Till date,over 16,000 caught for not wearing ISI-marked headgear A few days ago,Ludhiana resident Sanjeev Azad,riding his motorcycle,was challaned near Kalagram in Chandigarh. Sanjeev was baffled,since he was wearing a helmet. He questioned the traffic policeman,and was coolly told that the challan was for not wearing an ISI-marked helmet. This is the new dilemma for those coming to the city from the neighbouring states. While they know that not wearing a helmet invites an immediate challan in Chandigarh,they are seldom aware of the other rule in the book where helmets are concerned: that these must be ISI marked. In fact,the challan issued by the traffic police carries a note in this regard. The traffic police officers state that not wearing an ISI-marked helmet is as good as not wearing the headgear. The non-ISI marked helmets are ineffective and do not offer any real protection in case of a mishap, said Major Singh,the traffic policeman who challaned Azad. We try to spread awareness in this regard,and issue challans so that two-wheeler riders ensure that they wear the right kind of helmet. Otherwise,they can suffer grievous injuries in the event of an accident, he added. Helmet-less driving continues to be a major area where motorists are challaned. Till October 22,the traffic police had challaned 13,959 persons for driving without a helmet. The number of pillion riders challaned for not wearing a helmet stood at 8,211. Interestingly,a whopping 11,985 drivers of two-wheelers have been challaned for not wearing an ISI-marked helmet this year. Wearing of a similar helmet is essential for male pillion riders too. Till October 22 this year,4,747 challans have been issued to pillion riders for not wearing an ISI-marked helmet. Traffic cops admit that while two-wheeler riders from other cities get caught because they are usually not aware of the rule,local violators are usually those who hail from colonies or villages. A large number of roadside vendors who used to sell cheap,non-ISI marked helmets were booked by the police in order to stop sales of the unauthorised product. The biggest traffic offence,however,remains jumping of red or yellow light,and is common to all categories of motorists those driving two-wheelers or four-wheelers. Till October 22 this year,23,544 challans have been issued in this regard,as against 28,095 challans in the same category last year.
