City gets used to keeping helmets on

City gets used to keeping helmets on


Express Features First Published : 13 Apr 2009 09:47:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 13 Apr 2009 12:41:59 PM IST
BANGALORE: Term it a strict enforcement of the helmet rule, or an increase in self-preservation habits of motorists, but the number of fatal accidents involving two-wheeler riders have come down in the city by about 10 per cent.
“We hope it reduces further by about 15 per cent by the year-end,” says Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic and Security.
Sood attributes the fall in fatalities to the strict imposition of helmet rule since November 2006.
“Improvement in the roads with the construction of medians and increasing compliance has also helped,” he added.
Increase in helmet usage A study conducted by NIMHANS recently shows that helmet usage rate has increased from less than 5 per cent in 2005 to 60 per cent in 2008 in the city.
NIMHANS studies have reported that 60 to 70 per cent of the people injured or killed in two-wheeler accidents sustain injuries to the head and neck.
At the two-wheeler parking area in Kempegowda Bus Stop (KBS), Narayana Shetty, who has been the parking incharge for the past five years also talks about a rise in the number of helmetusers.
“The number of helmets that get deposited at the parking has increased by about 15-20 per cent.” Hospital testimonies Even hospitals in the city have witnessed a decline in the number of fatal head injuries related to two-wheeler accident cases. “We used to get around 100 to 120 two-wheeler accident-related cases in a week till last year, but of late we get around 60-70 cases per week,” said Dr Aravind, Hosmat Hospital.
Safe ride A study conducted at Hosmat Hospital comparing helmet users and non-users have shown that non-users are at a risk of injury and death two times higher than those using helmet, and the neurological disability chances in non-uers increases by 1.5 times. “Cost of health care and stay at hospitals for people with head injuries is also more,” says Dr Aravind, Hosmat Hospital.
Another study conducted by Professor M N Sreehari, Advisor to Government of Karnataka for Traffic, Transport and Infrastructure, revealed that the severity and deaths due to head injuries, skull fractures and occurrence of post-traumatic epilepsy were higher among those who were not using helmets.
The death rate among two-wheeler riders due to head injuries came down by 25 per cent if helmets are used. The consequent risk of neurological disability reduced by 40 per cent, duration of hospitalisation reduced by more than 30 per cent and medical costs by 30 per cent.
The death rate comes down by 35 per cent and the severity of the accident by almost 50 per cent. Chances of a skull fracture are reduced by 18 per cent.
“The severe cases in two-wheeler accidents have come down. But there are lots to be done. Like some other countries where people use helmets even when they ride a bicycle, people here also should voluntarily comply and see use of helmet for their own benefit and take it up,” Professor Sreehari says.
More buyers Balakrishna Naidu, proprietor, Shree Satya Sai Enterprises, a helmet dealer, who owns five helmet outlets in Lalbagh Road says, “Earlier I used to sell around 25-30 helmets every day, but after the imposition of compulsory helmet usage for the past two years the sale has increased.
I have been getting 70-80 customers every day across my five outlets”.
“The number of customers had increased by about 30 per cent for few months after the rules was implemented in 2006, now it is not that high. But still the business is going on pretty well,” said Farooq Abdullah, another helmet dealer on J C Road.