As part of the National Road Safety Month 2024 from January 15 to February 14, the Mumbai Traffic Police started a new initiative of felicitating riders and their pillion riders for wearing helmets and adhering to helmet-wearing norms. The initiative aimed to convey a broader message about the ideal behaviour of motorbike riders on the road.
This year the theme for Road Safety has been- “Be a road safety hero,” which acknowledges the individuals enhancing road safety and aiding post-crash. So, Mumbai Traffic headquarters instructed all the traffic divisions to give certificates.
" Our D.N Nagar division so far distributed 20 certificates in different areas of D.N Nagar, Versova, and Juhu. Typically, we identify motorcycles where both the rider and pillion rider are wearing helmets and ensure they are adhering to traffic rules, such as not breaking lines or overtaking the signals," said Ashok More, Traffic Police Inspector, D.N Nagar, Andheri.
More explained that the goal of the initiative is to portray the ideal behaviour of motorbike riders and inspire others who generally tend to break rules or are negligent of road safety norms. He added, "The message is clear- protection of self is the protection of the family and so society. The overarching objective is to work towards achieving zero accidents through effective awareness campaigns, acknowledging motorbike riders is one.
From a statutory perspective, wearing a helmet is mandatory for pillion riders, a regulation that has faced criticism from the public. Despite this, the traffic police, through this initiative, aims to generate a positive perception. The absence of helmets for pillion riders has become normalized, prompting the police to raise awareness about the associated safety risks.
Under the initiative, each traffic division is allocated 20 to 22 certificates for distribution in their designated areas. As per a few traffic officials, they are also checking the e-challans on the bike before deciding on the recipients. "In the Santacruz area, we awarded 4 certificates to law-abiding riders and also asked them to share the photos on their social media, amplifying the message and inspiring others to adhere to traffic rules for enhanced road safety," said Salim Tamboli, a Traffic Police Inspector, Santacruz.
Apart from honouring riders and their pillion riders, the Mumbai traffic police are actively engaged in various initiatives. They have organized medical camps for rickshaw drivers, emphasizing the importance of proper eye care. Additionally, there is a crackdown on vehicles with improper license plates, and drivers are urged to rectify these issues. The initiatives extend to conducting awareness sessions (sabhas) in schools and colleges to educate students about traffic violations. Moreover, there are specific sabhas held at Chowk and corners to educate rickshaw drivers about vehicle and road regulations.
These modest initiatives have made a significant impact on the broader objective of reducing accidents and road fatalities. An RTO officer also credited these efforts as a contributing factor to the decrease in overall road fatalities in 2023. According to a report, Maharashtra experienced a 1.4% reduction in road fatalities, with substantial declines in Mumbai (24%), Chandrapur (20%), and Navi Mumbai (18%).