Police Commissioner Shankabratha Bagchi has said wearing helmets is mandatory for all two-wheeler riders and pillion passengers, and that helmets must fully cover the face and carry ISI certification.

He was speaking at a road safety awareness programme organised by the city police in association with Aap Sabki Awaaz, aimed at creating awareness on the importance of helmet usage and adherence to traffic rules.

As part of the initiative, police personnel took part in a bike rally across the city to promote road safety awareness. Helmets were also distributed to Home Guards during the programme.

The Police Commissioner said many people questioned the need for helmets for pillion riders. He said in several road accidents, pillion riders had suffered serious injuries and lost their lives.

“The pillion rider is at greater risk than the driver. At least the rider may sense danger a second before an accident occurs, but the pillion rider often gets no opportunity to react or protect themselves,” he said.

Mr. Bagchi said nearly 45% of the road accidents reported in Visakhapatnam involved two-wheelers, and that the non-use of helmets remained one of the primary causes of fatalities and serious injuries in such accidents.

He said the increasing number of teenage deaths in road accidents was a concern, and that many youngsters were losing their lives due to reckless driving and failure to follow traffic rules.

The Commissioner thanked Aap Sabki Awaaz for distributing helmets to Home Guards, and said the Visakhapatnam Police Commissionerate had facilitated health insurance cover of ₹30 lakh for every Home Guard serving the department.

He also asked members of the NGO to take up further awareness initiatives by displaying information boards and posters carrying details of blood donors and blood banks at hospitals. He said such information could be useful for tourists and visitors to the city in case of emergencies or road accidents.

ADCP (Traffic) K. Praveen Kumar and other officials were present at the programme.