Wearing a helmet while riding a two wheeler is considered one of the most effective road safety mechanisms. However, despite imposing it as a law in many Indian states, and enforcing penalties on such drivers, the country continues to witness several such cases daily.
The trend of riders riding without a helmet has resulted in an alarming death rate in Patna. According to the statistics of deaths by road accidents, approximately 25% were motorcyclists. Of these, 21% were not wearing helmets.
Pinki, a Patna resident, realized the need for a helmet when a biker ran into her scooty. She later said, "I could not speak or take solid food for three months. After that incident, I always use a full helmet while riding my two wheeler."
The Patna traffic police superintendent P. K. Das observed that while helmets may not be foolproof, they reduce the chance of a serious head injury by 80% and fatalities by nearly 50%. However, many riders merely consider it as a law, without understanding the safety aspect. The average temperature of a running motorcycle is 230 degrees Celsius. This can cause severe burns or the rider can hurt his head and fracture his arms. Wearing the right kind of helmet at least protects the rider's head from the impact of being thrown off the bike.