452 Efficacy of visible, on-ground and consistent enforcement for helmet wearing in Pune city, Maharashtra

Background As per section 129 in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, every person driving or riding shall, while in a public place, wear protective headgear meaning a helmet. Enforcement activities have failed to produce desired increases in the pass for correct helmet use in Pune city. No-use of helmet impact on road safety: The results of the lack of enforcement for helmet use lead to fatalities Objective Comparison between visible/consisten/on ground enforcement and CCTV enforcement. Policy analysis: Parisar (NGO working on road safety) in May 2018, conducted a survey which showed 28% riders and 1.1% pillions wearing a helmet in Pune. In December 2018, after a 6-month awareness drive about benefits of helmet wearing, risk of non- use of helmet, etc. by the Traffic Police, another survey showed that the compliance rate went up by 32% riders and 4.1% pillions. In January 2019, Police started enforcing the helmet rule. The Police themselves reported that the compliance rate shot up to 66% in just a few weeks. An enforcement drive was supported by all stakeholders and community people. As a result, there has been a 33% reduction in the two wheeler fatalities during Jan to June 2019 corresponding to the same period in 2018 by Pune traffic police. In June 2019, Pune Members of Legislative Assembly complained to the Chief Minister, he asked Police to stop on-road enforcement of the helmet law and enforce it through CCTV footage only. Parisar again conducted a survey in October 2019 which discovered that compliance rate dropped by 20% (46% riders and 3.1% pillion), thus revealing the ineffectiveness of enforcement only by CCTV footage. Parisar found that 85 to 90 percent of challans issued by CCTV remain unpaid and the Police have no mechanism to track the challans and ensure fine collection. Conclusion Education and Awareness have not desired outcome in road safety and does not change the behaviour of traffic violators. Visible, consistent and on-road enforcement work as a deterrent and can ensure high rates of compliance.