At last

Finally the State Governments are discerning the difference between a rule and an option. The Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act (which was passed quite a long time back) mandated the wearing of helmets by all motorcyclists. But subsequent amendments gave the State Governments the right to declare it as an option.
But increasing two wheeler accidents and widespread awareness have resulted in widespread support for making the Act mandatory. As a result, many State Governments have passed a rule that declares Helmets mandatory for two wheelers. Also front seat riders in car are required to wear seat belts. In Chennai these two rules came are in effect from June 1, 2007. It will be interesting to see the seriousness with which the Chennai City Traffic Police (CCTP) follows it up, especially the seat belt rule.