KOCHI: With the number of road accidents in the city escalating, it looks like ‘Pappu Zebra’, the mascot of Kerala Police Traffic Wing, will have to spruce up his act in Kochi. Educating people to keep a ‘good’ head on their shoulders by the use of appropriate helmets would be the best way to start.The very presence of sub-standard helmets in various stores across the city sounds a warning. Lined with thin padding, sans the mandatory ISI mark, the half helmets hang loose and hardly cover the head fully. Such helmets have many takers.Traders say the demand for such helmets is high. “Such helmets do not have an ISI mark and though we dissuade buyers, they insist on these. They are in demand since they are cheap. The people whose priority is safety seek helmets with ISI mark,” said Sabu Thomas, a dealer in auto accessories.Meanwhile, traffic policemen say that they stop riders without helmets and forward their details to the police station. Constables can only collect details of violators since a fine can be slapped only by an SI. They add that women riders tend to be finicky about helmets since it spoils their hairdo.However, the policemen unanimously agree that the move to enforce the helmet rule for pillion riders would translate into higher levels of safety on city roads. The majority values the helmet. Krishnakumar T K, an employee with MTS, says helmets help in keeping dust and heat away. “I have been using a helmet even before it was made mandatory as safety always comes first. I would say that a fail-proof helmet is a good investment,” he asserted.
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