175 helmet-less bikers died this year: Police chief says Pune residents need to introspect

According to figures from the Pune Traffic Police, 175 two-wheeler riders were killed on the roads of Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad in the last nine months; none of them were wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. In the same period in 2016, 140 riders died in two-wheeler accidents, and none of them had worn helmets either.

“Riding without helmets on Pune’s roads is a dangerous proposition. A head injury is a very serious matter… riders need to understand that. If they sustain an injury to other parts of the body, the chances of survival are higher. But in case of a head injury, the chances of survival are lower. That’s why two-wheeler riders must never avoid wearing a helmet,” she said.

The police commissioner also appealed to Pune residents to come forward with suggestions for launching a ‘mission to save the lives of two-wheleer riders’.

Before going ahead with the mission,there was a need to think about ways to drastically reduce the death rate of bikers, said Shukla. “… Local residents and experts should come forward with suggestions. It will help us launch the mission…,” she said.

To make the mission successful, Shukla said she will talk to the commissioners of Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the PMPML chairman, the Vice-Chancellor of Pune university, principals of city-based colleges, and experts. “I will personally talk to them to find ways to save young lives,” she said.

In the absence of an effective public transport system, two-wheelers have remained Pune’s favourite mode of transport. As per the latest figures, there are over 37 lakh two-wheelers in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. In 1997, there were 185 two-wheelers per 1,000 persons in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, but in 20 years, the number has risen to a whopping 663 per 1,000 persons.

Prashant Inamdar, convenor of Pedestrians First, said since local residents seemed to increasingly prefer two-wheelers, and the PMPML “refuses to improve its services drastically”, it is important to make every possible effort to ensure the safety of two-wheeler riders.

Welcoming the police chief’s initiative, Inamdar said, “Whether it is the PMC or PCMC or other authorities in Pune, nobody has ever given a serious thought about the way youngsters are dying on our roads. These are avoidable deaths. Officials need to take concrete steps…”. Inamdar said the mission “should not be like the traffic safety weeks”. “… Instead of focusing on fining people, issuing them warnings should do the trick,” he said.