets as a compulsion & a means to avoid being fined for riding helmetless.

EDIT: Some jokers whom I personally know even say:
a) "Mera sar helmet se strong hai" (My head is stronger than a helmet)
b) "Loha ka suit pehenne se bhi kuch nahi hoga. Sab kismat hai" (Even wearing an iron suit may not help. Its all fate)
c) "Helmet se paseena ata hai" (One sweats because of wearing helmet)
I guess these are the types of guys who form a majority of the people who feature in the news reports we are discussing about. Sad, but true.

[adarsh1398]

had a weird idea just now...well,yes,adding information about helmets is supposed to help but i was thinking that if those people whose lives were saved because of helmet,riding gears can be interviewed and posted on web/printed in magazines/news papers etc. i guess this might help.
I agree with aargee. but we have to begin somewhere. IMO educating this generation is a little harder,but the next one can be taught well. I remember, during my school days one traffic awareness campaign was started by the SP of our area. The police came to my school (and others too) taught us about traffic signals(lights as well as hands), road safety, helmets,sign-posts usually we find along side the road. there were competitions. Back then,it was fun,as I was a kid but now I realize,most of the road sense that I have now traces its roots to that day (apart from what I learnt from my dad).
but again i must stress the fact that all this can be done with combined effort of xBhp,media,public and local authorities.

[aargee]

and some says we are helping the Helmet manufacturers as marketing agents.

And the same thing will happen when...

Another idea is motorcycle companies should sell their bikes only with two good helmets must be seriously a mandatory all over India

I'd say forget TVM or even EkM for that matter. In Chennai, we're experiencing a HUGE, huge, dust pollution. When someone comes back home, their faces are absolutely black like a charcoal & not to mention all the dust getting into one's eyes & turning them red. No one wants to wear a helmet atleast to prevent this & are willing to COMPLAIN right from family to Govt

had a weird idea just now...guess this might help.

Adarsh, nice thought, but there's a saying in TN, "Thirudanai paarthu thirundhavittaal thiruttai ozhikka mudiyaadhu" means, unless the thief is willing to change (leave robbery for good), one cannot bring down the theft. So all these campaigns will increase the awareness to some extent, but the root still remains un addressed.

IMO educating this generation is a little harder,but the next one can be taught well.

I'd STRONGLY vouch this as the key. Just like Science, Social, English, Maths, we should all have a COMPULSORY traffic sense, civic sense & basic law subjects. But damn TN (not sure about other states), they're already against national language & want to dilute syllabus & compulsory pass upto 10th std. Its better not to speak as why the Govt is behaving like this

PS - Talking on civic sense, we used to have a subject Moral Science that had all our Indian fables with the morals & used to be my fav subject . But that was only a learning subject until 4th or 5th grade. Not sure what happened to it after that; might've been lost in the rat race

but again i must stress the fact that all this can be done with combined effort of xBhp,media,public and local authorities.

+1; which ultimately means, even to publicize the Govt rules, we need non-Govt & NGO bodies!!! doh!!!

[riot]

I was crusing down the highway when something came and hit my helmet. I suspect it to be a small pebble but it hit my helmet really hard. If something can put such hole on helmet, wonder what it could do to someone's skin or what if it hits someone's eye?

herez a pic:

[adarsh1398]

And the same thing will happen when...

PS - Talking on civic sense, we used to have a subject Moral Science that had all our Indian fables with the morals & used to be my fav subject . But that was only a learning subject until 4th or 5th grade. Not sure what happened to it after that; might've been lost in the rat race

yeah...i remember...even we used to have something like moral science,,which was way back when i was in class 2 or 3,not after that...

And the same thing will happen when...
+1; which ultimately means, even to publicize the Govt rules, we need non-Govt & NGO bodies!!! doh!!!

LOL...I guess govt is more busy making rules,regulations which fill their pockets and attract vote bank,nothing to do wih public welfare. I mean, Common..if the govt urges everyone to wear a helmet,from where they will get a truck-load of money which they charge as fine???


well somebody has to be the torch bearer.guess this time it's going to be us.few more suggestions:
-visits to schools and colleges in our city with the message of road safety. urge the management to spare one day or even a half day for demonstrations and discussions.
-encourage the students and management to have helmet rules strictly enforced in the campus (i remember when i was in DPS bhilai,our principal never allowed students to bring vehicles without helmets/licence. even motorcycles without gears were not allowed,obviously because someone from 11th or 12th usually cannot get a legal liscence.)

[a.jayamohan]

I was crusing down the highway when something came and hit my helmet. I suspect it to be a small pebble but it hit my helmet really hard. If something can put such hole on helmet, wonder what it could do to someone's skin or what if it hits someone's eye?

Yes...That's why we are always crying for helmets. But some stupid always learn saftey by accident without wearing a helmet..then it will be too late. Thanks for sharing the point mate

[eliksir]

In my city, around 90% of the people wear a helmet only because of the fines. There are a lot of chin less helmets, a lot of construction worker type helments and some people even go with only a glass shield to cover the face and nothing on the the skull. Most of the time these are on the RVM or their lap (or with the pillion) and they wear it only when they see some cop around or someone from the opposite direction signals there is helmet checking nearby.
When asked, these people come up with "I have been driving for xxx years and haven't had any crashes,I know to drive properly bla bla bla"

[adarsh1398]

@eliksir : the same case happens more or less everywhere...people carry their helmets either on RVMs or lap or give it to the pillon to hold..thats disgusting..

[lijok]

The Bench asked the petitioner to bring to the notice of the insurance company the need for making specific provision for excluding the insurers' liability for those who lost life or sustained injuries in accidents involving two-wheeler riders in which the riders did not wear helmets

While disposing a contempt of court case, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court suggested amendments to certain rules in line with subject of this thread. The news article from The Hindu can be read here. The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Implement helmet rule

[Juris]

In my city, around 90% of the people wear a helmet only because of the fines. There are a lot of chin less helmets, a lot of construction worker type helments and some people even go with only a glass shield to cover the face and nothing on the the skull. Most of the time these are on the RVM or their lap (or with the pillion) and they wear it only when they see some cop around or someone from the opposite direction signals there is helmet checking nearby.
When asked, these people come up with "I have been driving for xxx years and haven't had any crashes,I know to drive properly bla bla bla"

One of my friend gave a reason for not wearing helmet - "Yaar main pyaar se bike chalata hoon".
Until and unless people start taking social responsibility and understand the need of protective gears (atleast Helmet) fines and other restrictions are not going to help much.

[adarsh1398]

@ Juris : Forget about social responsibility man...at they should think that somebody is waiting for them at home...

[Juris]

@ Juris : Forget about social responsibility man...at they should think that somebody is waiting for them at home...

Couldn't agree more.

[kkrk2]

While disposing a contempt of court case, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court suggested amendments to certain rules in line with subject of this thread. The news article from The Hindu can be read here. The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Implement helmet rule

Amendment suggested

The Bench asked the petitioner to bring to the notice of the insurance company the need for making specific provision for excluding the insurers' liability for those who lost life or sustained injuries in accidents involving two-wheeler riders in which the riders did not wear helmets.

Oh boy!!! I can see good news for insurance companies(if it is implemented)!!

[eliksir]

While disposing a contempt of court case, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court suggested amendments to certain rules in line with subject of this thread. The news article from The Hindu can be read here. The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Implement helmet rule

yes this is good news. Now i can safely keep the helmet on the bike when i park it somewhere.