A large number of parents in Karachi disappointed as the robust drive of Karachi traffic police against helmet-less bike drivers ran out of steam after a good show for a couple of weeks.
In May this year, the Karachi traffic police had announced that from June 1, 2015, every bike rider, diver or pillion rider, male or female, would have to wear protective crash helmet or pay fine or face jail. This bold decision was highly welcomed by parents who were worried about their bike riding children, as in Karachi young bikers not wearing helmets were main target of head injuries in road accidents. However, as expected this helmet-compulsory drive was not in alignment with rural-minded governance style of Sindh rulers and it was practically shelved, saving a few challans a day as eye wash.
In developed countries, safety of women and children is considered critically necessary but even before the helmet-compulsory drive could start no other but the inspector general of police himself exempted the female pillion riders from wearing safety helmets. Had some police boss in any civilised urban city announced such a decision, he would have faced a severe backlash from public and media as women’s safety is given more importance to men’s in the educated societies.
It has been observed that a large number of bikers violate the rule of wearing helmet in the city. This results in fatal head injuries during accidents. These accidents are common on congested roads including Shahra-e-Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, Shahra-e-Quideen, University Road, Tariq Road, Korangi Road, National Highway and many others arteries.
In developed countries, no one is allowed to ride even a ‘bicycle’ without wearing crash helmet and safety jackets because their administrations believe in “safety first is safety always”. However, in our part of the world the government officials are playing with the lives of citizens. They do not taking action when bike-riders do not wear helmets. Unprotected ride of motorcycle is very dangerous as the most sensitive part of the human body, the head, is not protected.
It has been seen on city’s different roads that young motorcyclists ride their bikes without following the traffic rules and regulations and are often seen violating the speed limit, and one way rule freely. When contacted, DIG Traffic Police Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh said that action against traffic law violators never stopped as it continued as per traffic laws in the city. He said sometimes they would start a campaign to get attention of traffic law violators and media so that negligent people could follow the law.
