Helmets in Chennai!

As I write this, the deadline (yes, another one!) nears -- May 28 -- for all us poor, hot, sweaty two-wheeler riders in Chennai to beware (again!) because the "compulsory helmet" law is being enforced (again!) This means that the righteous and incorruptible traffic police will have their already-enormous workload increased, apprehending and spot-fining (receipt?) guilty and criminal-like two-wheeler riders who dare to flout this law!

Now here's what I think ... for what it's worth. While I agree that wearing a helmet is a good idea (and I have always worn one from the time I began worrying about my personal safety on our clean, well-managed, well-regulated and politely-used roads) I do believe this should be a matter of personal choice and not ENFORCED! Riders of two-wheelers are not children and can surely decide for themselves. How can this guarantee to bring down the number of fatalities? My thinking is that, if traffic rules are strictly enforced (with emphasis being on EDUCATING riders and drivers, rather than APPREHENDING them), and offenders officially punished, rather than being let off for whatever reason, fatalities will come down.

If, however, the law-makers in Chennai are determined to ENFORCE the "helmets-for-two-wheeler-riders" law -- citing personal safety and bringing down fatalities as reasons -- then they should, for the same reasons, ENFORCE the following safety rules as well:-

• Seat-belts to be made compulsory for all drivers and passengers of all motorized three- and four-wheeler modes of transportation, including
• auto-rickshaws
• pick-up 3-wheelers
• taxis
• buses
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

• Passengers of buses may be exempt from wearing any headgear or seat-belts, of course.

• NO overloading and over-crowing of all three- and four-wheelers modes of transportation, including
• cycle-rickshaws
• auto-rickshaws (especially the school-pick-up ones)
• taxis
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

•  NO stopping beyond the demarcated areas at signal lights by any transport, including
• cycles
• cycle-rickshaws
• non-motorized three-wheelers (e.g., those used for transporting water bottles ...)
• bullock carts
• motorized two-wheelers
• auto-rickshaws
• taxis
• buses
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

•  NO illegal cutting across demarcated lanes by ANY transport, including
• cycles
• cycle-rickshaws
• non-motorized three-wheelers (e.g., those used for transporting water, etc.)
• bullock carts
• motorized two-wheelers
• auto-rickshaws!
• taxis
• buses!!
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

• NO illegal parking anywhere, especially on main, arterial roads by ANY transport.
• NO speeding.
• NO jay-walking by pedestrians ... especially if pavements exist.
• Pavements NOT to be used for any purpose other than for pedestrians.
• Where no pavements exist, these MUST be built.

 There are a lot more we can look at but the above will do for a start. (And hopefully signal lights will be allowed to work automatically and NOT by some trigger-happy traffic constable who sees it as his duty to manually operate some hidden switch at signals.)

Will we ever see all of this happening?

What do _you_ think?