The city that has the largest density of two-wheeler drivers, is also infamous for riders inviting permanent disability and death thanks to their vast repertoire of excuses, that are as banal as an itchy scalp and blocked vision.
Nothing can shake us off from our commitment to the cause of wearing helmets; while it is almost akin to banging one’s head on a wall, we don’t give up easy.
Here are some ‘out of the box’ reasons that will hopefully convince you to wear a helmet, considering that staying alive isn’t convincing enough!
Speed breakers are the cause of 30 crashes every day, killing close to nine people a day. As many as 175 riders have lost their lives since January 2017 and more than 500 people sustained severe injuries.
City residents claimed that as many as 1,039 major and minor accidents have happened on the road so far in 2017. The number of accidents was 913 in 2016.
#A helmet could have saved most of these lives.
“It’s a perfect way to protect freshly washed hair; just strap that boy on and you are good to go,” says Mayuri Manik, a Corporate HR professional and mother of a two-year-old.
For Shivam, it works well as a camouflage from being identified in public… “I make it a point to always wear a helmet when I am bunking college and roaming with my lady love in the city. The opaque dark coloured full face helmet has saved me even from my mother who almost spotted me, but I ended up telling a lie and managing the situation well at home.”
“No time for makeup or a lazy hair day? Wear a helmet and blame all on it,” says Priya Singh, a playschool teacher.
“Safe is the new sexy”, quotes K. Brijesh, Entrepreneur, who feels that one can choose among the many styles, designs, colour and fits available in the market to reflect your personality. They can be made as a fashion accessory and can be actually pretty stylish.
“It not only protects us from having a head injury but also saves us from the embarrassment when a pigeon poops on your head. When in a shady region, don’t skip on wearing one. The flying shooters are everywhere,” giggles Suhani Malik, BBA graduate.
“Any riding enthusiast would swear by the fact that helmets are the best place to mount action cams and GoPro,” says Sudhanshu, an avid biker and freelancer, also stressing on the fact that it completes a true rider.
Helmets helps this city-based journalist to retain good looks by protecting her from sunburn and dust. “Since the job requires a lot of travelling across city to the report news, it is preferable to wear a helmet to protect from the scorching sun, heat and dust,” she points out.
“At any given situation, if you indulge in a fight with a street smart person on the roads, rest assure that a helmet can be your protective armor as well as your convenient weapon,” explains Rahul, a marketing executive.
Priyum Ahuja says that since his father doesn’t give him his bike keys if he doesn’t sport a helmet, he opts to carry it and ends up wearing it. “My dad is very particular about my safety. I can’t even remove it after leaving home because if my father knows about it, the next day he deflates my bike and I will have to commute by local transport. Also, since he bought it, I use it. Plain and simple.”
“When someone honks at you before the signal turns red, your adamant helmet sported head turn and make him feel like a dirt,” clarifies Pankaj Mathura. “You will look like a good Samaritan, law-abiding citizen. Believe me, if not for safety, wear it so that you can abuse those jerks driving on the roads as a race car arena,” he says.
“You could be setting a bad example for youngsters by not wearing your helmet,” explains Lizel, an interior designer. “My five-year-old nephew once showed a book that read ‘always wear a helmet’ and told me that it was wrong since he hasn’t seen anyone from him family wear one. For our kids, their parents are always right, and we should make it a point to teach them the right manners,” she shares.
#A helmet can save lives. Wear one, be safe.
Reach her at loveleen@pune365.com or tweet @KaurKaur18
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