Stubborn Resistance to the New Helmet Law !!

normally_crazy · 22nd January 2005, 11:04

guys ,

now that a law has been passed in mumbai making helmets compulsory for 2 wheeler riders and the pillions too - everybody is up in arms against this law !!

i mean how stupid can people be , after all the helmets are there for their safety only !! but the guys who ride care a damn , their only concern is saving some 500 odd bucks in lieu of their life !!

I mean why are we so resistant to change ?? that too a change which benefits us !!

and there are silly reasons being given out for not wearing a helmet , 2 classic ones come to mind immd.
1) i have been riding 20 years without a helmet so why now ?

2) i have to ride just 5 mins away , whats gonna happen in 5 mins ?

i mean how idiotic can people get ???

yes there are problems - like the cops will never wear a helmet or a seat belt ( god knows why ) but still ....

can we at team-bhp have a banner on our site supporting this law making helmets compulsory ?? we could have it for a week or a month !! the mods and GTO could work it out !

or you guys have any ideas how we can make these fools see the light??

cheers

Dippy · 22nd January 2005, 11:34

Typical Indian mentality thats all I can say. Like you said, now its the helmets earlier it was for seatbelts. Till today most of the drivers wear seatbelts just becaues the rule is there. For eg to go to my place one takes a turn from the highway to get into Thakur village. Once inside Thakur Village these fellows take off the sealtbelts saying theres no cops inside here..how idiotic can that be?

Damn even if i drive out for 2 min I wear my belt. Something should be done. The banner idea is quite good. Lets see how that works out

Dippy

GTO · 22nd January 2005, 12:20

Great stuff NC. We will certainly show our public support for this initiative.

Will call you and work the rest out. Thanks much for this suggestion!

GTO

koolsun216 · 22nd January 2005, 12:37

hmm..donno bout others but i hv got habituated to wearing a seatbelt as soon as sit in the car be it the drivers seat or the seat next to the driver and i urge every family member and friend to wear it,same goes with my helmet never leave without it,never used to wear helmets b4 but its a matter of time, u get used to it and then u realise the advantage of wearing the safety gears.it saves!

Stratos · 22nd January 2005, 14:42

Gr8 idea NC. I just hope this Helmet rule takes off a flying start in the same way as today most of the drivers wear a seatbelt. Half of them are doing a favour on the law by wearing them but still.

F50 · 22nd January 2005, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

and there are silly reasons being given out for not wearing a helmet , 2 classic ones come to mind immd.
1) i have been riding 20 years without a helmet so why now ?

2) i have to ride just 5 mins away , whats gonna happen in 5 mins ?

cheers

3) i dont own a bike and i ride, then why should i buy a helmet?

This rule was passed i think in july? Again, suddenly they got up for this helmet thing. It should have been made compulsory years ago even before the seat belts.
You are right NC, then people will say " Paisa khane ka tha isliye". I mean come on when will they wake up?
But, this rule is going to create problem for me too. I dont have a bike so in college whenever im going anywhere just take friends bike and go. And if he or anyone else is riding with me where am i going to get the second helmet from?
And its being made compulsory for pillion riders too, oh man now next thing on shopping list is a helmet.

Technocrat · 22nd January 2005, 18:52

If u ride then ur at risk & hence u need an helmet simple

Well u can always wear the bike owners helmet.. but it wud be nice if u got ur own

devil_in_flesh · 23rd January 2005, 00:54

i think its a great law... n i totally support it!! also as far as the pillion rider is concerned... he/she is also facing the same risk as the rider himself... and come on.... how tough can it be to carry arnd 2 helmets... it might look a lil outt place if u've got a fancy bike... but again ... i think its really cool!!! guys ... our lifes at stake here!!!! also 1 can get really fancy helmets if they r so image concious. i think this whole conept of helmets should be acessorised.. so tht people will atleast were 1 cause it looks cool!!! count me in for ur banner nc... cheers!!

normally_crazy · 23rd January 2005, 12:40

[color=red]I mean the least the 2 wheeler manufacturers can do is atleast provide 1 helmet with every 2 wheeler sold instead of offering insuarance and registration free !! and it wont be hard on their pocket too !![/color]

wat say ? can we get this message across to the dealers somehow?

and yeah i can already see the winds of change !! on my way to work today moring , i counted 12 bikes out of which 11 had both riders with helmet !!

that made my morning !!

cheers

X-Machine · 23rd January 2005, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

[color=red]I mean the least the 2 wheeler manufacturers can do is atleast provide 1 helmet with every 2 wheeler sold instead of offering insuarance and registration free !! and it wont be hard on their pocket too !![/color]

Wait for a month or so.Im sure they gonna start with this by themselves.

The law is really good,infact it came up a lil too late.But its more than welcome.Infact,its afterall for the riders safety.

X

Rtech · 23rd January 2005, 22:10

Sorry guys, I'm not with you here. While I fully support the wearing of helmets, I also support the right to make a choice for myself. We are slowly but surely getting restricted by the 'big brother'. He tells us when we should go home in the night, when we should stop shopping, when we should shut down our parties...the list goes on.

If I ride a bike and don't wear a helmet, thats my choice. I would like to keep it that way. I detest having someone infringe on my personal decisions.

The US has been through this and has gone a full circle. From no law, to the helmet law and now back to the freedom to chose (in some states).

If the govt. is really concerned about the safety of us bikers, lets see then make good roads without huge potholes round blind corners that could kill a person whether he is wearing a helmet or not.

normally_crazy · 23rd January 2005, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtech

Sorry guys, I'm not with you here. While I fully support the wearing of helmets, I also support the right to make a choice for myself. We are slowly but surely getting restricted by the 'big brother'. He tells us when we should go home in the night, when we should stop shopping, when we should shut down our parties...the list goes on.

If I ride a bike and don't wear a helmet, thats my choice. I would like to keep it that way. I detest having someone infringe on my personal decisions.

The US has been through this and has gone a full circle. From no law, to the helmet law and now back to the freedom to chose (in some states).

If the govt. is really concerned about the safety of us bikers, lets see then make good roads without huge potholes round blind corners that could kill a person whether he is wearing a helmet or not.

i agree with the point u make above rt !! but with the kinda mentality the ppl have here - u tell me how many drivers wud be wearing seatbelts if it wasnt compulsory ????

my point is why dont we understand that wearing helmets is for or own safety and if for that we go and scrounge for a few hundred bucks , we deserve our fate !!

no one is bothered here and thats y big brother has to step in and order us around - if we all used our brains and understood the safety tht comes with the helemts u think this law wud have come in ?

[color=red]even now the people who are buying helmets are buying out of fear of paying a 100 buck fine , instead of thinking that the helmets will protect us !![/color]

rite?

Rtech · 24th January 2005, 10:25

Hey NC, I do agree with your point that unless its a law, people will not bother.

What I don't like is the reasoning behind our Govt. enforcing this law. Is it really that they are so worried about the safety of bikers that they decided, after more than a decade, to start enforcing this law?

Call me a pessimist, but I think not. I think this is an easy revenue source for them. Its much easier to spot a person not wearing a helmet than it is to see someone not wearing their seatbelt.

Speaking of seatbelts, I find it fascinating that you can take a taxi without seatbelts, bald tyres (at best) useless drivers straight from the village, with an unchecked gas cyclinder in the boot. I mean seriously, our taxi's are the single most dangerous moving objects on the roads today. Let the Govt. incorporate some safety measures there. This is a form of public transport, so this should be their priority.

Also, how many of these so called helmets are actually safe? you see them being sold on the roadside, fake ISI marking an everything! You see people wearing hard hats which are for construction sites, not for motorcycles.

And another thing, have you ever been ridden during the summer? 40 degrees, sun, and stuck in traffic. Try wearing a helmet at that time.

normally_crazy · 25th January 2005, 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtech

Hey NC, I do agree with your point that unless its a law, people will not bother.

What I don't like is the reasoning behind our Govt. enforcing this law. Is it really that they are so worried about the safety of bikers that they decided, after more than a decade, to start enforcing this law?

Call me a pessimist, but I think not. I think this is an easy revenue source for them. Its much easier to spot a person not wearing a helmet than it is to see someone not wearing their seatbelt.

Speaking of seatbelts, I find it fascinating that you can take a taxi without seatbelts, bald tyres (at best) useless drivers straight from the village, with an unchecked gas cyclinder in the boot. I mean seriously, our taxi's are the single most dangerous moving objects on the roads today. Let the Govt. incorporate some safety measures there. This is a form of public transport, so this should be their priority.

Also, how many of these so called helmets are actually safe? you see them being sold on the roadside, fake ISI marking an everything! You see people wearing hard hats which are for construction sites, not for motorcycles.

And another thing, have you ever been ridden during the summer? 40 degrees, sun, and stuck in traffic. Try wearing a helmet at that time.

[color=blue]Rt,[/color]
[color=#0000ff][/color]

[color=blue]pal we need to have some faith in the govt atleast - which i know is difficult but i trust them and support them on this law !! yes it is for our safety and the faster we understand that the better it is for us ![/color]

[color=blue][/color]
[color=blue]regarding the taxis , i agree with u that the taxis are unsafe but then again with such a pro-active taxi union that we have which threatens to paralyse the city everytime the govt tries something with them .. wut can they do ?? if the taxi strike is on allow the people to get looted by the autos ?? the govt has to be firm on this - i agree with u dude !![/color]

[color=blue][/color]
[color=blue]regarding the Non-ISI branded helmets available on the roadside , we cant do anything coz the ppl buy it just becoz it saves them some cash !! but i can say that i have urged quite a few people to buy helmets and have ensured that they buy the ISI marked ones not the cheap roadside ones. i can say this that atleast in my factory i have been able to get quite a few people ride safetly !! [/color]

[color=red][/color]
[color=red]THIS WE COULD ADD IN THE BANNER TOO - GTO ( ALWAYS USE ISI BRANDED HELMETS)[/color]

[color=blue][/color]
[color=blue]and riding in the hot sun in 40 degrees wearing a helmet is something that i have done all my life before i got a car !! i owned quite a few bikes - indsuzuki lml vespa and the shogun and wutever the conditions i always wore a helmet and a jacket !! its just a matter of getting used to it !! maybe it was the thrill of not getting recognnised when i sped like a demon i guess !![/color]

[color=blue][/color]
[color=blue]cheers[/color]

vinsanity · 25th January 2005, 12:38

Thought will all this discussions i'l chip in with what happened here in Kerala when the helmet rule came out..

As usual in kerala, people protested.. Some people went with mud pots on their heads just to mock the govt.. How dumb can that be..
Ladies complained of hair loss n stuff(What hair if their aint no head?!!).. Jesus, how stupid can they get..
There were protests all over the place..
Cops made some serious cash as they caught lots of guys without helmets....
People complained that the govt had taken bribe from the Helmet waalaas(Boy, no comments on that one)..
Like, its the govt's need to save u'r life.. When will people learn..
Some think its unkool to have a helmet on(Gotto grow up guys)..
Finally after lots of pressure from the people, the rule is cancelled...
Finally people feel they have got their freedom back(God save these people)....

And talking about ISI mark.... People put the sticker on any other helmet and sell them...
One of my sister's friend's once fell of from his CBZ and crashed into the divider(had Metal railings).. The helmet did crack and break open on impact, instead it got crushed.. Man, the left half of his face was completely disfigured...
So gotto be very careful while buying them too..
Everyone would go for the cheapest one and then pay the price later.....

Definetly something has to be done about this......

22nd January 2005, 11:04	#1
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	Stubborn Resistance to the New Helmet Law !! guys , now that a law has been passed in mumbai making helmets compulsory for 2 wheeler riders and the pillions too - everybody is up in arms against this law !! i mean how stupid can people be , after all the helmets are there for their safety only !! but the guys who ride care a damn , their only concern is saving some 500 odd bucks in lieu of their life !! I mean why are we so resistant to change ?? that too a change which benefits us !! and there are silly reasons being given out for not wearing a helmet , 2 classic ones come to mind immd. 1) i have been riding 20 years without a helmet so why now ? 2) i have to ride just 5 mins away , whats gonna happen in 5 mins ? i mean how idiotic can people get ??? yes there are problems - like the cops will never wear a helmet or a seat belt ( god knows why ) but still .... can we at team-bhp have a banner on our site supporting this law making helmets compulsory ?? we could have it for a week or a month !! the mods and GTO could work it out ! or you guys have any ideas how we can make these fools see the light?? cheers
	() Thanks

22nd January 2005, 11:34	#2
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,561 Thanked: 2,470 Times	Typical Indian mentality thats all I can say. Like you said, now its the helmets earlier it was for seatbelts. Till today most of the drivers wear seatbelts just becaues the rule is there. For eg to go to my place one takes a turn from the highway to get into Thakur village. Once inside Thakur Village these fellows take off the sealtbelts saying theres no cops inside here..how idiotic can that be? Damn even if i drive out for 2 min I wear my belt. Something should be done. The banner idea is quite good. Lets see how that works out Dippy
	() Thanks

22nd January 2005, 12:20	#3
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,785 Times View My Garage	Great stuff NC. We will certainly show our public support for this initiative. Will call you and work the rest out. Thanks much for this suggestion! GTO
	() Thanks

22nd January 2005, 12:37	#4
koolsun216 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: mumbai Posts: 103 Thanked: 3 Times View My Garage	hmm..donno bout others but i hv got habituated to wearing a seatbelt as soon as sit in the car be it the drivers seat or the seat next to the driver and i urge every family member and friend to wear it,same goes with my helmet never leave without it,never used to wear helmets b4 but its a matter of time, u get used to it and then u realise the advantage of wearing the safety gears.it saves!
	() Thanks

22nd January 2005, 14:42	#5
Stratos Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,609 Thanked: 1,449 Times View My Garage	Gr8 idea NC. I just hope this Helmet rule takes off a flying start in the same way as today most of the drivers wear a seatbelt. Half of them are doing a favour on the law by wearing them but still.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2005, 18:52	#7
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	If u ride then ur at risk & hence u need an helmet simple Well u can always wear the bike owners helmet.. but it wud be nice if u got ur own
	() Thanks

23rd January 2005, 00:54	#8
devil_in_flesh BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 93 Thanked: 6 Times	i think its a great law... n i totally support it!! also as far as the pillion rider is concerned... he/she is also facing the same risk as the rider himself... and come on.... how tough can it be to carry arnd 2 helmets... it might look a lil outt place if u've got a fancy bike... but again ... i think its really cool!!! guys ... our lifes at stake here!!!! also 1 can get really fancy helmets if they r so image concious. i think this whole conept of helmets should be acessorised.. so tht people will atleast were 1 cause it looks cool!!! count me in for ur banner nc... cheers!!
	() Thanks

23rd January 2005, 12:40	#9
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	[color=red]I mean the least the 2 wheeler manufacturers can do is atleast provide 1 helmet with every 2 wheeler sold instead of offering insuarance and registration free !! and it wont be hard on their pocket too !![/color] wat say ? can we get this message across to the dealers somehow? and yeah i can already see the winds of change !! on my way to work today moring , i counted 12 bikes out of which 11 had both riders with helmet !! that made my morning !! cheers Last edited by normally_crazy : 23rd January 2005 at 12:41.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2005, 22:10	#11
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	Sorry guys, I'm not with you here. While I fully support the wearing of helmets, I also support the right to make a choice for myself. We are slowly but surely getting restricted by the 'big brother'. He tells us when we should go home in the night, when we should stop shopping, when we should shut down our parties...the list goes on. If I ride a bike and don't wear a helmet, thats my choice. I would like to keep it that way. I detest having someone infringe on my personal decisions. The US has been through this and has gone a full circle. From no law, to the helmet law and now back to the freedom to chose (in some states). If the govt. is really concerned about the safety of us bikers, lets see then make good roads without huge potholes round blind corners that could kill a person whether he is wearing a helmet or not.
	() Thanks

24th January 2005, 10:25	#13
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	Hey NC, I do agree with your point that unless its a law, people will not bother. What I don't like is the reasoning behind our Govt. enforcing this law. Is it really that they are so worried about the safety of bikers that they decided, after more than a decade, to start enforcing this law? Call me a pessimist, but I think not. I think this is an easy revenue source for them. Its much easier to spot a person not wearing a helmet than it is to see someone not wearing their seatbelt. Speaking of seatbelts, I find it fascinating that you can take a taxi without seatbelts, bald tyres (at best) useless drivers straight from the village, with an unchecked gas cyclinder in the boot. I mean seriously, our taxi's are the single most dangerous moving objects on the roads today. Let the Govt. incorporate some safety measures there. This is a form of public transport, so this should be their priority. Also, how many of these so called helmets are actually safe? you see them being sold on the roadside, fake ISI marking an everything! You see people wearing hard hats which are for construction sites, not for motorcycles. And another thing, have you ever been ridden during the summer? 40 degrees, sun, and stuck in traffic. Try wearing a helmet at that time.
	() Thanks

25th January 2005, 12:38	#15
vinsanity BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Patna Posts: 609 Thanked: 2 Times	Thought will all this discussions i'l chip in with what happened here in Kerala when the helmet rule came out.. As usual in kerala, people protested.. Some people went with mud pots on their heads just to mock the govt.. How dumb can that be.. Ladies complained of hair loss n stuff(What hair if their aint no head?!!).. Jesus, how stupid can they get.. There were protests all over the place.. Cops made some serious cash as they caught lots of guys without helmets.... People complained that the govt had taken bribe from the Helmet waalaas(Boy, no comments on that one).. Like, its the govt's need to save u'r life.. When will people learn.. Some think its unkool to have a helmet on(Gotto grow up guys).. Finally after lots of pressure from the people, the rule is cancelled... Finally people feel they have got their freedom back(God save these people).... And talking about ISI mark.... People put the sticker on any other helmet and sell them... One of my sister's friend's once fell of from his CBZ and crashed into the divider(had Metal railings).. The helmet did crack and break open on impact, instead it got crushed.. Man, the left half of his face was completely disfigured... So gotto be very careful while buying them too.. Everyone would go for the cheapest one and then pay the price later..... Definetly something has to be done about this...... Last edited by vinsanity : 25th January 2005 at 12:41.
	() Thanks