According to Chennai police officers, nearly 95 per cent of motorists in the city wore helmets and 80 per cent, in the suburbs. Day one saw a change among motorists on GST Road in Tambaram, near Chennai. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy
Kaligi Ranganathan Montford Matriculation Higher Secondary School students taking out helmet awareness rally near Murasoli Maran Flyover at Perambur in Chennai on June 30, 2015. Photo: V. Ganesan
Policemen take out a bike rally on 2 July to spread the word about the importance of wearing a helmet. PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN.
Chennai City Police organised a motorcycle rally with JSP Honda to raise awareness. Photo: R. Ravindran
With the strict enforcement of the helmet rule, sales for the headgear skyrocketed in the last week of June. The minimum price of a helmet is Rs. 400 and the maximum is Rs. 18,000. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
Compared to other metropolitan cities, compliance with traffic rules like strapping up seat belts and wearing helmets was very poor in Chennai, activists say. A helmeted father takes his sons home from school on a two wheeler. Photo: R. Ravindran
With the demand for children’s helmets increasing, shop owners say that they are running fast out of stock. A boy wearing a helmet shows the way to other riders on day one of helmet rule enforcement in Chennai. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Despite good response from the public as claimed by the city police, there are a few cases of non-compliance. A pillion rider on a motorcycle travels without a helmet. Photo: M. Karunakaran
A traffic cop urging a rider to wear his helmet at Anna Salai in Chennai on Wednesday. Photo: R. Ragu
Wearing a helmet may turn an irreversible head injury into a reversible one. The helmet adds an extra cushioning of 2.75 to 4 cm, which helps protect the brain. A biker with helmet protection suffers minor injuries from a car accident. Photo: K. Pichumani