I am back after a small travel break! I have always wondered about why people on road avoid wearing a helmet. This time, its not about Australia but my home country India!

A new topic, a new perspective!

Woofoooo! What a weather. Where are we going with pollution? And traffic?? My goodness! Terrible and terrific!! When I look at the traffic, I see more motor-cyclists on the road who are always on the rush. Some riding with helmet, some carrying a helmet and majority carrying a don’t care attitude!

So, what made me bring this on? Hmmmmmm, after witnessing a head injury, spot death, which could have very well been avoided with a helmet! 🥺I have heard about lots of accidents, it bothers you and affects you when it happens to your friends or family but when you witness the death, it blows hard and does leave an impact! 😱I have never been on the road driving a 2 wheeler, so wanted to understand why the drivers wear no helmet when it has been repeatedly insisted & been in headlines too! Checking if there is anything that can be done to make it a better reach!

I understand there has been a huge increase in the two-wheeler on-road in the recent times. So called reasons behind everyone urging for a motor bike was increase in bus fare ( really??🥺), pride to ride in a bike (😮whaatt a shame!), quickest mode of transport (Of-course yes, when you don’t follow traffic rules, when you go between cars which is impossible for a bus or auto 🧐). To top it all, there was also a subsidy announced (Oh no!😞) which helped increase the number. Yep, everything is just a number, increase in the number of accidents, increase in deaths! 👿

I decided to brain storm with few of my driving friends as to why they don’t wear a helmet! What is it stopping them? Some of those reasons quoted are genuine whilst some sounded more like excuses.  Read on to find out more..

Relating to Hair – Hair fall, Too much of sweat leading to dandruff, Baldness, Spoils hairstyle

Better Rider – I am a good rider and I don’t need a helmet, I drive slow, I am a safe driver, I am not a youngster to speed! Youngster says, I am not old and I can balance well!

Questions raised – Do you have a helmet for heart or other body parts?, Do you have a proof of preventing injury?

Lame excuses – Spoils my view / sight, Can’t hear the back seater, Death by head injury is easy than living with broken body parts!

Quality – Helmets are not foolproof, no good quality, no proper size, no proper design, no proper colours!

Blame game – There are autos which carry more than 3 people andyou need to fix them before coming tome, when the Driver himself doesn’t wear, why should the pillion rider do?, Traffic police themselves don’t wear one!

Silly reasons – Waste of time, energy and money, It is a myth that it saves life, helmet industry is yet another corporate gimmick.

Genuine reasons – Hard to carry, hard to store, sticking like a handbag, sometimes its too smelly, horrible in summer (365 days are hotter in India), helps mobile handling easier but very distracting and dangerous! Prickly and heavy, causing head-ache, neck pain!

Personally what I feel is that the Govt rules are sparing. The rules are to be strict for an enforcement and it should apply to every person. No one should be exempted! It is an offence and to be treated as one! ☹️The traffic police fines a meagre amount ranging from Rs.100 to Rs.300 and some are happy to pay this amount. Guess what! There are also people who know where the traffic police would be and wear helmets just before the stop. [Why can’t they stand everywhere, or not be predictable or apply some-other technique, why not install cameras? It is frustrating to know the leniency when it is matter of life!]

Some people do carry helmets but are not keen in wearing while riding. Forget the pillion rider who never wears one! 🙄

There are different types / varieties in the market – Open-face, Full-face, Half-face, Flip-Up etc. — Not sure how many riders out there have an idea of all of this.😦People should be educated as to which would suit them the best.

Impose a law of compulsory helmet for driver and the passenger or the back seater or the pillion rider! No more than 2 in a two-wheeler! When wearing a helmet can save a life, it should be made a part of the vehicle!

Suggestion — Whenever the vehicle is sold, the helmet should be made a mandate or for half the rate or at-least free of cost! 😉

(Whenever there is something announced free, you know where to take it)!! 🤔