The Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017, highlight provisions for the safety of children riding pillion. They state — “The driver shall ensure that a child up to twelve years of age is seated in an appropriate child restraint system, wherever provided. And wherever provided by or under the law, the rider of a motor cycle, with or without a side car, and the pillion-rider and occupant of the side car shall wear protective head gear of such other safety device as specified under any law for the time being in force.” SSP (UT) Shashank Anand said, “Traffic police is authorised to issue challans against violations of these provisions.” Experts say that certain automobile agencies of four-wheelers and two-wheelers are encouraging people to not allow their children to sit on the front seats of cars or stand in the cavity between the handle of a two-wheeler and the rider’s seat. Road safety expert Harman Sidhu said, “Children are the most vulnerable, especially riding on two-wheelers in road accidents. An amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, making it mandatory for children above 4 years to wear helmets has been pending in Parliament for a long time.” He added, “People should take preventive measures for their children. On two-wheelers, never carry two children together. There must be an adult for the safety of the child on the pillion seat. In four-wheeler, children should be seated at the back. People should use car seats.” Navdeep Asija, another road safety expert, said, “A person cannot carry more than one child on a two-wheeler. It is a violation of traffic rules, which ban triple riding on a two-wheeler. I personally suggest people educate their children to use safety gear while riding on two-wheelers. If a child can use safety gear riding a bicycle then why not while sitting on a two-wheeler?”
