Hyderabad, November 11: Most of the two-wheeler riders, do not wear helmets, and its not surprising that they manage to escape the clutches of the traffic police as well. A few days back, we had reported in these columns that 60 per cent of the people do not wear helmets.
“Out of 2,000 people who visit the mall everyday, only 100 would wear a helmet,” says K Rangareddy, security guard of Hyderabad Central at Punjagutta. “Most of the riders do not wear a helmet because they find it difficult looking behind. They have to turn their head completely and so they prefer not wearing a helmet, rather than meeting an accident,” he adds.
Supporting his argument, a schoolteacher Swati said, “I am unable to do a 180 degree twist of my head while wearing a helmet and so I it becomes difficult knowing if a vehicle is coming towards me from the side, so I do not wear a helmet.” Like Swati, there are many who do not wear a helmet but everyone has their own excuses.
“I cannot hear the honking of a vehicle if I am wearing a helmet making riding difficult during traffic hours,” says P Agarwal, another two-wheeler owner. While there are some who refuse to wear helmets because of headaches, others are concerned about their looks.
“I do not wear a helmet because the weather is too hot and the helmet makes it worse,” complains Ravi Kishen, an IT professional.
“It is suffocating so I do not wear them even during long distance travelling,” he accepts.
“If I wear a helmet, my hair is all messed up and the sweat also spoils my face and causes pimples,” says Reema, a school student.
While Kishen and Reema are among the few who do not wear a helmet at all, there are some who consider the occasion and the distance to be travelled before deciding on whether they want to wear a helmet or not.
“I wear a helmet only when I have to travel a long distances, like go to HiTec City or further, I do not wear it in city as it gives me a headache,” says Imraan, a call centre executive.
While headache emerges as a common reason for refusing to wear a helmet, there are some who complain of a neck pain too caused due to the wearing of a helmet.
“I used to wear helmets regularly, but then I developed a neck pain and so I stopped wearing one,” says Ananth Rangavajhala, a B Tech student. There are of course reasons like ‘bonding’ to be considered too. “I usually wear a helmet, but I did not wear it today because I was with a girl and it’s difficult for us to communicate with a helmet on,” claims Mujahid, a commerce student.
–Agencies