Helmet compliance low in rural parts of Coimbatore district

Compliance to wearing helmet is very low in places like Mettupalayam (in photo) in the rural parts of Coimbatore district.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRAGEMENT

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.

It is to be noted that two-wheeler riders amount to a major share of victims in road traffic accidents in Coimbatore city and rural areas every year.

As per statistics provided by the police, 2,598 road traffic accidents were reported in Coimbatore rural areas in 2024, out of which 660 were fatal accidents (687 deaths) and 1,938 non-fatal accidents (2,613 injured). Coimbatore city witnessed 1,178 road traffic accidents in 2024, out of which 288 were fatal accidents (297 deaths) and 890 non-fatal ones (992 injured).