[ruzbehxyz]

Most ridiculous decision. When two wheeler users were slowly moving towards helmets this decision is a major set back.

They have to realise that two wheelers need the helmet even when they are stopped.

[tilt]

I am a little surprised that people here are castigating the Gujarat minsister for this when there is already a long-existent precedent for this: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1321824/ where Sikhs are exempt from wearing helmets. Where is the outrage about this? Or were people here ignorant of this?


By the way, this stupidity is not limited to India. Some provinces in Canada, Australia and the UK have similar exemptions for Sikhs.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...tion-1.4817828


https://motorcycleminds.org/2017/10/...met-exemption/


https://canadamotoguide.com/2018/04/...r-sikh-riders/


And then again, in the USA, there are quite a few states where helmets are not required.


https://www.edgarsnyder.com/motorcyc...e-helmet-laws/


My personal take on this: this is a great way to control population and help evolution by systematically getting rid of the idiots, thereby making the overall population more intelligent - evolution "evolves" to not letting idiots be born.


In addition, like others here have said - such riders and passengers should be refused any compensation or justice. Medical treatment should be on their own dime.



Finally, the helmets that are worn (and being sold here) should be worn properly, sized properly, should meet proper safety standards (meaning, minimum DOT, preferably Snell. ISI is a joke.)


Cheers

[ZenMaster]

I guess taking 4 people on a bike and driving in the wrong direction on one way roads (even though a 3 lane highway in your direction is available ) should also be made legal.

[GeeTee TSI]

While the move is regressive beyond doubt, the saving grace if it can be called so; is that there is no harm to law abiding citizens caused by helmet less riders (unlike say, diluting fines for traffic offences like drunken driving)

[jailbird_fynix]

"I couldn't care less whether they wear the dang helmet or not, it's not my head on the line."

How would any of you feel if you got into an accident with a rider who wasn't wearing a helmet and just because of that, he ends up with a grievous head injury or even worse, gets flatlined? Even if you weren't to be blamed in the slightest, wouldn't you still feel bad? Aren't we all just human beings at the end of the day?

Watching people strictly wear helmets on our chaotic and unpredictable roads is a relief. It's as much as an assurance to pedestrians and 4-wheel drivers as it is for the riders and their families. Else, they all should drive like saints and obey the rules to the 'T'. We all know that's not going to happen anytime soon.

[bordeaux]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

Stopping at red lights too should be made optional within city limits, but compulsory on highways and village roads.

Your response clearly shows that you have never been to Ahmedabad or any other Gujarat city. That's how it currently works over there :-) The first time I visited Ahmedabad, I felt like an NRI who just returned to India. Only difference was that I was visiting from Hyderabad.

[HooghlyBoy]

THIS IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING !!!!
I don't understand why is the Motor Vehicles Act 2019 uniform implementation not happening? We are such a large country with a huge population and one of World's largest market for 2 wheelers. Nitin Gadkari did a right thing by bringing it but it never got any solid backing of lawmakers from his own party including PM Modi.
In Kolkata you can see Posters from Kolkata Police screaming NO HELMET=HELL MET.
Guess Indian politicians don't mind these things as they roam the roads in Top Trim SUVs !!!

[fhdowntheline]

This is the age of populism. Cue the helmet rule, Hyderabad encounter.. I guess governments that try to impose hardline policies need to understand that you must be prepared for initial unpleasant consequences but stay focused. That said, they need to enforce in the right areas- safety features in vehicles, electric/ hybrid transition.

[aveemashfaq]

People these days have absolutely no regard for their own safety. I consistently see bikers overtake into disappearing gaps, going the wrong way so stupidly(I think we can accept the fact that there are a lot of wrong-way'ers but I have seen baffoons who go on the median of divided highway i.e. wrong way in the fast lane), I have seen people who on a very narrow two way road come to overtake my car going in a train of vehicles with oncoming traffic on the other side and these morons come at the speed of light, trying to overtake me just with the hope that I would come to a halt and give them a spot in front of me in that dense traffic and if I don't, they do stunts to come beside my car and start yelling back at me for not letting them pass at a place where there is no gap for them to pass


I once had the mis/fortune to be pillion to a biker like that and asked him that he could see there was no gap, was he in a hurry to die? His reply was simply that "You die some day and most probably on the road because of number of accidents. Is there a point of fearing death and going slow if you die inevitably?" Now I know what goes inside their diminutive minds.


All this makes me wonder, is helmet going to save them when they are crushed between two 2 tonne SUVs.


From my experience driving in Telangana and Andhra, I have seen people of Andhra behave more like this. And people of Andhra are supoosedly more educated and better mannered than people of Telangana. Similarly, I hear a lot of road accidents in "educated" Kerala but fewer in other states.

[funkykar]

This is a welcome move. When safety is imposed by rule, most resort to the 100rs helmet which is absolutely worthless.

Instead make it optional and educate the riders in whatever way possible. In city like bangalore, walking speed is faster than commuting on a motor. I dont feel need of helmet 70% of times. If rule removed, i woulr wear only during wee hours, holidays and Sunday noon where traffic will be less

[G-One]

very wrong precedent to set by a Govt.

[sagaranjos]

Well, I for one believe this is perfectly logical.
Personal safety (which doesn't endanger the public) shouldn't be the government's responsibility.

The traffic police should be responsible for ensuring vehicle users don't endanger others. Rules like the one for helmets and seat belts just give the traffic police easy pickings, without any benefits for the common public. All this while serious infractions like rash driving go unchecked simply because the cops meet their targets by punishing inconsequential infractions.

[DrCar]

Another day, another brainless fellow trying to use brains and applying rules which will damage someone else's brain in case of accidents.

We are not far from the days when such rules will come up:
- Wear seat belts only when your car touches speeds of 100km/hr in city limits. Highways anyways have less traffic, so chances of accidents are low.
-Open aircraft doors when plane reaches city limits. As speeds won't be much then.
-Remove roof top from autorickshaws so that extra passengers can be accommodated who can grab on to whatever is left.

What is up with people whose name starts with RC?
They don't give a damn about safety

[funkykar]

For all who are seeing such decision so critically, have you considered below:
- When its forced as rule, a good % wear a crappy thing that looks like a helmet and costs just 100rs. As good as no helmet. BAngalore police once tried a crackdown on this and later commissioner had to ask them to stop because there is no way to ascertain quality by look and feel.
- In many many cities, there is a hell lot of traffic and average speeds are too low. Again, some of you will be ready to pounce on this topic saying whatever speed an accident may occur, head may get damaged. If so, why not all 4 wheelers also wear helmet? Why not pedestrians be mandated to wear helmet?


Wearing helmet should be made optional and users should be educated. If you think Indians cant be educated safety, lets live with it, IF they are educated enough to get a license, they should be allowed to make their choice of wearing helmet.

I have 6 helmets for different purposes.
2 (Fake ISI local made) - Just to evade cops nearby home. Yes, personally I dont want to wear helmet for using my 2 wheeler for small errands in my neighborhood.
2 (ISI marked, good quality Indian make)- For my daily commute. 1 for old scooter ride, 1 for modern scooters ride.
1 (ISI, good quality Indian brand) - Suiting bikes mainly yezdi
1 (International standards) - For highways. Even if I use my 40 year old BAjaj scooter that can do just 60-65kmph, I use this.


These are the local helmet I use to evade cops (one doesnt even have a strap ):






Now, dont bash me for being Honest.

On a very serious note: Let the government give us an option where we can put an sticker on our 2 wheeler like 'I am responsible for my actions of not wearing a helmet blah blah blah' like that on Tobacco and Alcohol products

[hserus]

You can break your head just as easily hitting the pavement on your way to the local store as you can riding a performance motorcycle on the highway so stick to just the one helmet or maybe one ISI brand and one international standard one