National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Helmet Headway

Officials step up enforcement of a 10-year-old provision to save lives

By NIRAJ POUDYAL

"It seems somewhat odd," says Akhilesh Mishra, a resident of Kirtipur, revving up his motorcycle engine. He was responding to the government's recent move to enforce regulations requiring motorcycle pillion riders to wear helmets and drivers of four-wheelers to fasten their safety belts.

As someone who regularly carries a friend on the back without a helmet, Mishra understands the motive behind the government's decision. But would it actually help reduce fatalities on the roads? Kumar Basnet, a taxi driver, is equally baffled. He thinks the decision is impractical because few taxis have facilities to mount safety belts, much less the straps themselves.

Officials, however, say they have good reason to believe the measure will work. "An increasing number of two wheelers are run by immature young riders, which originally compelled us to think more seriously about this provision of the act," says Sudip Acharya, deputy superintendent of police at the Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO). "We expect this will prevent a lot of bleeding on the roads."

The Department of Transportation and Management (DTM) and the VTPO decided to implement Clause 130 of the Traffic and Transportation Management Act in phases. "We are in the process of making pillion riders more aware about the value of wearing a helmet. We will set a time margin. Beyond that, we will take steps toward punishing those who disobey the provision," Acharya says.

Although the act was formulated 10 years back, this particular clause was not enforced properly. No one knows how many people have been killed or seriously injured because of this lapse, but the urgency to act has been felt.

The National Transportation Security Commission, chaired by the minister for labor and transportation, approved the decision after the DTM decided to enforce the clause, which proposes fines of between Rs.200 and Rs.1,000 for disobedience.

Hospital records buttress the government's safety argument. According to a study of 185 victims of motorcycle accidents, 33.3 percent of front-seat riders and 32.4 percent of back-seat riders were killed.

"If a rider not wearing a helmet gets into an accident, he has a great chance of sustaining serious injuries," says Dr. Gopal Khanal of Bir Hospital. "As for the back-seat rider, his chances of sustaining injuries is greater because his grip on the vehicle is weaker. Moreover, he is less prepared mentally for the impending accident."

According to a study conducted by the VTPO, pillion riders have a 100 percent chance of sustaining injuries in an accident, compared to 80 percent for the riders. Traffic experts say the possibility of receiving serious injuries is much greater if the pillion rider is a woman, because she is likely to keep both limbs on the same side of the bike.

There are more than 214,000 motorcycles registered across the country, of which more than 150,000 are listed in Bagmati Zone alone. So the scale of the impact is evident. All concerned sectors, including transportation labor unions, moreover, have welcomed the new decision, which is good news for the authorities.

Since most of the riders are immature youngsters, traffic officers will have a tough job ahead. Nevertheless, strict implementation of the safety measures can be expected to save a lot of precious lives and reduce serious head injuries. While helmet producers and traders have good reason to be glad, the ultimate beneficiary will be society at large.