In a significant move toward enhancing road safety, the Pune Police’s Traffic Branch has mandated the use of helmets for all traffic personnel riding two-wheelers. The directive, issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Traffic, comes into effect on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of adherence to traffic safety regulations.
Of the 950 employees in the traffic police branch, a majority rely on two-wheelers for their daily commute. Despite the existing legal requirement for all two-wheeler riders to wear helmets, it was observed that a significant number of police officers were not complying with this safety measure. The recent order aims to enforce the mandatory use of helmets among constables, officers, and other personnel.
As per the Central Motor Vehicle Act, traffic personnel found riding two-wheelers without helmets will face penalties, with a fine of Rs 500 imposed for each violation. The decision to implement this rule comes in the wake of concerning statistics, with 57% of road crash fatalities in Pune City between 2019 and 2022 involving motorcycle riders, totaling 514 lives lost.
Expressing concern over the inconsistency in following the existing rule, a traffic activist questioned why traffic police officers were not adhering to the helmet mandate already present in the rule book.
A senior police officer emphasized that this proactive step would serve as an example, encouraging other officers to follow suit. The success of the initiative will likely determine whether the mandatory helmet rule will be extended to all police officers in the future.
