Helmets

A few months back, the government passed a law that makes helmets mandatory for motorbike riders in Mumbai. After the law was passed, suddenly there was a like a huge rush to go buy helmets. For a few days helmets were out of stock. In a span of 2-3 days many hundreds of thousands of helmets were purchased. Cops too were out on the streets stoppng bikers who were riding without helmets and actually penalizing them.

Today, a few months after the law was passed, as I ride down the roads I still see many bikers without helmets. Many bikers do have helmets, but not on their heads, but rather kept on their handlebars. Occasionally I do come across a police naka where non-helmet bearing bikers are stopped and fined, but I also see policemen on the road who turn a blind eye to bikers without helmets.

Now I don't see why any biker would not be wearing a helmet. It's for his own good. When i bought my bike nearly 3 years ago, one of the first things I did before beginning to ride was go and buy a helmet. I must say it was a very wise decision. The helmet has saved my life many times. Once while I was heading back from college, after collecting my exam hall ticket, these 2 kids ran onto the road just as I was passing them, causing me to dodge them, lose my balance and fall, sliding a few feet on the road. I fell with my head towards the divider of the road and if it wasn't for my helmet, I would surely have either have had concussions on my head or have scraped my head against the divider. I did get a broken left wrist after the incident but that's anyday preferred over a head injury. In another incident, my friend was riding the bike at quite a high speed, and he was wearing my helmet when we had a collision with a Zen (the details of how it happened are not important right now). We hit the side of the car. My friend got fractures on both his arms and hence couldn't give his seventh semester exams. Because he was wearing my helmet, he only suffered a few bruises on his lips and needed stiches. I can't imagine what would have happened to him had he not been wearing my helmet.

People don't realise the importance of helmets. I have heard of many instances where people have died due to not wearing a helmet. Helmets save lives. Take it from a biker who has avoided many an injury. The next time you decide you want to ride a bike, please do use a helmet. Helmets don't mean you have to ride slowly. I have had my share of wild experiences on bikes, but safely, with protection.

You shouldn't need a law to make you wear a helmet. Use your head and use a helmet, so you can continue using your head.