Mumbai: Workshop on importance of helmets for kids

The figures by the Mumbai Traffic Department echo Tope’s concerns. According to the Mumbai Traffic Department, 99 bikers died in 2016 while 89 died in 2015 in road accidents.

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Amol and Rajashree Tope formed Succeed Safe in 2010. Prashant Nadkar

LOSING HIS nephew in a road accident was the trigger for activist Amol Tope to float an organisation that educates motorists on traffic rules. In the latest quest, Tope’s organisation is educating children on the use of helmets while riding pillion. Tope claims that in almost all accident cases concerning pillion riders, the traffic department has found that they were not wearing helmets.

Amol and his wife Rajashree Tope formed Succeed Safe organisation in 2010 to regularly conduct programmes on topics relating to road safety. The couple recently distributed helmets to underprivileged children whose parents ride two-wheelers. “We found that children often ride pillion with their parents and tend to become the prime target of motorcycle accidents. We hope they learn from our workshops and inspire their parents to follow the same,” said Tope.

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The figures by the Mumbai Traffic Department echo Tope’s concerns. According to the Mumbai Traffic Department, 99 bikers died in 2016 while 89 died in 2015 in road accidents. Also, 305 motorcyclists in comparison to 258 in 2015 were injured last year.

According to the central government rule, implemented last year, the police are supposed to impose a penalty of Rs 500 on pillion riders not wearing helmets. The city traffic department witnessed a 39 per cent increase in such cases and between January and September last year. They registered 13,185 more cases of driving without helmets. Surprisingly, figures received from the Road Transport Ministry’s office indicate that till now not a single case has been registered against pillion riders for riding without helmets. “We have counselled children on wearing helmets and have demonstrated how to wear it correctly. Post that, their parents were also trained and told to ensure that their children wear helmets on bikes while riding pillion. We were surprised to learn that many parents were not even aware of existing rules. Many of them told us that they were unaware of the traffic rules, mandating the children to wear helmets while riding pillion,” added Tope.

Around 5,000 helmets were distributed by this group last year in schools in Chembur, Kurla, Govandi and Dadar. While distributing the helmets to children, the organisation factored the size requirements to ensure that the helmets aren’t used by their adult family members.

“Teenagers are of impressionable minds and certain important concepts could be impressed upon them at this tender age. Our endeavour is that they learn and follow it,” Tope added.

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While Amol and Rajashree are both certified road safety trainers, the team includes four other members who conduct road safety sessions. What drives them towards the cause is knowing that there is nothing more important than being a ‘vigilant driver’. “I lost my nephew in a road accident when it was not even his fault. He was a bystander when a vehicle knocked him down. People do not realize that in our country road accidents kill as many people as those falling prey to fatal diseases,” he adds.

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