Gujarat Hard Look: Get set, helmet, go!

Be it the city adopting sophisticated technology to reduce corruption and induce more discipline, or social media posts showing the consequences of not wearing the safety equipment, or statewide short film competitions — the carrot and the stick have both been used. And yet, the people of Ahmedabad, who have a laissez faire attitude towards their safety on roads, manage to come up with several excuses for riding bare-headed even as fatal road traffic accidents (RTAs) compound every year.

According to the ‘Comprehensive Road Accident Analysis Report – Gujarat State 2023’, published by the Gujarat Road Safety Authority on September 25, 2024, the number of RTAs in Ahmedabad City increased from 1,711 in 2022 to 1,767 in 2023. The number of fatalities due to these RTAs rose from 488 in 2022 to 535 in 2023.

An in-depth analysis showed that 76.3% people involved in fatal two-wheeler accidents in Gujarat were not wearing a helmet.

A breakup of those involved in fatal two-wheeler accidents, while not wearing a helmet, in 2023 in Gujarat shows that as many as 2,767 people —2,059 drivers and 708 pillion riders — who were not wearing helmets, lost their lives in the state in 2023. Further, 2,699 people were grievously injured and 1,203 people suffered minor injuries.

Contempt for traffic laws

A high number of challans issued for riding without helmet, and yet a dismal overall rate of fine payment for traffic infractions in Ahmedabad city reflect the public’s contempt for traffic laws and personal safety.

In September last year, the Ahmedabad police collected a fine of Rs 2 crore in just two weeks during a crackdown where over 44,000 were found not wearing the protective headgear.

The recent impetus on road safety, especially with regards to wearing helmets, began when the Gujarat High Court took cognisance of the issue. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

In the 14 months from January 2024 to February 2025, the Ahmedabad Traffic Police had issued a total of 14.79 lakh challans (memos) to two-wheeler riders for not wearing a helmet, totalling Rs 73.96 crore in fine owed to the government. The number of challans issued to helmetless drivers accounted for 54.65% of the total challans (27.06 lakh) issued under the Motor Vehicles Act in Ahmedabad city during this 14-month period. This means that the traffic police generated an average of 1.05 lakh challans just to helmetless riders every single month.

And yet, according to the police’s own data, the recovery rate of traffic fines, which offenders have paid, is at a dismal 15%, which just further goes to show the disrespect towards traffic laws.

Vox Populi: Safety comes second

The Indian Express team went out to talk to riders to understand exactly why people were ditching their helmets. Discomfort in hot weather, “dishevelled hair”, options like a scarf — are some of the reasons that two-wheeler riders proffered for not wearing a helmet. People whom the team interacted in six different areas of Ahmedabad were aged between 21 and 35.

Out of 10 riders at every of these spots, 3-4 on an average did had not put a helmet on. Multiple encounters with traffic cops for violating helmet regulations have not deterred them from continuing to ride without the headgear. Their driving experience ranged from two to 15 years, and commuting distances from 10 to 40 km per day on an average, increasing their exposure to road hazards.

Riya Patel, 23, a student from Navrangpura, said, “I know it’s unsafe, but helmets feel bulky and inconvenient, especially when I have to carry them around all day.” Priya Kavaiya, 21, a college student from Kalupur, shared, “I ride short distances, so I don’t think wearing a helmet is necessary. Besides, I have never met with an accident.”

Some young people realise that there is danger involved, but choose to flout norms. Raviraj Soni, a 24-year-old postgraduate student, admitted, “I’ve been fined twice, but I would rather risk a fine than deal with helmet hair and discomfort.”

People driving on the streets of Ahmedabad without helmets. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

Another student, Aarav Desai, 26, explained, “It’s more of a habit now. I tend to forget to wear one unless I know I’m riding through an area with a heavy police presence.”

Working individuals also admitted to not prioritising helmet use. Varun Parmar, 25, a factory worker from Sarkhej, explained, “Helmets are expensive, and I would rather spend my money on other necessities. I have been fined four-five times before, but I still don’t wear one regularly.”

Parvesh Khan, 35, a business owner in Jamalpur, said: “I have been riding for 15 years without a helmet. I know it’s dangerous, but it has become a habit. I also believe careful driving is more important than just wearing a helmet. I take it as a personal responsibility.”

For delivery workers, time and mobility often take precedence over safety. Anand Jadav, a 27-year-old delivery partner in Navrangpura, acknowledged the risks but justified doing away with a helmet, saying, “I ride in the city every day for work, and wearing a helmet feels uncomfortable in the heat. I always avoid police routes. I mostly use shortcuts and not major highways to escape police fines.”

Another delivery worker from Savana, Rahul Kumar, 33, echoed similar sentiments. “I know I should wear a helmet, but it slows me down when I have multiple deliveries. When the police are around, I just take a different route.”

Meanwhile, women riders had their own unique reasons for not wearing helmets. Sonia Shah, 29, from Gota, said, “I usually wear a scarf over my head, and I feel that’s enough. Also, a helmet messes up my hairstyle, and they create discomfort when you wear it in the summer.” Anushka Yadav, 28, from Lal Darwaja, added, “Most women in my area don’t wear helmets. It’s not a priority for us unless there’s strict enforcement.”

Women riders had their own unique reasons for not wearing helmets. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Viral Verma, 23, a casual worker, admitted, “I don’t own a helmet because I only ride short distances. I feel it’s unnecessary unless I’m traveling far.”

Another worker, Niriksha Joshi, 22, said, “If helmets were cheaper, I’d consider buying one. But good-quality helmets are costly, and I can’t afford one right now.”

A traffic emergency

Data from the GVK-EMRI emergency ambulance service shows that the number of RTA cases they attended to in Ahmedabad city rose from 16,089 in 2023-24 to 17,702 in 2024-25.

And, the number increased from 1,588 in 2023-24 to 1,674 cases in 2024-25 when it came to cases where people involved in accidents were critical.

According to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), N N Chaudhari, an absence of a helmet can have dire consequences, especially in the event of an accident. He emphasised the department’s commitment to enforcing helmet usage, stating that special drives targeting non-compliance are underway. He insisted on the need for educational awareness at all levels, including schools and driving institutes, to highlight the benefits of wearing a helmet and the risks of not wearing one. Additionally, he stressed on the importance of social media awareness campaigns to tap the younger generation.

Increased impetus on road safety

The recent impetus on road safety, especially with regards to wearing helmets, began when the Gujarat High Court took cognisance of the issue. The court had on August 7, 2024 directed the state to strictly implement the helmet rule for two-wheeler riders, including pillion riders, within 15 days.

While hearing a PIL opposing the construction of a flyover at Panjrapol crossroads in Ahmedabad, the bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi decided to look into the overall traffic situation in the city and particularly commented on the non-compliance by two-wheeler riders of the helmet rule.

Thereafter, in October 2024, GS Malik, the Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police, through an office order, asked police personnel to follow the traffic rule of wearing helmets before enforcing it on citizens. DCPs were asked to make sure that enough personnel were appointed to make sure their colleagues follow the helmet rule to the hilt and the order barred the entry of personnel into police premises if they arrived at work on two-wheelers without a helmet.

DCPs were asked to make sure that enough personnel were appointed to make sure their colleagues follow the helmet rule to the hilt and the order barred the entry of personnel into police premises if they arrived at work on two-wheelers without a helmet. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

More recently, in February 2025, the matter was taken up at the state level when Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay ordered a drive against helmetless government staffers, even those arriving at the Secretariat in Gandhinagar. The order had said, “Government employees are considered responsible citizens and are looked upon as role models for others… It is important to implement the helmet rule in Gujarat to mitigate the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by road traffic accidents.”

As a result, the 39 traffic police jurisdictions across Gujarat fined a total of 3,192 government employees for not wearing a helmet while riding their two-wheelers to work, within a span of three hours. At Rs 500 per challan, fines to the tune of Rs 15.96 lakh were collected between 10 am and 12 pm on February 11.

According to data from M L Ninama, the Inspector General (IG) of the State Traffic Branch, the highest number of offenders (473) were from Ahmedabad city, accounting for 15% of all cases. In fact, throughout the day, the total number of government employees, who rode their two-wheelers without putting their helmet on in Ahmedabad city, reached 660, including 575 civilian employees while 72 police personnel.

Six ways to issue challan, umpteen reasons to flout norms

Ahmedabad Traffic Police is integrated into the ‘One Nation, One Challan’ programme and under this, the number of ways to nab those found in violation of traffic laws have increased exponentially.

There are six ways to catch and report traffic violations under the ‘One Nation, One Challan’ programme of the Government of India. The methods integrated into the system include:

• Overhead CCTV e-challan system at major crossroads.
• On-spot traffic violation e-challan collected by head constables and higher-rank officers.
• Speed Gun systems put on interceptor vans.
• Violation on Camera (VoC) mobile application.
• Dashboard cameras (Dashcams) on police patrolling vehicles.
• Speed cameras on Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway to deter racers and dangerous drivers.

The first three systems were already in place earlier, with the CCTV network having been integrated in 2023, and the on-the-spot e-challan integrated with the national system in January 2024.

The fourth method involving the VoC application launched in October 2024, brought the 1,200-strong traffic constabulary into active violation reporting. They can just click a photo of the violation and send it to the control room, generating an e-challan, removing the need for cash and the prospect of corruption.

The fifth method, deployed in December 2024, was AI-based ‘dash cams’ — dashboard cameras on police vehicles with the ability to detect and automatically record traffic violations, leading to real-time monitoring of the traffic flow.

Speed cameras on the highway, specifically meant for rash drivers and “speed demons”, are in the process of being installed.

An recent interaction between a young man riding his bike sans helmet and a traffic police officer near Subhash Bridge caught the attention of a reporter of The Indian Express.

When the officer in white uniform stepped forward to take a photo of the registration plate of the bike and the rider, the offender was heard saying, “Sir, my house is just around the corner, please let me go.” The officer replied, “Look around you. Every rider has worn a helmet and only you have not, you will get a challan.” The young man then pleaded with the officer, saying that it was his brother’s bike and that if he got a challan, his brother would not allow him to use the bike in the future. Unmoved, the officer went on: “Then, you should have worn a helmet.” The officer then moved aside as the signal turned green.

Compounding punishments for multiple offences

The Ahmedabad Traffic Police also has a database of all repeat offenders, DCP Traffic (East) Safin Hasan had told this newspaper earlier this year, adding that the department, till December 2024, sent a list of 6,000 people who had more than three violations under their names, to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) suggesting their driving licence be suspended. The traffic police administration could not provide the latest list which has details of licences, against which there have been recommendations for suspension.

The Indian Express also spoke to S J Modi, the Assistant Commissioner Police (ACP) for Traffic Administration, on compounding traffic offences and punishments for the same.

ACP Modi said, “The Traffic Police sends details of two-wheelers whose riders have been fined thrice for not wearing a helmet to the RTO, along with a recommendation for licence suspension. The RTO has to decide and send notice before suspending those licences for three or six months, depending on the violations. The offender can drive their vehicle again once the suspension is lifted.”

Asked what happens if a person, whose licence has been suspended, is caught again, ACP Modi expounded, “If caught, the person cannot drive the vehicle and the police have the power to detain the vehicle. The person must then go in person, pay all the fines and can get the vehicle back.”

Need for change

Neeta Desai, DCP Traffic (West) for Ahmedabad City, told The Indian Express that the police are trying to inculcate the need for road safety in young minds by conducting awareness seminars in schools, hoping to “catch them young” so that the next generation may understand the responsibility and perils of road safety at a young age.

As authorities continue to push for stricter compliance, changing public attitudes remains a challenge. With thousands of riders navigating Ahmedabad’s busy roads daily, there is a growing need for stricter enforcement, increased awareness, and a shift in safety culture like never before.

(With inputs from Vishakha Toshniwal)

Sande Gona and Vishakha Toshniwal are interns with The Indian Express, Ahmedabad