Helmets for all

It is govt’s responsibility to create awareness & make people understand that the helmet drive is for their own safety

A much-needed initiative by the traffic police in Karachi, to enforce the wearing of helmets by motorcyclists and pillion riders, hit a roadblock with the Sindh police chief deciding to exempt women from the requirement after some quarters claimed it will be inconvenient for them to wear helmets. The decision to reverse this notification indicates a mindset where women are considered to be subordinate to men with more attention being paid to their so-called ability to wear helmets rather than their safety, which is what the authorities should be considering here. When the notification was first released, the traffic police department reasoned that a large number of deaths from road accidents result from the fact that motorcyclists and pillion riders do not wear helmets. This year alone has seen the deaths of 13 women in road accidents. Every fifth motorcycle accident in Karachi injures a female.

In a city where motorcycles are often the only means of travel for the entire family, it is necessary that such precautions are taken, regardless of the opposition that this measure is receiving. It is the government’s responsibility to create awareness and make the people understand that the helmet drive is for their own safety, instead of giving in to the demands of habitual petitioners who may have ulterior motives when they go to court against such drives. The disappointing aspect here is that even on an individual level, the common sentiment regarding the helmet drive was that women will not be able to handle wearing helmets. This is where the government and the media need to step in and raise awareness that both men and women need helmets to survive road accidents. As much as we need the traffic police and the government to require mandatory helmets for all pillion riders, regardless of their gender and age, we also need to address the gender bias that exists within our society. Examples can be taken from India and Bangladesh where it is common for female motorcyclists and pillion riders to wear helmets and travel easily without putting their lives at risk.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th,  2015.

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