Source: Bangalore Mirror
Bengaluru: Wearing a flimsy helmet can be as dangerous as not wearing one at all. The recent incident with a 19-year-old college student is a testament to the importance of wearing sturdy helmets.
Preethi Chopra, a first-year B.Com student at Surana College in Jayanagar, was on her way back from her morning jog with her elder sister. Her sister was riding the scooter while Preethi was riding pillion near Lalbagh on Sunday when a truck rammed into them. The force of the impact caused Preethi to fall off the scooter and hit her head against the pavement. As she was not wearing a proper helmet, the blow to her head resulted in Preethi’s death while her sister sustained some minor injuries.
The truck driver, who initially fled from the scene after the accident, was arrested by VV Puram police at his employer’s office on the same day.
It is learnt that the truck, which is a cement mixer truck, was travelling at high speeds when it rear-ended the scooter. The deceased was wearing a non-ISI marked half helmet at the time of the accident. According to police, a full-faced ISI marked helmet could have saved the girl’s life.
The deceased’s eyes have been donated by her family via a Bengaluru based voluntary organisation.
All over the city, people continue to ride with half helmets or no helmets and repeated fines and reprimands have not deterred motorists from continuing to risk their lives.
