‘Helmetathon’ by Baldwins to create awareness

Baldwin Methodist College, one of the premiere colleges has started a unique initiative. This is not to allow any biker to enter college premises without helmet or even if a pillion hasn’t worn helmet. “One may ask us as to why are we checking at college premises. Well, it is observed that in most of the colleges, the students somehow try to sneak into the campus without wearing helmets. In other cases, the students tend to remove helmets once they find there is no cop on the road. So, we want to ensure that the students wear helmets all the time they are driving, we have launched a campaign to let inside a biker only if both biker and pillion (in case of a pillion rider accompanying a student) only with helmets, “said college principal Joshua Samuel adding that the Bengaluru police have announced of imposing fine for bikers not wearing helmets from Wednesday and this was the lasty ditch attempt from his institution to educate Benglaureans to wear helmets and help the police in this initiative.
Helmets are made compulsory for pillion riders in Bengaluru. Leave pillions, we still find that even bike riders are driving without helmets. Bengaluru has one of the highest two-wheeler population in the country with close to four million bikes being registered in the city. The city also accounts for one of the highest bike-related deaths and injuries in the country. Most of these deaths or severe cases are related to head injuries where biker or pillion were not wearing helmets. In fact, last week, saw three deaths in the city where bikers were not wearing helmets. So, it is time to raise awareness among the bikers for need of helmets.
In fact, the Baldwin students, were not just spreading the message of necessity of helmets inside the campus but also outside. The students took out a bike rally for creating awareness on Tuesday . The bike rally which started from the college campus to Shoolay Circle to Richmond Circle to Double Road to Nanjappa Circle to Langford road signal and finally culminated at Baldwin Methodist College. Addressing the rally, Dr Samuel said, “Statistics speak as to why one should wear helmets. For example, in Chennai, out of 1,453 bikers deaths during January 1, 2013 to June 28, 2015, 1,434 had not worn helmets while only 19 bikers with helmets had died. The figures are more or less same to Bengaluru or any other city in the country. There are a number of advantages of wearing helmets. If proper helmets are worn, it protects us from dust and eye infections, helmets protect heads from danger and so on.”
“Everyone was wondering why we took out a bike rally, But, our message was to convey that Bengaluru bikers need helmets at any cost and Bengaluru will abide by the law of wearing helmets,” said a student.

Date: 21 Jan, 2016

Source: This Week Bangalore