Expressing concern over people driving without a helmet, riding triple, and indulging in wheeling on public roads, the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday said it may also examine this issue in a PIL petition, which is seeking implementation of a new rule that mandates children between nine months and four years to wear crash helmets and safety harness while riding pillion.
What are police doing?
“What about implementing the existing rule regarding mandatory wearing of helmets? We find youngsters, teenagers riding with three persons on a two-wheeler, doing wheelies… What are the police doing about these violations…,” asked a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice M.I. Arun.
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by Archana Bhat K., an associate professor and HOD of Psychology at a private medical college in Shivamogga. The petitioner had sought a direction to the State government to enforce Section 138(7) of the Central Motor Vehicle (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022, which came into force in February, 2023, making safety helmet and harness mandatory for children.
Breaching norms
Pointing out that violation of norms related to wearing of helmet etc. resulted in deaths during road accidents, the Bench said that the government authorities will also be required to inform the court about implementing these existing norms, while replying to the issue raised in the petition.
The government had said that non-availability of child safety helmets and harness in the market is the reason for enforcing the new rule and the authorities have taken up the issue with the manufacturers.
