Motorists in Bengaluru push risk boundaries by speeding, neglecting safety

A study revealed that while the overall helmet use among two-wheeler users in Bengaluru was 88 per cent, only 34 per cent of them wore helmets correctly, as of October 2022.

The roadside observation report — Status Summary 2022: Road Safety Risk Factors — released by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on June 28, highlighted the safety risks faced by road users in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region.

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Conducted collaboratively by Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) and Nimhans as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), the study recorded observations from November 2021 to October 2022 to assess three road safety risk factors: speed, helmet use, and seat belt and child restraint use.

Credit: DH Graphic

The study did not include observations on drunk-driving due to Covid-19 risks.

The study recommends that both the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) and the Karnataka State Road Safety Authority enhance enforcement measures, implement targeted educational campaigns, and collaborate with other stakeholders to improve engineering and emergency care measures.

“Data from the report will be utilised by government stakeholders, including transport and police departments, to improve compliance with respect to speeding, wearing helmets and wearing seat belts, especially for passengers,” said the transport minister.