Ahmedabad: Rs 2 crore fine collected in 2 weeks in crackdown on driving without helmets

Under Section 129 of the amended act, every individual aged four and above is required to wear protective headgear while riding a motorcycle

ahmedabad, Gujarat police, helmet, Gujarat RTO fine, two-wheeler fine, motor riders, Gujarat traffic, road safety, road safety rules, Indian express news

Under the act, individuals aged four and above are required to wear protective headgear while riding motorcycle. (File Photo)

Written by: Vidhi Turakhia

4 min readAhmedabadSep 11, 2024 05:58 AM IST First published on: Sep 11, 2024 at 02:09 AM IST

The Ahmedabad City police have collected a fine of over Rs 2 crore in just two weeks against challans issued to 44,204 two-wheeler riders for not wearing helmets, according to data shared by an officer in the Ahmedabad traffic department.

The police began the crackdown on those breaking driving rules, including people riding two-wheelers without helmets, following a Gujarat High Court directive last month.

Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) (Traffic) NN Chaudhary said that as part of the ongoing drive, a total of 44,204 cases of riding without helmets were made out, bringing in a fine of Rs 2,20,87,100 from August 20 to September 6.

According to data provided by the Ahmedabad Traffic Police, 422 accidents took place in the city between January and August this year.

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The casualties included 97 two-wheeler riders who were not wearing helmets, apart from 259 people who were grievously injured.

On the other hand, only one of the deceased was wearing a helmet, as per Ahmedabad Traffic Police.

Shailesh Modi, ACP, Traffic Police, Ahmedabad, said, “We usually try to carry out drives regarding a specific issue at a time – whether it is helmet, seat belt, wrong-side driving, etc. Ahmedabad Traffic police is understaffed and it becomes difficult to catch every offender.”

Why some riders avoid wearing helmets

Meanwhile, The Indian Express spoke to some riders in the city on why they did not like wearing helmets.Nandish Jasani, a 43-year-old resident of Vastrapur, said high temperatures experienced for a major part of the year makes driving with helmets on uncomfortable for riders. “Helmets can make them feel hot and sweaty, especially in humid conditions. Some riders feel it is unnecessary to wear helmets for short trips around the city. The act of repeatedly putting on and taking off a helmet can be seen as inconvenient,” he added. Kunal Oza, a 46-year-old resident of Old City of Ahmedabad, simply remarked, “I don’t like wearing a helmet.” When asked if he was concerned about the risk of accidents on the account of not wearing a helmet, he said, “The roads should be in good condition if the government is collecting tax. There are so many potholes, and they (the authorities) don’t worry about safety there. We pay taxes – road tax, GST — but they only focus on safety when it comes to helmets.”

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The Motor Vehicles Act (MV) 1988 was amended in 2019 to bring in significant changes, including the addition of 63 clauses that increased penalties for various traffic violations. The Gujarat government, under then Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, had slashed the fines proposed by the Centre under the MV Act. The fine for not wearing a helmet was cut down from Rs 1,000 to Rs 500, which was still higher than the existing fine of Rs 100, in Gujarat.

Under Section 129 of the amended act, every individual aged four and above is required to wear protective headgear while riding a motorcycle. This regulation applies to both the rider and the pillion passenger.

(Vidhi Turakhia is an intern with The Indian Express)

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