KARUR: Starting Monday, government offices in Karur district will be off limits for motorists riding without helmets as the district administration is launching ‘No Helmet, No Service’ movement to deny all essential services to violators.
Officials, who ride two-wheelers to government offices without wearing helmets, will be marked absent, says a circular issued by collector Dr T Prabhushankar. Karur district has the highest fatality rate of 36.6% in road accidents in Tamil Nadu as per the Accident Severity Index.
Petrol stations were told not to dispense fuel to vehicles of violators who don’t use helmets or wear seatbelts in cars. While ration shops will deny violators essential commodities, Tasmac shops will not sell them liquor. Private grocers and shopkeepers have also been told to implement the no-service rule strictly.
Two-wheeler riders will be denied entry into government offices if they come without helmets. Entry of violators into government offices will be monitored through CCTV cameras by dedicated personnel assigned for the purpose.
Heads of departments have been given clear instructions on implementing the initiative at government offices. Speaking to TNIE, Karur District Forest Officer (DFO) Saravanan said, “The Collector has sent a circular asking us to ensure all officials who use two-wheelers wear helmets.”
Only 2-3% wear helmet: Survey
“After assessing the accidents reported in Karur district during our regular road safety meetings, we found that over 50% of them involved two-wheelers. While fatalities are high as most victims had not worn helmets, accidents also lead to acute disability,” collector Prabhushankar said.
“Wearing a helmet is the easiest solution to end road fatalities. Our team conducted a baseline survey at 50 places across the district and found that only 2% to 3% of the motorists wore a helmet. With this regulatory and educative initiative, we expect the numbers to gradually increase,” the collector said.
Last Tuesday, awareness programmes were conducted in schools to inculcate the importance of wearing helmet among schoolchildren. The students were also encouraged to write an emotional letter to their parents on wearing helmets. The district administration has planned to take the safety message to adults with the help of students across the district.
Karur tops in deaths, cams will monitor violators
Karur district has the highest fatality rate of 36.6% in road accidents in Tamil Nadu as per the Accident Severity Index. Entry of violators into government offices will be monitored through CCTV cameras by dedicated personnel