Helmet compliance low in rural parts of Coimbatore district

District Collector urges Coimbatore Police to enforce helmet compliance for two-wheeler riders in rural areas to reduce accidents.

District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati has asked the Coimbatore District (Rural) Police to enforce strictly two-wheeler riders’ compliance to wearing helmet, during the recent meetings of the District Road Safety Committee.

The Collector pointed out in the meetings held in December and January that helmet compliance was low in rural parts of the district.

Since covering the large jurisdictional limits of the District Police was not an easy task, the Collector wanted the police to begin the enforcement first in towns, including Mettupalayam, Periyanaickenpalayam, Annur and Pollachi. Once enforced in towns, people coming from villages to these towns would start using helmets.

The Collector also wanted the police to implement the ‘no helmet, no entry’ initiative in rural parts of the district, beginning with educational institutions and companies.

A senior police officer said that police stations in Coimbatore rural had vast jurisdictional limits, unlike the stations in the city, posing a challenge for the personnel to cover large areas and enforce helmet compliance.

Road Safety Committee member K. Kathirmathiyon said helmet compliance improved in Coimbatore city in the past few years due to more focus given on enforcement and awareness measures by the police and non-governmental organisations.

However, enforcement and awareness activities were inadequate in rural parts of the district, especially in places such as Thondamuthur, Pollachi, Anamalai, Sulur, Annur, Karumathampatti, and Mettupalayam, he said.